RPE Chart for Lifting: How to Read and Use It

By the One Rep Max Calculator team · Published October 24, 2026 · Facts checked against the sources listed below · About us

Safety note. These numbers are estimates for healthy adults. They are not medical advice. Max lifts carry real risk. Warm up, use a spotter or safety bars, and stop if you feel pain. If you have a health condition, an injury or are new to lifting, talk to a doctor or a certified coach first. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggest muscle strengthening at least 2 days a week.

A thread on Reddit’s r/powerlifting asked how people actually use an RPE chart. Some lifters love it. Others find it confusing. The idea is simple once you see it, and it can help you pick the right weight on days you feel great or awful. This guide explains the scale, gives you a full chart, and shows how to use it.

The short answer

RPE is a 1 to 10 score for how hard a set was. In lifting, it is based on how many reps you had left. RPE 10 means none left. RPE 9 means 1 left. RPE 8 means 2 left. An RPE chart turns reps and RPE into a percent of your max, so you can find the right weight for any set.

What RPE means in lifting

RPE stands for rating of perceived exertion. The old version of the scale was about how hard exercise felt in general. For lifting, coaches and researchers made a version tied to reps in reserve, or RIR.

A 2016 study by Zourdos and others tested this scale with 29 people doing the squat. In that scale, RPE 10 equals 0 reps in reserve, RPE 9 equals 1 rep in reserve, and so on (Zourdos and others, 2016).

RPE	Reps left
10	0
9.5	between 0 and 1
9	1
8.5	between 1 and 2
8	2
7.5	between 2 and 3
7	3
6	4
5	5 or more

The study found that higher RPE went with slower bar speed in both trained and new squatters. That is a good sign. It means the ratings track real effort, not just mood. The authors called the scale a practical way to adjust daily training loads.

Full RPE chart

This chart shows the percent of your max for each mix of reps and RPE. It uses one clear rule:

Reps possible = reps done + reps left.
Percent of max = (37 minus reps possible) / 36.

The second line is the Brzycki formula, one of the seven 1RM formulas tested in a 1997 study (LeSuer and others, 1997).

RPE	1 rep	2 reps	3 reps	4 reps	5 reps	6 reps	8 reps	10 reps
10	100%	97.2%	94.4%	91.7%	88.9%	86.1%	80.6%	75.0%
9	97.2%	94.4%	91.7%	88.9%	86.1%	83.3%	77.8%	72.2%
8	94.4%	91.7%	88.9%	86.1%	83.3%	80.6%	75.0%	69.4%
7	91.7%	88.9%	86.1%	83.3%	80.6%	77.8%	72.2%	66.7%
6	88.9%	86.1%	83.3%	80.6%	77.8%	75.0%	69.4%	63.9%

Our RPE calculator has the full chart with half points, and it does the math for you.

A quick word of honesty. There is no single official RPE chart. Coaches publish their own tables, and they can differ by a few percent. This one uses a simple, open rule so you can check every number. Pick one chart and use it every time.

How to read the chart

Find your reps along the top. Find your RPE down the side. Where they meet is the percent of your max.

Example 1: find your max. You squat 140 kg for 5 reps at RPE 8. The chart says 83.3%. Divide: 140 / 0.833 = about 168 kg. That is your estimated max.

Example 2: find your weight. Your plan says 3 reps at RPE 9. Your max is 168 kg. The chart says 91.7%. Multiply: 168 x 0.917 = about 154 kg.

Example 3: same RPE, more reps. You bench 100 kg for 3 reps at RPE 7, which is 86.1%. So your max is about 116 kg. Next week, you want 6 reps at RPE 7. The chart says 77.8%, so use about 90 kg.

Why use RPE at all?

Your strength is not the same every day. Sleep, food, stress and the last workout all play a part. A fixed percent might feel easy one day and crushing the next.

RPE lets the weight move with you. On a good day, RPE 8 might be 5 kg more than planned. On a bad day, it might be 5 kg less. Either way, the effort is right.

A 2016 paper by Helms and others explains how to use the RIR scale this way. It covers setting loads from RPE and adjusting the next set based on the last one (Helms and others, 2016).

How to get better at rating RPE

Rating takes practice. Here are a few ways to sharpen it.

Rate every work set. Write it in your log right after the set, before you forget.
Use the bar speed clue. When the last rep slows down a lot, you are close to failure. That fits what the Zourdos study found about speed.
Test yourself now and then. On a safe lift, like a machine or a squat with safety bars, keep going after you rate a set. See how many reps you really had left.
Be honest. Rating a set as RPE 7 when it was RPE 9 just leads to bad weights next time.

Common mistakes

Mixing up RPE and percent. RPE 8 does not mean 80%. It means 2 reps left. For 5 reps, that is about 83%. For 1 rep, it is about 94%.

Using RPE for very high reps. Long sets are hard to rate. You also get tired in ways that are not about strength. Keep RPE work to sets of about 10 reps or fewer.

Chasing RPE 10. Most training does not need sets to failure. Lots of plans use RPE 6 to 9 for most work.

Changing charts. If you switch charts, your numbers will shift a few percent. Stick with one.

Where RPE fits in a plan

Many lifters mix RPE with a fixed plan. For example, a top set of 3 at RPE 8, then back off sets at 90% of that weight. This keeps the effort steady while the weights move with your daily form.

If you are new, start with sets of 5 to 8 at RPE 7 or 8. That is hard enough to build strength, with a margin for safety. For more on rep choices, read our guide on the best rep range for strength.

RPE and your one rep max

You do not need to test a true max to use RPE. In fact, RPE is a great way to track your max over time without ever testing one. Each week, your top set gives you a new estimate.

Track the estimate in your log. If it climbs over a few weeks, you are getting stronger. If it drops for a while, it may be time for a lighter week.

To see how the rep based formulas work in more detail, read our guide on how to calculate 1RM.

Bottom line

An RPE chart links three things: reps, effort and percent of max. Learn what each RPE means in reps left. Then use the chart, or our calculator, to turn any set into a max or any plan into a weight. Rate every set, be honest, and your ratings will get better with time.

Tools for this guide

FAQ

What does RPE 8 mean?

RPE 8 means you finished the set with about 2 reps left in the tank. You could have done 2 more clean reps if you had to. It is a common target for hard but safe training sets.

Is RPE the same as RIR?

They measure the same thing from two sides. RIR is reps in reserve. RPE is 10 minus RIR. So 1 rep in reserve is RPE 9, and 3 reps in reserve is RPE 7.

Are RPE charts exact?

No. Each chart is a model, and different coaches publish different tables. Your own numbers can be a few percent off. Use the chart as a starting point and adjust based on how the bar moves.

Can beginners use RPE?

Yes, but ratings take practice. A good start is to rate every work set, then check yourself now and then by doing an extra rep or two on a safe lift to see how close you were.