RPE

Silly Brian, worried because he doesn’t have the cash to fix his heart rate monitor. Oh Boo-Hoo! Need a tissue!?

The Guru doesn’t fool with any of that technical gadgetry. No, not because I don’t know how to work it. Oh believe me, I know how to work it. I work it all the time. For example, the garage door would not open this weekend. But did I cry, No! Did I whine, No! I used my expansive knowledge on the subject, (and after that I asked my wife who told me to change the batteries. No wait a minute - you didn't hear that last part) and whal-lah! It opened (and closed). So stop teasing me and let me get on with what I was saying. What was I saying?

Oh yes, I don’t use a heart rate monitor because I don’t need to – I’m that good. (And I am, no really I am). I use something called the RPE, or the Rating of Preconceived Expedition. It’s a rating scale of how long I think I might work out later while driving in my Ford Expedition.

Huh? That’s not right? Ugh….. Well of course it’s not right! I was testing you! RPE actually stands for…..(frantically turning pages in a book)ugh….Hey is that a flying saucer in the window? Go look, go, go. I’ll wait for you (still franticly turning pages).

Oh well, must have been a kite, so let’s see what did you want to know? Oh yes. The RPE stands for the RATING OF PERCIEVED EXERTION. This is a way of gauging the intensity of your workout by a set of numbers, 1 to 10 for example. 1 would be easy, 10 would be the absolute hardest you can do.

The idea is to mix up your workouts so you’re not doing the same plane jane thing every day. One day you might exercise at a high level, like 8. The next day you might work out twice as long but only do a 4. This way you’re workouts stay fresh (and so do you).

The RPE is very similar to a heart rate monitor except it’s just more ‘geeky’. So be a geek like Brian if you want to. Or, you could be like the Guru and use the RPE.