RPE and RIR Explained: Stop Guessing Your Sets

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]RPE and RIR in 60 seconds. This is how lifters stop guessing effort.

[00:00:07]RIR means reps in reserve. If you finish a set and could have done two more clean reps, >> [music] >> that is two RIR.

[00:00:17]RPE is the effort [music] scale that often matches it. Around RPE eight usually means about two reps left. RPE nine means about [music] one.

[00:00:29]RPE 10 means no clean reps left. Why does this matter? Because the same weight [music] can feel different on a strong day, a tired day, or after bad sleep.

[00:00:41]RIR lets you [music] adjust without turning every set into a max out.

[00:00:46]Bottom line, practice calling your reps left, then compare it to reality sometimes. The goal is honest, hard training, not ego math.

[00:00:57]Follow Fitness Volt for smarter lifting breakdowns.