RPE scale
The RPE scale rates how hard a session felt, from 0 to 10. Here is how rugby teams turn it into a session load, and a calculator that adds up your week.
Session load
360AU
6 × 60 minutes. AU means arbitrary units: a number to compare sessions and weeks by.
| 0 | RestAt rest. No exertion. |
|---|---|
| 1 | Very lightBreathing barely changes. |
| 2-3 | LightBreathing a little up; easy to keep going. |
| 4-5 | ModerateSomewhat hard: breathing clearly up, muscles working. |
| 6-7 | HighVigorous: breathing hard, muscles tiring. |
| 8-9 | Very hardBreathless, and hard to keep going. |
| 10 | MaximumThe highest effort possible. |
How rugby teams use RPE
They rate the whole session, then multiply by its minutes. About 30 minutes after training, each player answers one question, “How was your session?”, from 0 to 10. A 60-minute session rated 7 is a load of 420, and a week is its sessions added up.
| Day | Session | Minutes | Load | Works out to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Whole-body strength | 60 | 500 | RPE 8.3 |
| Monday | Skills | 45 | 300 | RPE 6.7 |
| Wednesday | Cardio | 45 | 300 | RPE 6.7 |
| Thursday | Whole-body strength | 60 | 500 | RPE 8.3 |
| Thursday | Small-sided games | 45 | 300 | RPE 6.7 |
| Saturday | Small-sided games | 45 | 300 | RPE 6.7 |
Block 1: strength endurance, 3 weeks
3,100AU a week
Block 2: high-intensity running and small-sided games, 4 weeks
3,650AU a week
Block 3: conditioning, 3 weeks
2,550AU a week
The squad built the load up through the first two blocks and brought it down in the last, before the season. Those are a professional squad’s plans, for scale, not targets: the point of counting is to build your own week up and ease it off on purpose. Our pre-season plan and rugby fitness tests are the next step.
0 to 10 or 6 to 20?
0 to 10, for training
The scale a session load is built on: 0 for rest, 10 for the hardest you can work. It is the one the Pro D2 squad used, and the one on this page.
6 to 20, Borg’s original
Gunnar Borg’s first scale, from 6 for no exertion to 20 for maximum, where 12 to 14 is about moderate. It suits heart-rate work.
Sources
- Hu X, Baba NT, Philippe K, et al. Effects of preseason training on body composition, running performance, biochemical markers and workload variation in professional rugby union players. Heliyon. 2023;9:e16250.
- Cleveland Clinic. Rated Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale. Health Library, medically reviewed 1 November 2023.
RPE scale questions
What is the RPE scale?
The RPE scale is a rating of how hard exercise feels, from 0 for rest to 10 for the hardest you can work. RPE stands for rating of perceived exertion. Gunnar Borg's original version runs from 6 to 20; most teams and coaches now use the 0 to 10 version.
How do you calculate session RPE?
To calculate session RPE, rate the whole session from 0 to 10 about 30 minutes after it ends, then multiply by its length in minutes. A 60-minute session rated 7 is a load of 420. A French Pro D2 squad worked out every session this way through pre-season.
What does RPE 7 mean?
RPE 7 means a high, vigorous effort: in the 6 to 7 band of the 0 to 10 scale, harder than moderate but short of very hard. In the Pro D2 squad's pre-season plan, a 45-minute small-sided game was set at a load of 300, which is an RPE of about 7.
Why do rugby teams use RPE?
Rugby teams use RPE because it measures what a session cost each player inside, and researchers count session RPE as a valid, reliable and handy way to do it. Multiplied by the minutes, it gives every session a load, so a week can be built up and eased off on purpose.
When should you rate your RPE?
Rate your session RPE about 30 minutes after the session ends, not straight away, and answer one question: how was your session? That is how the French Pro D2 squad did it, so the rating is of the whole session rather than the last drill.
Should I use the 0 to 10 or the 6 to 20 RPE scale?
Use the 0 to 10 RPE scale for rugby. It is the one a session load is built on, as in the Pro D2 squad's pre-season. Borg's 6 to 20 scale suits heart-rate work, which is where Cleveland Clinic points people checking their heart rate.
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