Question 1

What is RPE and how do you use it?

Accepted Answer

**RPE** stands for **Rate of Perceived Exertion** — a subjective scale rating how hard an effort feels. It is used to prescribe training intensity based on your actual state on the day, rather than on a fixed number decided in advance.

**Two scales are common:**

**The Borg scale (6–20)**, the original, designed so the number roughly corresponded to heart rate in tens for a young adult.

**The modified 1–10 scale**, far more common now, and in strength training usually framed as **reps in reserve (RIR)**:

**RPE 10** — maximal, no further repetitions possible.
**RPE 9** — one rep left.
**RPE 8** — two reps left.
**RPE 7** — three reps left.
**RPE 6 and below** — comfortably submaximal.

**Why it is useful.** Fixed percentages of a one-rep max assume your capacity is constant, and it is not. Sleep, stress, nutrition, illness and accumulated fatigue can move what you are capable of by 10% or more day to day. A programme prescribing 80% will be too easy on a good day and too hard on a bad one. **RPE auto-regulates**, keeping the training stimulus consistent even when performance varies.

It also manages risk: an athlete who is under-recovered does not grind out a session that will worsen it.

**In endurance training** it underpins conversational-pace guidance — if you can speak in full sentences, you are in the low-intensity zone that most endurance volume should occupy.

**The limitations:**

**It requires experience.** Beginners are consistently poor at estimating reps in reserve, typically **underestimating** how many they had left, and accuracy improves with training age.

**It is less accurate far from failure.** Distinguishing RPE 6 from 7 is harder than distinguishing 9 from 10.

**It varies by exercise**, being easier to judge on isolation work than on heavy compound lifts.

**Combining RPE with percentage targets** is common in practice.

Question 2

What is the difference between training for strength, size and endurance?

Accepted Answer

They are different adaptations produced by different training variables, and the same exercises can serve any of them depending on how they are programmed. Strength — producing maximal force. Typical

Question 3

What is VO2 max and can you improve it?

Accepted Answer

VO2 max is the maximum rate at which your body can take in, transport and use oxygen during intense exercise, expressed in millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min). It

Question 4

What is overtraining, and how is it different from just being tired?

Accepted Answer

Overtraining syndrome is a prolonged, systemic decline in performance that does not resolve with ordinary rest — as distinct from the normal fatigue that a few easy days fix. The distinction is one

Question 5

Does creatine work, and is it safe?

Accepted Answer

Creatine is among the most researched supplements in existence, and the evidence for both effectiveness and safety in healthy adults is unusually strong — which distinguishes it from almost

Question 6

How do I know if I am taking the right amount of protein supplements?

Accepted Answer

To determine the right amount of protein supplements, consider your dietary needs, activity level, and fitness goals. Monitor your body's response and consult a professional for personalized advice.

Question 7

How much protein do you actually need per day?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you are doing, and the honest answer is a range rather than a number. The baseline requirement used by most health authorities is around 0.8 g per kg of body weight per day. That

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