RPE & Autoregulation: Smart Tools for Strength Gains Over 40

Fuel Your Strength

I get a lot of messages about RPE, Reps in Reserve, and Autoregulation. These are powerful tools, that when practiced, can help you as you implement a long-term strength training program, especially as a woman over 40. However, it takes understanding the pieces that go into these tools, and a well-rounded program, to really make the most of their benefits.

Key Takeaways

If You Are Looking for Trainings Tools, You Should:

1. Use autoregulation as a way to adjust your training plan and allow for more flexibility
2. Remember that you do not have to be perfect or give your all to have a successful training session.
3. Collect your own data about yourself and what your body needs throughout your life changes

Learning about Yourself through Strength

Having a performance-forward approach when it comes to your workout intensity is great, but it can leave space for injury or overuse. Using the scales of RPE and Reps in Reserve, you can allow yourself a moment to check in and make adjustments to the structure of your program.

While working with a coach is great, learning how to observe your body and what it needs is something that you can do yourself. These tools will help you understand your body in a way that will encourage sustainability and longevity in your strength training program.

It’s All About Flexibility

A good strength training program leaves room for both structure and flexibility. Learning how to adjust your intensity not only helps you learn more about your body, but it can help you tackle those low-energy days without completely giving up and potentially taking a long break.

Autoregulation will keep you moving forward with your program even on lower energy days, which can happen especially as we adjust to new demands on our lives and our bodies. Adjusting the plan based on Autoregulation will help you continue to show up and do your best, while also meeting yourself where you are at.

Are you ready to adjust your effort in order to gain more sustainability and effectiveness in your program? Share your thoughts on this episode with me in the comments on the episode page.

In This Episode

• Understand the guiding principles of a well-rounded training program (4:35)
• Learn exactly what RPE and Reps In Reserve are (11:40)
• Why these tools are so useful for women, especially as they age past 40 (16:06)
• What is autoregulation and why it is a useful tool for your workouts (17:51)
• Benefits of RPE and Reps in Reserve for women over 40 (28:02)
• Simple ways you can learn to make the gauges necessary for autoregulation and more (33:31)

Quotes

“The value of using something like RPE is that it helps to tailor your workout intensity to match your daily energy level, your daily bandwidth, how much capacity you have today.” (15:01)

“This isn't a proprietary way for women over 40 to manage their own strength training. However, it is a validated tool that we can use because it is contextually allowing us more flexibility within the structure of a program.” (16:25)

“This is all part of the tapestry of your own unique autoregulation and recovery and getting to know yourself over time.” (20:47)

“There is structure, but there is also flexibility. And I think that is a really key take-home message and take-home point of this particular podcast.” (25:50)

“We have to keep training if we want to continue to either maintain or see gains over time.” (30:43)

Featured on the Show

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Study from the Journal of Strength Conditioning Research

Full Show Notes

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