RIR

Intermediate ⚽ Sports / Fitness

Definition

Reps In Reserve—how many reps you could theoretically do before failure. A more nuanced way than RPE to measure effort.

Example Usage

I stopped with 2 RIR to stay safe and manage fatigue.

Origin

Modern strength training terminology, popularized in the 2010s

Fun Fact

Training at 2-3 RIR is nearly as effective as training to failure with less injury risk

Source: Strength Training and Sports Science research

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