One of the most important tools you’ll see referenced in our programming is RPE, or Rate of Perceived Exertion. It may look simple—a scale from 1 to 10—but it plays a massive role in helping you get the best possible results from your training.
Our workouts aren’t random. Every week, every session, and every piece inside the hour is carefully planned to create a specific stimulus. RPE is how you, the athlete, make sure that stimulus actually happens.
What Is RPE?
RPE is a way to measure how hard a workout or effort feels, not just how much weight is on the bar or how fast you’re moving.
Here’s the scale we use:
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1–2: Very light, almost no effort
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3–4: Light to moderate, comfortable movement
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5–6: Moderate effort, working but controlled
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7: Moderately high, sustainable discomfort
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8: Sub-high (~80%), challenging but repeatable
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9: Very high (~90%), pushing close to your limit
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10: Max effort (100%), nothing left in the tank
No two athletes will hit the same RPE at the same weight or pace—and that’s the point.
Stimulus Is the Goal
In CrossFit, the goal isn’t always “go heavier” or “go faster.”
The goal is to match the intended stimulus of the workout.
Some days are meant to be:
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Fast and aggressive
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Steady and aerobic
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Grindy and uncomfortable
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High-skill and controlled
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Quality-focused, not rushed
When a workout is written for an RPE 7–8 and you turn it into an RPE 10, you change the entire training effect. Likewise, if a workout is meant to be challenging and you keep it at a 5, you miss the adaptation it was designed to create.
Why This Matters for Results
Training at the correct RPE allows you to:
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Recover properly between sessions
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Build strength and conditioning sustainably
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Avoid burnout and overuse injuries
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Improve consistency over weeks, months, and years
Our programming is built across multiple time domains, energy systems, and movement patterns. Hitting the correct RPE ensures that each workout complements the next, instead of competing with it.
Think of it like this:
If every day is a max effort day, progress eventually stalls.
RPE Builds Smarter Athletes
Learning to gauge effort is a skill—and it’s one that transfers directly to life and competition.
RPE helps you:
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Know when to push and when to hold back
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Scale intelligently without feeling like you’re “doing less”
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Train alongside others at different fitness levels while still getting the same benefit
This is why you’ll hear coaches talk about pace, breathing, and sustainability—not just weight on the bar.
Trust the Process
Every workout you do has been:
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Tested in advance
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Refined for clarity and effectiveness
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Designed with specific outcomes in mind
When coaches cue RPE and stimulus, they’re not limiting you—they’re helping you get exactly what the workout is meant to deliver.
Your job as an athlete isn’t to win today’s workout.
Your job is to train in a way that makes you fitter tomorrow, next month, and next year.
Pay attention to RPE. Trust the stimulus. The results will follow. 💪
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