How Heavy Is Heavy?
What Does “Lifting Heavy” Actually Mean?
First I would like to mention that lifting heavy does not mean lifting the heaviest weight in the gym (unless you can, then respect), feeling crushed or unsafe, or being super sore for days becasue “no pain, no gain”.
Lifting heavy means the weight is challenging enough that your muscles have to work hard.
Heavy is subjective. A weight that felt heavy when I first started lifting is now a weight I use to warm up. You cannot compare your “heavy” to someone else’s. You start where you are and build from there. That’s also why I love strength training. It’s extremely trackable and you can see your progress in real numbers over time.
If you lift heavy things, you need to know what RPE means.
This is where RPE comes in.
What Is RPE?
RPE stands for Rate of Perceived Exertion. Aka how hard does it feel?
Instead of guessing how much weight to lift, RPE helps you choose a weight based on effort.
Here’s the simplest way to understand it:
RPE 10: You could NOT do another rep. Zero left.
RPE 9: You might be able to do 1 more rep.
RPE 8: You could do about 2 more reps.
RPE 7: You could do 3 more reps.
RPE 6 or lower: Pretty easy. Not doing much for strength.
When I program strength training, most of our work lives around RPE 7-9.
That’s the sweet spot where your muscles get stronger, you have good form, and you can have great progress.
Why This Matters
If the weight is too light, your body has no reason to change. Vise versa if the weight is too heavy, form breaks and injuries happen.
RPE teaches you to listen to your body without backing off too much. Your RPE could change daily depending on your recovery, your energy, etc.
The Rule I Want You to Remember
Heavy means challenging, not maxing out at any cost.
If you finish a set thinking, “I could do 1–2 more reps”, that’s perfect.
Final Thought
Strength training and following a program is simple to follow. When you learn what to do and how to do it, you’ll get incredible results.