Fall Fuelbine Training Cycle Starts Monday, September 9th
13 weeks of fitness begins on Monday, and we’re ready to take your training to a whole new level—emotionally and physically.
You may be used to our “10 reps at 70%” prescribed sets. In theory, this works, but in practice, it’s more nuanced.
Think about how you feel on a day-to-day basis: some days are better, some worse. Some days you feel stronger, and others weaker. Sticking strictly to this methodology doesn’t account for these day-to-day variations. Additionally, if we’re referencing old data—like your personal best back squat from your 20s—and now you’re in your 40s, 70% likely looks quite different, and 10 reps might not be attainable anymore.
The Solution:
Using a Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale for strength training introduces a concept we’ve often referred to as “Technical Exhaustion.” To keep up with modern fitness trends, we’re adopting the “Reps in Reserve” (RIR) method, which measures how many more reps you could do after stopping, to better guide your sessions.
Reps in Reserve: Where you would have seen a prescribed rep count, you’ll now see nothing. Instead, in the notes, you’ll see your targeted RIR: 1-2, 2-3, or 3-4 (anything more than 4 is pretty difficult to determine).
This means you won’t approach a set with a fixed notion of how many reps you’re going to do. You’ll approach the set based on how you feel, not on what you think you know. [Incoming Fuelosophy] This method will require you to be more in tune with your body. Push yourself to the relative effort your body can handle. Science tells us you can still build plenty of strength in the 1-2 RIR range, with one significant practical advantage.
The Risk-Fitness Ratio:
When you stop with 1 or 2 reps in reserve, you greatly reduce your risk of injuries or tweaks (because fitness should never compromise health), while still improving. You don’t need to go to failure to get better. This isn’t just an opinion. Here and here.
The Objective:
With Fuelbine around the corner (our annual holiday Fitness Event on Saturday December 7th) we want you to approach your workouts with a different mindsets. Don’t aim for reps, aim for feel. This will allow you to always push to your current ability and effort will be more important than outcome. Happy Fitnessing.