Myosynthesis Forums

I just finally picked up the Reactive Training Manual. Its a pretty cool book, gives me lots of ideas. My problem is, how the heck do you decide what RPE to use for the cyclical exercises? Looks like everything is usually 8-9 or 9-10, but I don't quite see how you decide what to do?

Or is it pretty much volume is 8-9 and intensity is 9-10? I've been training with percentages and prilipen's table for a while now and it works good, but I was thinking of incorporating the RPE's and maybe it can work better.

(05-26-2010 04:50 AM)Matt Wrote: [ -> ]I just finally picked up the Reactive Training Manual. Its a pretty cool book, gives me lots of ideas. My problem is, how the heck do you decide what RPE to use for the cyclical exercises? Looks like everything is usually 8-9 or 9-10, but I don't quite see how you decide what to do?

Or is it pretty much volume is 8-9 and intensity is 9-10? I've been training with percentages and prilipen's table for a while now and it works good, but I was thinking of incorporating the RPE's and maybe it can work better.

Depends on the day, really.

A volume day might have 8-9, reps in the 4-6 range with a larger fatigue stop, say 7% or so.

A lighter day could have 6-7 with no fatigue stop, just a short time stop.

An intensity day would also have 8-9, maybe with reps in the 1-2, maybe 3 day, with the possibility of a moderate fatigue stop, like 5% or even less.

Basically it's going to depend on how you structure your training.

You'll see that Mike has most of his days as 8-9 because he likes plenty of frequency in a medium-heavy/heavy range on any given day. That could mean 500 or 800 for him, it all will depend on how he's feeling that day, but in any case he knows he wants to be in the sweet spot for medium-heavy/heavy multiple times per week, hence the use of 8-9 a lot.

A speed day would be sets at 6, possibly 7.

Even heavy days, though, don't tend to be planned above 9 (sometimes you'll work up and end up with a lift at 10, but it's never planned that way, really).

So long story short, it all depends on how you want to structure your training. If you have a speed day and a heavy day, it's going to be different than a volume/light/intensity day (a la Texas method or Starr), both of which would be different than a Sheiko inspired routine (like Mike's) which is 3-4 days all in the medium-heavy/heavy day, with a moderate amount of volume.

I know I ran a 5x5 day as 5x5@8, with the light day 2x5@6-7, and an intensity day as Nx1-3@9 for a while.

Ya that.

A real 8 will be a pretty suitable weight for high-frequency type training. Heavy enough for an effect, light enough not to whack you good.

(05-26-2010 08:01 AM)TheDeliverator Wrote: [ -> ]Basically it's going to depend on how you structure your training.

What I've been doing for a while now is training the comp lifts on their own days, and then 2 assistance days per week. I work 3 weeks on, then deload. I base reps on Prilipen's table, and I change shit in the moment based on how things are feeling. This template works well for me, I've been using pretty much the same thing now for a year and a half or so. I'm thinking RPE's and fatigue stops will make this work even better though. Help me reign myself in when I need to instead of bulling through and fucking myself up, or really get after it when things are on.

This is my template
Week 1
Squat Day - Work up to 80% on either raw, briefs or full gear
Shoulders/Back day - whatever, light volume stuff (bodybuilderish)
Deadlift/Squat Assistance - 70% on conventional deads
Raw Bench - 80%
Another Back day - same as before, light bodybuilderish stuff

Week 2
Squat Day - Work up to 90% (raw, briefs or full gear)
Shoulders/Back day - whatever, light volume stuff (bodybuilderish)
Deadlift/Squat Assistance - 75% on conventional deads
Shirt Bench - >90%
Another Back day - same as before, light bodybuilderish stuff

Week 3
Squat Day - Work up to >90% (raw, briefs or full gear)
Shoulders/Back day - whatever, light volume stuff (bodybuilderish)
Sumo geared Deadlift/Squat Assistance - >90% on deads
Raw Bench - 85%
Another Back day - same as before, light bodybuilderish stuff

Week 4
deload

I have a pretty good idea of what weights I plan/want to hit on which days, so I think I can base my RPE on this since I usually have a pretty good idea of how many reps I could probably hit. Use that as my base RPE for the day, then adjust the weights when I actually train based on how heavy/light they actually feel.

I imagine it will probably just take some time playing around with.

Thanks gents

I like using Prilepin's table because it gives you a good starting point on each day. Following RTS alone didn't seem to give me a good daily working weight unless I worked up to a near RM and then backed off. I don't fell like I quite have the work capacity to need that much volume just yet, so coming in w/ a planned % and rep range was a nice compromise.

Though now that I'm playing w/ the daily max model, it could become more useful.

working routinely up in the 8-9 range fucking hurts

at least for mortals

Is there a public resource out there for those of us who can't follow this discussion? Specifically, something on Prileprin and a definition of RPE would be good.

Char, this is Prilipen's Table:
Prilepin’s Chart
Percent......Reps/sets....Optimal.......Total range
55–65.........3–6...........24.............18–30
70–80.........3–6...........18.............12–24
80–90.........2–4...........15.............10–20
90+............1–2............4..............4-10

You can read about RPE's here, http://www.reactivetrainingsystems.com/a...-chapter-2

Thanks Matt.

So you use the table to cycle through your workouts (light-med-heavy), or do you use it as a kind of gauge? Like, this feels like about 80%, so I'll keep the reps under 6?

(06-03-2010 01:30 PM)char-dawg Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks Matt.

So you use the table to cycle through your workouts (light-med-heavy), or do you use it as a kind of gauge? Like, this feels like about 80%, so I'll keep the reps under 6?

Yes to both. If you look above, you see how I wave my workouts. I use Prilipen to get a rough estimate on the sets/reps and weight. Then I use the RPE during the actual training to gauge if that weight is too heavy/light/just right and adjust.

For example, my last heavy good morning I had written 285 for no less than 4 singles. This was 90% of my 315 max. I worked up and did a triple with 275 and it felt way easy, so I knew that 285 would not be an RPE 9 (and thus not a true 90%) and ended up working up to a couple doubles with 295 and a couple singles with 315 which I could have doubled and mayyyyybe tripled. Obviously 315 isn't my max anymore, and using RPE's helps to take this into account without having to max out all the time. Good for someone like me who's beat up a lot.

For me, Prilipen's Table has been a HUGE boost for my training. Adding the RPE's onto it just makes it that much better (so far) if that makes any sense.

I would recommend picking up the Reactive Training Manual if you can. I'm not a big training book buyer guy, but that one is really really good and definitely worth it I think.