If you’ve been training for a while, this feeling is familiar.
You walk into the gym, warm up, load a weight that seems right, and start the session. The work feels productive in the moment, but a week later, there’s uncertainty. Was the top set actually hard enough, were reps left in reserve, should the weight increase next session, or stay the same.
That uncertainty isn’t a lack of effort. It’s a lack of objective feedback.
As coaches, this is one of the biggest gaps we see. Gym goers train hard, but without clear intent or measurable context. This is exactly where RIR (Reps In Reserve) and RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) come in, and why they are built into Flexibull. Just as importantly, they allow for autoregulation - adjusting load and effort based on how you actually show up that day. Sleep, stress, recovery, and accumulated fatigue all matter. RIR and RPE let the training respond to you, not the other way around.
Unplanned training or poor tracking creates invisible problems. You may repeat weights that were already too easy, underestimate how much effort you actually had left, and rely on memory instead of data. Effort becomes subjective after the session, and over time that leads to stalled progress. Good coaching removes guesswork. RIR and RPE give you a way to quantify effort without maxing out or training recklessly.
RPE: Rate of Perceived Exertion
RPE generally uses a scale of 1–10, that reflects how hard a set actually was. To give context:
RPE 10 is max effort with no reps left.
RPE 9 means one rep left.
RPE 8 leaves two reps in reserve.
RPE 7 reflects strong, controlled work with roughly three reps left.
Even with the same weight, sets can feel very different. One might be RPE 7, the next RPE 9. Planned effort is hitting a target on purpose; accidental effort is reaching that intensity by chance. Logging your sets shows the difference and helps you adjust for consistent progress.
RIR: Reps in Reserve
RIR (Reps In Reserve) is very similar, normally a scale 1-10, but engages how many reps did you have left before failure. Key ranges to note:
0 RIR - Max effort, no reps left
1 RIR - 1 rep left in the tank
2 RIR - 2 reps left in the tank
3 RIR - 3 reps left in the tank
Some people think better in reps, others in ratings. That’s why Flexibull allows you to track RIR, RPE, or both.
How we use RIR & RPE to make decisions
This is where tracking matters. When you log RIR or RPE per set, patterns show up fast. Your final set was supposed to be tough, but logged as RPE 7. You consistently finish sessions with 2–3 reps still available. Loads feel easier than expected across multiple weeks. When I review my own training logs, this makes decisions obvious. If my last working set wasn’t near the target effort, I don’t need to guess. The load goes up next session. Used correctly, they ensure hard sets are earned, repeatable, and recoverable, not reckless. When effort is prescribed and tracked honestly, intensity stays high without grinding yourself into the ground
This screenshot, you can see my own RIR tracking while working to rebuild my bench press after a long break. Each session shows how close I came to failure on my final sets, and how I adjusted the weight over time to steadily push progress. By logging RIR, I could clearly see when I should up the weight, when it was appropriate, and when I needed to push harder, making it much easier to safely and consistently increase my strength week by week.
Once effort is logged, it’s objective. If your data says RIR 3/RPE 7, then you know capacity was left unused. Next session, execution improves, not because of motivation, but because the feedback is clear. That’s coaching without guesswork.
Sometimes I’ll give a planned target RIR for a set, for example aiming for RIR 2 on the final working set. This ensures the athlete hits the intended stimulus without over or under-training. Other times, I don’t prescribe a number. I let them log RIR themselves and push to increase load based on how they feel. This distinction, planned versus self-regulated effort, is where tracking becomes powerful. It tells us when they’re improving, when they need to hold back, and keeps progression honest whether guided or self-directed.
Train With Structure Inside Flexibull
Flexibull is built to support intelligent training decisions. Inside the app, you can log RIR or RPE for every set, review past sessions instantly, analyze effort trends over time, and progress loads with confidence. If you want training that adapts to actual performance, not memory or ego, this is where it starts.
Track effort. Train with intent. Progress with purpose. Download Flexibull, choose a program, and track your data effortlessly for better results.
