Over the last few years, there has been a rise in the amount of strength coaches advocating RPE based programming for athletes at all levels instead of the more traditional percentage-based approach. Let’s look over some of the basics of both models, as well as the pros and cons of each, putting you in a better position to make an educated decision which one to pursue.
 
First of all, what the heck is RPE?  It stands for “rate of perceived exertion”. Essentially, how hard you think you’re working. The most common scale used is a modified Borg scale, with measuring markers from 0-10 (0 as the lowest, 10 as the highest). When I use this with my athletes I often describe it as: “How hard was that on a scale of 0-10, with 0 being ‘pointless, I barely did a thing’ and 10 being ‘I could not have done anything more, I think I nearly died’?”
 
That may be a touch extreme, but it gives people the idea of the two ends of the spectrum. It’s obviously a little better to make it more specific to the environment so maybe you could say 10 is “I couldn’t do a single more rep” and 0 as “I could do double that.”
 
And percentages? Now then I know most, if not all, people reading this will already know what percentages are, but I’m going to talk it through anyway. Percentages are exactly what they say on the tin … a mathematical equation, a rate, number, an amount in each hundred.
 
Now that we know what they both are let’s look at how they might be used in application.
The idea behind RPE is that it is variable according the individual, and the day. An RPE 8, for example, could allow a big change in the load being lifted depending on whether you’re feeling awesome or whether you’re feeling tired.
 
Think of RPE as a daily max – it is about what you can do that day. If you’re feeling great you can probably lift a considerable amount of weight comparative to your 1RM, whereas if you’re feeling tired you won’t be able to lift as heavy, so the load will be lower but it will still feel like an 8 out of 10 on effort.
 
Generally speaking, most coaches using percentages will work off either a true 1 rep maximum score, or an estimated version. From this they will then assign sets and reps appropriately for the task at hand; lower percentages for hypertrophy or muscular endurance, and higher percentages for strength and power. This has benefits such as giving your athlete a definitive number that they are working towards; no fluctuation just hit the number on the sheet.
 
What are the benefits or drawbacks of each? On the RPE side of things, the biggest benefit is daily variability. It allows you to select your weights and adjust according to how good you feel. This can be very beneficial for monitoring your overall load and ensuring that you stay healthy rather than pushing through when you should be holding back.  The downside is that for some people it has too much fluctuation, and there isn’t enough direction given, which could lead to stagnation.
 
Percentages-wise the benefit has to be the specificity; going in to a session knowing exactly what numbers you are meant to hit can make it easier to prepare. Plus there are loads of different programs that have been created based off a percentage system, so you have tons of options in comparison to RPE, which is still a fairly new way of doing things, and therefore is more limited.
 
So, who should use which? The easiest way to differentiate could be your experience level in the weight room. For newbies, I think it is best to use percentages because they need the guidance, and they won’t have a good feel of their ability just yet. Also, linear progression works incredibly well for new lifters as they can continue to progress very quickly due to the new stimulus being a shock to the system, creating greater adaptation. Experienced lifters, on the other hand, can hit their first warm-up set and already know if it’s going to be a good day or a bad day and whether or not to chase the big numbers.

Obviously, this is not written in stone, because some experienced lifters need specifics to get them towards a certain target or the ability to peak and taper, and some novice lifters may be okay judging what’s in the tank.
 
Who doesn’t love an experiment? Want to give it a go? Sure you do! Below are two tables; one with a 12-week RPE based program, another with a 12-week percentage-based program. Give them both a try with a major compound lift of your choice and compare the effects afterwards.
 

RPE Based Program – Weeks 1-6
Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6
5x8 @ 5-RPE	5x8 @ 6-RPE	5x8 @ 7-RPE	5x6 @ 6-RPE	5x6 @ 7-RPE	5x6 @ 8-RPE
RPE Based Program – Weeks 7-12
Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6
5x4 @ 6-RPE	5x4 @ 7-RPE	5x4 @ 8-RPE	5x2 @ 7-RPE	5x2 @ 8-RPE	5x2 @ 9-RPE

 

Percentage Based Program – Weeks 1-6
Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6
5x8 @ 65%	5x8 @ 70%	5x8 @ 75%	5x6 @ 70%	5x6 @ 75%	5x6 @ 80%
Percentage Based Program – Weeks 7-12
Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6
5x4 @ 75%	5x4 @ 80%	5x4 @ 85%	5x2 @ 80%	5x2 @ 85%	5x2 @ 90%

*Percentage based off true or estimated 1 rep maximum score
 
Before you try either, or both, of these programs, you’ll want to test a rep max at the start, and preferably again at the end, in order to have comparable data. Otherwise you won’t have a quantifiable measure of improvement.
 
If you want further information on how to best incorporate an RPE model, Mike Tuchscherer has done a good amount of research around it.
 
If you do try them, make sure to let me know how it goes.