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RIR (Reps in Reserve): Meaning, Chart and RIR vs RPE

By Qjason Mobile · Updated:

RIR, short for reps in reserve, is the number of reps you could still have done at the end of a set before reaching failure. RIR 0 means you couldn't have done another rep; RIR 2 means you stopped with two left. It measures how hard a set was, not just how heavy it was.

What RIR 0, 1, 2 and 3 mean

  • RIR 0: failure. Another rep with good technique wasn't possible.
  • RIR 1: one rep left. The last rep was slow and hard.
  • RIR 2: two reps left. A hard set that still ended with clean technique.
  • RIR 3: three reps left. Demanding, with a clear margin.
  • RIR 4 or more: moderate effort, typical of warm-ups and technique work.

RIR and RPE chart

RPE stands for rating of perceived exertion. On the scale built for resistance training, RPE 10 is maximum effort and each point below it is one more rep in reserve: RPE 9 is RIR 1, RPE 8 is RIR 2 and so on (Zourdos et al., 2016; Helms et al., 2016).

RIR-based RPE scale
RPERIREffort
100Maximum effort
911 rep left
822 reps left
733 reps left
5–64–64 to 6 reps left
3–4–Light effort
1–2–Little to no effort

Both scales say the same thing. RIR is easier to think about in the middle of a set; RPE is common in programs written by coaches. Use whichever you will rate honestly.

How to estimate your RIR accurately

On average, people underestimate how many reps they have left by about one rep. Predictions get more accurate closer to failure, with heavier loads (sets of 12 reps or fewer) and in later sets (Halperin et al., 2022). Three habits help:

  • Rate the set right after the last rep, while you still feel it.
  • Watch the bar: when reps slow down sharply, you are close to failure. In the squat, slower reps went with higher ratings of exertion (Zourdos et al., 2016).
  • Check yourself now and then: on an exercise where failing is safe, such as a machine, take the last set to failure and compare the result with the RIR you predicted.

Which RIR should you train at?

For muscle growth

Growth improves as sets end closer to failure (Robinson et al., 2024), but reaching failure isn't required: a meta-analysis found no advantage for sets taken to momentary failure over sets stopped short of it (Refalo et al., 2023). A practical range for working sets is RIR 0 to 3, saving RIR 0 for the last set of exercises where failing is safe.

For strength

Strength gains were similar across a wide range of RIR (Robinson et al., 2024), so heavy compound lifts can stay at RIR 1 to 3, where technique holds up and fatigue stays lower.

To choose the weight

RIR also tells you whether the weight is right for the day. Adjusting the load to land on a target RIR led to greater strength gains over 12 weeks than fixed loads (Graham & Cleather, 2021). If a set planned at RIR 2 ends with four reps left, add weight; if it ends at failure, take some off.

How to log RIR in Setvio

A bench press session in Setvio with the reps, weight, set type and RIR of each set.
  1. Log the session in the Diary. Each set keeps its reps, weight, set type and RIR.
  2. Prefer RPE? In Settings, change Effort mode to RPE. Setvio converts it to RIR as 10 minus RPE.
  3. Setvio uses your RIR to estimate your strength for the next-session load and to weigh how much each set counts toward the weekly stimulus of each muscle. Sets without RIR still count, but the estimates are less certain.

Published by Qjason Mobile, the developer of Setvio. Sources are listed below; app examples use demonstration data.

Sources

  1. Zourdos MC, Klemp A, Dolan C, Quiles JM, Schau KA, Jo E, et al. Novel Resistance Training-Specific Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale Measuring Repetitions in Reserve. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(1):267-75. doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001049
  2. Helms ER, Cronin J, Storey A, Zourdos MC. Application of the Repetitions in Reserve-Based Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale for Resistance Training. Strength Cond J. 2016;38(4):42-49. doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000218
  3. Halperin I, Malleron T, Har-Nir I, Androulakis-Korakakis P, Wolf M, Fisher J, et al. Accuracy in Predicting Repetitions to Task Failure in Resistance Exercise: A Scoping Review and Exploratory Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2022;52(2):377-390. doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01559-x
  4. Robinson ZP, Pelland JC, Remmert JF, Refalo MC, Jukic I, Steele J, et al. Exploring the Dose-Response Relationship Between Estimated Resistance Training Proximity to Failure, Strength Gain, and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Series of Meta-Regressions. Sports Med. 2024;54(9):2209-2231. doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-02069-2
  5. Refalo MC, Helms ER, Trexler ET, Hamilton DL, Fyfe JJ. Influence of Resistance Training Proximity-to-Failure on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2023;53(3):649-665. doi.org/10.1007/s40279-022-01784-y
  6. Graham T, Cleather DJ. Autoregulation by "Repetitions in Reserve" Leads to Greater Improvements in Strength Over a 12-Week Training Program Than Fixed Loading. J Strength Cond Res. 2021;35(9):2451-2456. doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003164