Effort on every set.
RIR 2 is the reps you still had.
RPE and RIR measure how hard a set felt. A set is the group of reps you do in a row, at the same weight, before you stop. RIR 2 means you could have done two more reps with the same form. In Peak Health you write that number on every set, next to the weight and the reps.
Free to start. The phone app is in private beta.
What is RIR?
RIR means reps in reserve. When you finish the set, you ask how many clean reps you still had. Zero means you could not do one more. Three means you had three left.
Example: bench press, 60 kg, 8 reps. If with that weight you would have reached 10, that set was RIR 2.
What is RPE?
RPE means rating of perceived exertion. It is a scale from 1 to 10. Ten means you had no reps left. Eight is a hard effort, with something in reserve.
In practice, many people use RPE and RIR for the same thing. An RPE 8 and an RIR 2 usually describe the same set. Pick one scale and do not mix them in the same session.
What does RIR 2 mean?
RIR 2 is not a percentage of your 1RM. The 1RM is the heaviest weight you could move once. That max changes with sleep, stress and what you trained yesterday. RIR 2 answers how you feel today.
If your plan asks for 8 reps at RIR 2, you put the weight that today leaves you two reps from stopping. Some days that will be 62 kg. Others, 58 kg.
How do you log it on every set?
In Peak Health each set has weight, reps and effort. You write the RPE or the RIR in the moment, on the same lifting screen. Last time appears next to the set you are doing. The next kilo comes from that number and how it felt, not from a fixed table. Weight is in kilograms.
Do you need to have trained before?
No. If it is your first month, write what you think. You will be off by a rep or two. Keep writing it down. The log teaches the scale better than a definition. If you still do not trust the number, leave the blog essay for later. Here it is enough to write a 2 when you have two left.