Frequently Asked Questions

Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is a simple, intuitive way to measure how hard your training feels, allowing you to adjust intensity based on real-time fatigue, stress, and readiness. Instead of relying solely on pace, heart rate, or weight on the bar, RPE captures your internal effort—what your body is actually experiencing—making it one of the most reliable tools for personalized, adaptive training. Whether you're lifting, running, or doing mixed training, tracking RPE helps you train smarter, stay consistent, and progress without burnout or injury.

You determine the RPE of a workout by asking yourself, at the end of the session, “How hard did that whole workout feel on a scale of 1–10?” Instead of judging a single moment, you evaluate the overall effort, factoring in breathing, muscle fatigue, mental strain, and how sustainable the intensity felt. An RPE of 3–4 means easy and conversational, 5–6 feels steady but controlled, 7–8 is hard but manageable, and 9–10 represents near-maximal effort. Use whichever number best matches your honest, overall perception of difficulty.

Training volume is calculated by multiplying the duration of the workout by the RPE. For example, if you do a 60-minute workout at an RPE of 5, your volume is 60 * 5 = 300. This gives you a better understanding of your training load and helps you track your progress over time. On ExertMeter, we divide the volume by 100 to get a more manageable number.

Yes! You can edit or delete any of your workout logs. Go to the "History" page to view all your past workouts. Each workout entry has Edit and Delete buttons. Click Edit to modify the workout details, or Delete to permanently remove it from your history. Changes will be reflected immediately in your metrics.

ACWR (Acute:Chronic Workload Ratio) is one of the most powerful tools in sports science for preventing injury while maximizing performance gains. Think of it as your training load "speedometer"—it tells you if you're accelerating too fast, maintaining steady progress, or coasting.

How it works: ACWR compares your recent training load (last 7 days) to your baseline fitness level (average over the last 28 days). When you suddenly spike your training volume or intensity, your body hasn't had time to adapt, dramatically increasing your injury risk. Research shows that athletes with ACWR above 1.5 are 2-4 times more likely to get injured in the following week.

The zones:

• Optimal (0.8-1.3): This is your sweet spot. You're challenging your body enough to adapt and improve, but not so much that you're breaking down faster than you can recover. Stay here for consistent, sustainable progress.
• Caution (1.3-1.5): You're pushing the envelope. While some athletes can handle brief periods here, sustained time in this zone increases injury risk. Reduce intensity for 2-3 days to bring it back into optimal range.
• High Risk (>1.5): Red flag territory. Your training load has spiked too quickly relative to your fitness base. Reduce volume by 20-30% immediately—your body needs time to catch up. Pushing through here is asking for trouble.
• Low (<0.8): You're well below your baseline, which could mean you're detraining or recovering from a break. This is actually a safe zone to gradually increase load if you're ready to ramp up.

For dedicated athletes: ACWR isn't about avoiding hard training—it's about timing your peaks intelligently. You can still hit high-intensity sessions, but spread them out and build your chronic load gradually. The best athletes don't train hard every day; they train smart every day, using metrics like ACWR to guide when to push and when to pull back.

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