Enter the heart reached during a lift into the calculator to estimate the RPE of that exercise for an individual.
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RPE Formula
The following formula is used to calculate the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE).
RPE = HR / 10
- Where RPE is the Rating of Perceived Exertion
- HR is the heart rate achieved during the lift or movement
The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion works on a scale of 6 to 20 with 20 being absolute exhaustion.
RPE Defintion
RPE stands for the rate of perceived exertion. This is used by an individual to describe how hard they believe they worked during a given activity, most often a lift. For example, if a person believes that they could not go any further, their RPE would be maxed out at 20.
RPE is strongly correlated with heart rate. For example, if someone thinks they went to complete exhaustion, then their RPE is 20, and their heart rate should have approached 200.
The actual heart rate will vary depending on the health and age of the individual.
Example Problem
How to calculate RPE?
- First, perform the activity or lift.
In this example, a sprinter is running a timed 400-meter sprint and aiming for 90% of their max speed.
- Next, measure the maximum heart rate during the activity.
Directly after the run, the heart rate of the running is measured to be 170.
- Finally, calculate the RPE.
Using the formula above, the RPE is calculated as:
RPE = HR / 10
RPE = 170 / 10
RPE = 17
