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Tracking
Tracking

Cardio RPE and Session RPE

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DefinitionA short reference note, not a full lesson.
Definition

Perceived effort (Borg 6–20 or 0–10) needs no device, and session-RPE × duration yields a simple, validated whole-session training-load number.

Detail

RPE for cardio is usually rated on the Borg 6–20 scale or a modified 0–10 (CR10) scale. The classic 6–20 scale was designed so that multiplying the rating by 10 approximates HR in bpm for a typical person (e.g. RPE 13 ≈ 130 bpm).

The most useful tracking construct is session RPE (sRPE): a single 0–10 rating of the whole session, given ~30 minutes after finishing, multiplied by session duration in minutes to give an arbitrary-units training load:

sRPE load = sRPE (0–10) × duration (min)

Example: a 60-minute run rated 7 → 420 AU. Summing sRPE load across a week gives weekly internal training load, and its week-to-week ratio underpins acute:chronic load monitoring (see Training-Load Monitoring (Acute:Chronic)).

Why log RPE even when you have HR/power:

  • It is device-free and captures factors machines miss (illness, heat strain, poor sleep, motivation) — see Monitoring Recovery (RHR, HRV, Mood, Performance).
  • It validates the objective data: an easy-zone HR but RPE 8 means something is off (under-recovery, heat).
  • It works across modalities where HR/power are unavailable or unreliable.

Key facts

  • Scales: Borg 6–20 (×10 ≈ HR heuristic) or CR10 0–10.
  • Session RPE (sRPE) rated ~30 min post-session on 0–10.
  • sRPE load = sRPE × duration (min), in arbitrary units.
  • Example: 60 min at sRPE 7 = 420 AU.
  • Device-free; captures readiness factors objective sensors miss.

Connections

Sources

Cited in text — not yet linked
Established session-RPE consensus (Foster et al. sRPE method; Borg RPE scales).

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Atlas Connections

Aerobic Intensity Classification (Light / Moderate / Vigorous)
ACSM's master table for translating "moderate" and "vigorous" into numbers across every common metric — %HRR/VO2R, %HRmax, RPE, and METs.
Logging Heart Rate (Avg / Max)
Average and max HR turn a session into an internal-load measure — how hard your cardiovascular system actually worked, independent of pace.
Logging RPE and RIR
RPE (effort 1–10) and RIR (reps left in the tank) are the effort fields that turn a load×reps log into an auto-regulatable one.
Training-Load Monitoring (Acute:Chronic)Closely related
Quantify how much training you're doing — internally (sRPE, HR) and externally (volume, distance) — and watch how fast load is ramping relative to what you're used to.
What to Log for Cardio
A cardio session is described by duration, distance, pace, heart rate, time-in-zone, power, cadence, elevation, and effort — log what your modality and goal actually use.
Monitoring Recovery (RHR, HRV, Mood, Performance)
Track a few simple markers — morning resting heart rate, HRV, sleep, mood/soreness, and performance — against your own baseline to gauge readiness and decide when to push or back off.