Physician Dr. Peter Attia never shies away from uncovering the intricate details of training for optimal performance. In his latest endeavor, he discussed why he favors the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) over rep count when resistance training. He also laid out how to effectively train with minimal gym equipment.
The fitness community has exploded with science-based facts and strategies for maximizing training efforts. This has led Dr. Attia to offer his wisdom on the matter, which he’s accrued through years of academia and physical fitness.
He boasts over 715,000 YouTube subscribers, regularly sharing his best methods for training, nutrition, and supplementation. Whether he is breaking down the best time to consume protein or walking fans through performing specific exercises, Attia’s ability to relay scientific information makes his content highly sought after.
Dr. Peter Attia Discusses Rate of Perceived Exertion vs Rep Count, Shares How To Train With Minimal Gym Equipment
According to Attia, rep count isn’t as important as the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) during exercise. Similar to the concept of reps in reserve (RIR), RPE is based on how you perceive the difficulty of each repetition, not the number itself.
“The data are clear that rep count matters less than RPE (perhaps easier to think of Reps in Reserve, so 2 RIR is is RPE of 8, 1 RIR is RPE 9, etc).
I generally select a weight that will give me greater than 5 reps and I push to 1-2 RIR (RPE 8-9). I virtually never go to actual failure these days.”
Get Fitter, FasterLevel Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
While achieving failure during sets used to be a part of his workouts, Dr. Attia adjusted his routine with his age to reduce injury risk and central nervous system stress.
“Maybe one set per week. When I was younger I did it every day. Frankly, going to failure today would be adding risk and CNS stress I don’t need at my old age.
But I think the bigger problem for most is not pushing hard enough… only going to RPR 6 (4 RIR). This is still an effort, but it won’t produce enough gains to really justify the time you’re spending in the gym,” shares Dr. Attia.
Although body weight exercises have their place in training regimens, Dr. Attia believes if you can’t hit the gym, purchasing dumbbells or kettlebells can make a substantial difference given their versatility.
“You can definitely do quite a bit of stuff with body weight but I would also encourage people to say like if I don’t have a lot of room, can I at least get some dumbbells and kettlebells, they do make these dumbbells, they’re not cheap but they are efficient. They are cheaper than buying all the sets where as you know, one dumbbell has multiple links in it.”
He adds that some dumbbells sold have links that allow the user to increase or decrease the weight, which opens up the range of exercise possibilities.
“So it can be 70 pounds, 60 pounds, 50 pounds, etcetera, depending on where you click it. So, I feel like if you’re going to think about, okay, what’s the most efficient way to do this, I would say you do want to splurge on a few pieces of equipment and certainly heavy enough dumbbells that you can get into carrying would be important.”
In addition, he believes heavy resistance bands are highly useful, describing them as essential when he has to travel.
“I think resistance bands are also really important. I’ve had a couple periods in my life where I haven’t had access to a gym for three or four weeks. And during those periods of time, traveling with heavy resistance bands was essential. If I could have added to that, having some dumbbells makes a big difference. Yeah, it’s definitely easier if you have access to a gym or you can go to a gym.”
Lastly, he recommended the TRX device, which can effectively work a variety of body parts including the back, chest, and triceps.
“A TRX is another great device. For people that don’t know what that is, it’s a strap device that you either hang around a rack or something or you can even put it behind a door. Just make sure the door, make sure you’re on the right side of the door so the door can’t open. And you can do a lot of exercises with that as well,” shares Attia.
If you’re constantly on the go or simply prefer working out in the confines of your home, Dr. Peter Attia believes these pieces of equipment can take your physique to the next level. He also credits the rate of perceived exertion as the best way to track his workout intensity over other methods like counting reps.
RELATED: Dr. Peter Attia Explains How Exercise Can Reduce the Risk of Chronic Disease and All-Cause Mortality
Watch the videos from the Dr. Attia MD YouTube channel below:
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
