RPE

Definition

Rate of Perceived Exertion—a subjective 1-10 scale measuring how hard you're working based on feel rather than numbers. It's like rating your life stress, but for deadlifts.

Example Usage

Coach asked me to keep the warm-up sets at RPE 5, but I went straight to 8 because I'm incapable of self-regulation.

Origin

Developed by Swedish psychologist Gunnar Borg in the 1960s as the Borg Scale

Fun Fact

The original Borg Scale ran from 6-20 to roughly correlate with heart rates of 60-200 bpm when multiplied by 10.

Source: Exercise science and training methodology

Related Terms

Beginner

dirty bulk

A weight gain phase with no regard for food quality, eating anything and everything to maximize caloric surplus. The freshman year of college approach to muscle building.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Beginner

bonking

The sudden, catastrophic depletion of glycogen stores during endurance exercise, causing extreme fatigue and mental fog. The metabolic equivalent of your car not sputtering but just stopping.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Intermediate

periodized training

A systematic approach to organizing training into specific phases with different focuses, because randomly destroying yourself every session isn't actually a plan. It's the difference between strategic progress and habitual suffering.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Beginner

isolation exercise

An exercise targeting a single muscle group or joint, like bicep curls or leg extensions. Perfect for building Instagram muscles while neglecting functional strength.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Advanced

bilateral deficit

The phenomenon where the sum of your single-leg strength exceeds your double-leg strength, because apparently your nervous system can't fully activate both legs simultaneously. It's your body's way of preventing you from trying to jump over buildings.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Intermediate

base building

A training phase focused on developing aerobic capacity through high-volume, low-intensity work before adding harder efforts. The boring foundation that nobody wants to do but everyone needs.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

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