RPE e1RM in the OpenBarbell App Just Got MUCH Better

Your Data at Work

Just about as soon as we launched our RPE e1RM Set Metric we heard from customers that the feature tended to overestimate 1RM. When we wrapped up the recent data collection study at S&S Barbell we took the new observational data, alongside anonymized OpenBarbell user data, and created a new and improved generalized RPE percentage chart. That chart is now in the latest version of the OpenBarbell app and if you’re logging RPE, it’s currently calculating your max for each set.

If you’re wondering what the difference is between our RPE e1RM and our Analysis Tab e1RM, the answer is individualization. RPE e1RM is handy for a quick estimation based on your latest set only, but it doesn’t take into account your specific velocities or any of your historical data. Where RPE e1RM is useful for a quick snapshot of your strength, the Analysis Tab can give you an in depth understanding.

Squat and Bench Tables

The protocol for the data collection study we completed here at S&S only included squat and bench. For the OpenBarbell app we chose to average the two tables and apply them for every RPE e1RM calculation. Although the tables for these two lifts can be quite different toward the low RPEs, they are similar enough to be used as general charts for any while still estimating a reasonably accurate 1RM. Future work may include building different estimations for a database of different lifts, customizing RPE percentage charts and Calibration charts, and quite a bit more. If that sounds interesting to you and you’d like to read more about customized RPE/Velocity Calibration charts…