You Overshot Again... Part II

Struggling with RPE ratings?

Is your training partner always telling you that you overshot your RPE?  Is your Coach on your case because you keep chasing loads and trying to tell them that your last warmup was “sub 6”? 

Part 1 tried to define and describe some of the advantages and disadvantages of using RPE as a training tool.  Different scenarios where the way you rate your RPE might change were also outlined so that we have some common ground when discussing overshooting and appropriate load selection moving forward. 

It is important than we truly be honest and conservative with RPE ratings.  If you are new to RPE, or have some struggles with accurate RPE ratings, these are some of the heuristics that I have a come across that have proven to be valuable over my years of lifting and coaching. 

When we are using Game Day RPE, most people can maintain a high enough level of technical proficiency up to about the RPE 7 range.  Once an individual is above a certain absolute load, or proximal enough to failure, one or more of these things starts to happen; either your technique changes, the bar speed slows down, there is a clear sticking point, or it simply feels harder to push.  If your squat has the common squat-morning (knees/hips shift back, trunk angle change) pattern we sometimes see but it only happens above certain loads, or later in a set, you are probably in the RPE 8 range.   If your shoulders begin to shrug in the benchpress, you are probably in the RPE 8 range.  If you can keep your trunk locked without power leak in the deadlift, but then some power leakage starts to happen, you are probably in the RPE 8 range.  If you can definitively see or feel the bar slow down at a certain point, you are probably in the RPE 8 range.  If your deadlift flies off the floor but gets sticky around lockout, you are probably in the RPE 8 range.  If your set of benchpress simply feels harder to push, you are probably in the RPE 8 range (Benchpress often looks RPE 7 and then it is RPE 9.5 out of no where).  

@subparliftingmemes

When relative intensities get above RPE 8 you see the same results occur, just to a greater degree.  There is more of a good morning patter in the squat, bar speeds slow down even more, Benchpress speed’s die off the chest, more of a power leak through the trunk in the deadlift, or things just get way stickier at lockout.    Use these ideas to help you rate your own RPEs in training.  If you are honest with your RPE ratings it will take you far in regulating your training load.

Top set vs Indicator set

One small coaching strategy that has helped me curb the overzealous nature of chronic overshooting is to refer to the initial set, typically called a top set, as an indicator set.  The goal is not to work up to some crazy, heavy, nose torquing, smack on the back, screamin, balls to the wall, grindin ,TOP SET BABY WOOOOO.  While the heavier set is there for a reason and is part of the stimulus, I try to refer to it as an indicator set, rather than a top set.  The goal is to indicate performance, not to send it and bend it for the day, taking all your energy and will power so that you have less energy, attention, and intention to put into your back down practice sets.  Stay calm and focused as you work up, indicate performance using an E1RM, and move on to your back off practice.  There is a time and place for sending it, but if you are reading this ramble then you probably need to send it less often. 

Two strategies that have helped me and others to not overshoot, is to make sure that you are working up in the rep scheme that is prescribed, and to take smaller jumps than you think.  

While it is important that we try to set ourselves up for success, one strategy that I do not recommend for chronic over shooters is to try to save yourself for the top set.  As an example, say the prescription has an indicator set of 3 reps at RPE 8 followed by some back off volume.  One common mistake that I have seen, is that an athlete attempts to save energy for the top set by only doing a set of 1 rep as a last warmup.  While this may seem like a viable strategy (the goal of the sport is to lift the most weight after all) it can be misguided if the last warm up of 1 rep at RPE 4-5 does not give us enough information to make an appropriate load selection.  3 reps at RPE 7 = 1 rep at RPE 5, 1 rep at RPE 5 will move like an easy warm up weight, this might create a false sense of security, influencing individuals to put too much weight on the bar, leading to an overshoot. I would rather a lifter do 3 reps at RPE6, followed by a true 3 reps at RPE 7, and then make the right load selection for their indicator set of 3 reps at RPE 8. If you are a lifter who has no problem with chronic over shooting, and you use this strategy, then this suggestion may not be for you.    Work up in the rep range prescribed. 

Not this:

150x1

160x1 RPE 5

170x3 RPE 9

But this:

150x3 RPE 6

160x3 RPE 7

165x3  RPE 8

Comparing the training session:

5 reps above 150 and an overshoot vs. 9 or reps above 150 and a lift that is in the pocket. 

Another error in judgement occurs when lifters start taking jumps that are too big.  Using the same prescription, Comp Squat 3 reps at RPE 8, and a 1RM of 200kgs for some easy math, let’s say the lifter works up they smoke 150x3, add 10kgs to hit their last warm up of 160 kgsx3 and it is RPE 7.  The weight is moving well, technique feels good, the athlete is confident in themselves, so they decide to take a 10kgs jump to 170kgs.  The execute the set, it goes well enough, but it was still an overshoot, and they rate the set at RPE 9.  What happened?  They probably should have taken a smaller jump to their indicator set.  As a coach, it’s important to know that most people haven’t spent very much time looking at an RPE chart, or what percentages might correlate do what rep and RPE ranges.  It’s important for athletes to learn that for the most part, using most RPE charts, the difference between a single RPE point is usually between 2-3%, or the difference of 1 rep at the same RPE is usually 2-3%, across rep ranges. 

e.g.

x1 at RPE 7 = 89%

x1 at RPE 8 = 92%

x2 at RPE 7 = 86%

x3 at RPE 7 = 83%

x8 at RPE 8 = 74%

x8 at RPE 9 = 76%

In short, take smaller jumps than you think.  When your sets are rateable on an RPE scale, try to keep your jumps in the 2-3% range and you will be more likely to avoid overshooting.  If you are worried about wasting your energy on the way up to your top set, don’t be.  The goal is not to work up to a certain weight, the goal is to get the right weight on the bar, for the right number of reps, at the right RPE.  The extra work up sets will allow you to dial in your technique and might even lead to more confidence heading into your top set.  I would rather people take small jumps and accumulate better, heavy enough, practice.  

e.g.

150x3 RPE 5.5-6

160x3 RPE 7

170x3 RPE 9 – overshot (5% jump on a 200kgs squat)

Take the smaller 2.5% jump to 165x3 and nail the RPE

It is important than we truly be honest and conservative with RPE ratings.  If you are new to RPE, or have some struggles with accurate RPE ratings, these are some of the heuristics that I have a come across over the years that have proven to be valuable over my years of lifting and coaching. 

Check your ego. 

A lot of issues with overshooting or under rating RPE comes from ego.  The ego is the enemy of process-oriented strength training.  In a sport that is very quantitative, lift big rock make number go up, your ego cannot bear the thought of underperforming.  Whether you are mindlessly forcing load or rep progression, comparing yourself to your best day ever, lying to yourself about your RPE, assuming you should be stronger by now even though have not earned it outside if the gym, all these examples are related to your ego getting in the way of being able to accurately perceive your exertion and rate it accordingly.  Using RPE as a training tool is only helpful if you use it properly.  You can tell Instagram that your lift was RPE 8 with misgroove all you want, but you are lying to yourself, and everyone watching knows it.  You can tell your Coach that “I just really wanted that weight to be RPE 7 today”, but that is not helpful.  Stop ego lifting.  Ego lifting is not productive.   Ego lifting leads to poor technical practice, or unwanted wear and tear, this may not seem like that big of an issue while you are young, “just wait til you’re my age.”

Earn the load progressions by being honest with yourself and nailing your RPE week after week, allow that heavy enough technical practice to accumulate, and let the gainz come to you. 

@subbarliftingmemes