What is autoregulation?

Autoregulation is a system that’s applied to training that allows you to select and adjust training intensity based on your performance during a particular training session.

Your strength and fatigue levels fluctuate on a daily basis. Therefore, so does your performance.

Your performance may fluctuate for reasons such as:

Nutrition
Sleep
Stress
Prior training
Mood
Menstrual cycle (for some, not everyone with a menstrual cycle will experience this)

Not only that, but people respond differently to training. They adapt at different rates and to different degrees.

Autoregulation gives us a structured approach for respecting individual differences in training.

Methods for implementing autoregulation

There are many methods for implementing autoregulation.

Some of the most popular methods are:

RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion)
RIR (Repetitions in Reserve)
VBT (Velocity Based Training)

RPE

RPE stands for "Rating of Perceived Exertion".

There are different ways to score RPE. The way I’m going to recommend using it for this program was first adapted for use in strength training by Mike Tuchscherer in his book The Reactive Training Manual.

The RPE scale goes from 1-10.

RPE 10 = a maximal effort. A successful set but you could not do more weight or do more reps

RPE 1 = a notch above laying in bed

For the purpose of strength training, you won’t usually see anything under RPE 6. Anything under RPE 6 is considered warm-up intensity and doesn’t need to be explicitly prescribed.

How to follow RPE in a program

Here’s an example of a prescription you might see in this program:

Deadlift: 6 reps @ RPE 8 x 3 sets

This means you will perform 3 work sets of 6 repetitions each. For this prescription, RPE 8 is your target intensity. You will work up to a set of 6 with an estimated 2 reps in reserve for each set.

Essentially, you’re looking for an ~8 rep max intensity but it will only be done for 6 reps, leaving 2 reps left in reserve before failure.

Keep in mind that the weight may need to be adjusted set to set in order to keep each set at RPE @ 8 and avoid overshooting.

How does this play out in a training session?

Let’s get some definitions out of the way first:

Work set = any set that is at your target intensity. Count sets that are overshot as work sets (even if you failed them) and don’t go back and attempt to make them up.

Target weight = your planned work set weight for the session. This is a planned increase in weight based on a previous session and is just a guide. This should be adjusted based on how your warm-ups feel.

Going into the session with a target weight in mind is recommended. At the beginning of your strength journey, you’ll likely be able to increase the weight by ~5-10% each week.

But keep in mind, strength gains aren’t always linear, and--as mentioned--performance can vary from session to session.

Be prepared to adjust your plan if necessary judging by how your warm-ups feel. If your last warm-up set is accidentally RPE 8, do not proceed to the target weight because you are about to overshoot.

It’s far better to undershoot than it is to overshoot.

You can always add more weight if you need to but if you overshoot then you’ve failed to follow the prescription and, as a result, you will accrue more fatigue from that set than is intended by the program.

How is this different from most training programs?

Most traditional strength training programs prescribe training based on a percentage of 1RM (1 rep max--the heaviest you can lift for one rep) which is determined either from a recent training performance or a max-out test at the beginning of training.

This can be problematic for a few reasons:

As mentioned above, athletes respond differently to training.

One person may be able to do 6 reps at 90% of their 1RM and another person may be able to do 2 reps at that intensity. Because of this, they will have vastly different experiences with the same prescription.

Athletes are not typically capable of the same 1RM on a given day.

The 1RM quickly becomes invalid. Some days 90% will feel like max effort and other days it could feel like it’s not hard enough.

Percentage-based training can quickly lead to failure and frustration for many athletes because it does not allow for normal daily fluctuations in training.

However, if I instead prescribed you something like 3 sets of 6 @ RPE 8, then you can self-select the appropriate load. You and a friend are able to get the same prescription and train at the same relative distance to failure.

Pros and cons of using RPE

RPE is just one system for autoregulating training. Like any system, it’s not perfect.

There is a little bit of a learning curve for athletes who are new to it. Accuracy can be off in one direction or the other if athletes aren’t monitoring themselves carefully.

However, research does show that most athletes are able to implement RPE with some degree of accuracy with a few weeks of practice. Perfect accuracy is not necessary in order for you to benefit from this system.

Tips for using RPE

Don’t think about anything during the set, just execute the set. Focus on your technique or whatever cue you need to think about.

As soon as you can after you finish a set, look at the chart to rate your set to the best of your ability.

You’re going for progress, not perfection. If you can’t rate perfectly, you can still derive benefits from the system. Plus you’ll get better with practice.

I recommend keeping track of all work done at RPE 7 and above. Week to week, the idea is to add weight to the bar, accrue more tonnage, and maintain or improve technique.

You should plan on the weight going up each week and adjust accordingly if things are not going as planned. Most people will go up ~5% each week.

You should have target weights. Don’t go to the gym with no idea of what you’re doing. A target weight to aim at will improve your training. RPE will then allow you to fine-tune that weight up or down based on how you’re performing at that time.

If your warm-ups feel bad, don’t panic right away. If things feel worse than normal, then proceed with caution. You may come out of your funk with an extra warm-up set or two. If not, adjust the weights. That’s what RPE is for. But it needs to be in relation to what is normal for you.

Check out my podcast on Autoregulation HERE.

Helpful Videos:

RPE Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXQaEq4_2lY&t=188s

RPE Type 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xEYSsfiWIE

How to read your program

See these helpful diagrams below:

Another variation with “back-off sets” that you might see:

AUTOREGULATION EXPLAINED