Question

3.05K viewsFebruary 17, 2018

Corey (anonymous) February 14, 2018 0 Comments

Hey I love your book just have a question. I am new to Powerlifiting but not working out. I don’t understand the whole rpe thing. In the off-season template you have in your book. It says in week 1 5×5 with 1 top set with rpe of 6. In week 5 it says to try and beat weeks 1 top set, but it has an rpe of 7. Wouldn’t an rpe of 7 already beat an rpe of 6? I’m really confused on this.

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Paul Oneid Answered question February 17, 2018

2 Answers

Answer 1 · 2018-02-14T19:55:18+00:00

Hello,

Thank you for your question and for the compliments. What I suggest is giving it time and rereading the RPE section more, and the FAQ’s at the end. Correct, all I’m trying to get you to do is advance in weight over the course of weeks ever so slightly. Would an RPE of 6 beat an RPE of 7? Yes, but you’re missing the point: RPE is different from day to day and I am simply encouraging you to go heavier as the cycle progresses but not too heavy. The template is just an example, not an in-stone way of lifting linear.

Thank you

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Brian Carroll

Owner and Founder at PowerRackStrength.com

Brian Carroll is committed to helping people overcome back pain and optimizing lifts and movement. After years of suffering, he met back specialist Prof. McGill in 2013, which led to a life-changing transformation. In 2017, they co-authored the best-selling book "Gift of Injury." On October 3, 2020, Carroll made history in powerlifting by squatting 1306 lbs, becoming the first person to break this record. He retired with a secure legacy and a life free from back pain.

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Answer 2 · 2018-02-17T18:27:14+00:00

I am going to piggyback on Brian’s response here and add that the RPE is one way to control intensity. Using RPE as opposed to percentages allows for you to adjust the workload based on your preparedness on that given day. The “RPE 7 beat previous…” simply means that a heavier set of 5 is warranted here and that you have the ability to push the lift to a 7/10 difficulty. Say for example your set of 5 at RPE 6 was 300lbs, in the RPE 7 week your goal would be to exceed 300lbs, but in doing so, not exceed an RPE of 7. I hope that makes sense. The template in the book is simply one example of a way to linearly progress loading over time, using RPE as a guide.

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Paul Oneid

Paul is an elite level raw Powerlifter with personal bests of an 805lbs squat, 440lbs bench, 725lbs deadlift and a 1960lbs total in the 242lbs class, as well as an 800lbs squat, 430lbs bench, 700lbs deadlift and 1930lbs total in the 220lbs class. Paul brings a deep educational background to the team as he has earned Master’s degrees in both Sports Management and Exercise Science. He is a former D1 Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach, who now works as a Functional Rehabilitation Specialist in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Paul provides coaching services in the areas of training and nutrition through his company Master Athletic Performance and is also the co-founder of a technology company, 1-Life Inc. Stay tuned for more information on that in the future!

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