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Rate of Perceived Exertion
Heart rate is important but listening to your body also has a lot of advantages. There are more variables involved in
how hard you should workout than just heart rate. Your stress level, physical health, emotional health, temperature,
humidity, the time of day, the last time you ate and what you ate, all contribute to the intensity at which you should
workout. If you listen to your body, it will tell you all of these things.
The rate of perceived exertion (RPE), also know as the Borg scale, was developed by Swedish physiologist G.A.V.
Borg. This scale rates exercise intensity from 6 to 20 depending upon how you feel or the perception of your effort.
The scale is as follows:
Rating Perception of Effort
6 Minimal
7 Very,very light
8 Very,very light +
9 Very light
10 Very light +
11 Fairly light
12 Comfortable
13 Somewhat hard
14 Somewhat hard +
15 Hard
16 Hard +
17 Very hard
18 Very hard +
19 Very,very hard
20 Maximal
You can get an approximate heart rate level for each rating by simply adding a zero to each rating. For example a
rating of 12 will result in an approximate heart rate of 120 beats per minute. Your RPE will vary depending up the
factors discussed earlier. That is the major benefit of this type of training. If your body is strong and rested, you will
feel strong and your pace will feel easier. When your body is in this condition, you are able to train harder and the
RPE will support this. If you are feeling tired and sluggish, it is because your body needs a break. In this condition,
your pace will feel harder. Again, this will show up in your RPE and you will train at the proper level for that day.
Using a Heart Rate Transmitter
How to wear your wireless chest strap transmitter:
1. Attach the transmitter to the elastic strap using the locking parts.
2. Adjust the strap as tightly as possible as long as the strap is not too tight to remain comfortable.
3. Position the transmitter with the Spirit logo centered in the middle of your body facing away from your chest (some people
must position the transmitter slightly left of center). Attach the final end of the elastic strap by inserting the round end and,
using the locking parts, secure the transmitter and strap around your chest.
4. Position the transmitter immediately below the pectoral muscles.
5. Sweat is the best conductor to measure very minute heart beat electrical signals. However, plain water can also be used to
pre-wet the electrodes (2 black square areas on the reverse side of the belt and either side of transmitter). It’s also recommended
that you wear the transmitter strap a few minutes before your work out. Some users, because of body chemistry, have a more
difficult time in achieving a strong, steady signal at the beginning. After “warming up”, this problem lessens. As noted, wearing
clothing over the transmitter/strap doesn’t affect performance.
