RPE in Strength Training: Why Beginners Misuse It (and How to Calibrate It)

On Iron Radio, hosts Coach Phil Stevens, Dr. Lonnie Lowery and Dr. Mike T. Nelson discuss rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and why it can be misapplied in strength training. They define RPE as a subjective intensity scale (including the Borg 6–20 scale) and contrast it with objective measures like heart rate and percentages of 1RM. Phil argues RPE requires calibration through experience and that newer lifters often avoid hard work because they don’t yet know what true maximal effort feels like, while “tough guys” may under-rate effort. The group recommends pairing RPE with objective targets, tracking output over time for patterns, using coaching to calibrate effort, and reserving true all-out attempts for the competition platform to reduce injury risk.

00:00 Show Intro

00:33 Hosts And Agenda

01:26 RPE Hype And Pitfalls

02:53 Percentages Plus RPE

03:45 Coaching New Lifters

04:15 Strain Versus Pain

05:46 Mike Joins And Defines RPE

06:59 Subjective Versus Objective

08:32 Beginners Need Calibration

13:50 Westside Daily Max Explained

16:05 Track Output Over Time

16:24 Avoiding The RPE Hole

17:21 Peaking With RPE

18:19 Objective vs Subjective Load

19:20 RPE Ego And Failure Culture

19:44 Coaching For Psychology

21:09 Calibrating RPE Signals

23:17 Percent Work Plus RPE

24:13 Extra Work As Reward

25:47 Training Toughness Adaptation

28:19 Patterns And Outlier Days

29:40 Warmups Dont Overthink

31:13 Wrap Up And Disclaimer

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You can also join Dr Mike's Insider Newsletter for more info on how to add muscle, improve your performance and body comp - all without destroying your health, go to www.ironradiodrmike.com

Thank you!

Phil, Jerrell, Mike T, and Lonnie

Iron Radio: Nutrition Knowledge, Diet Quality, and Where Athletes Get Their Info

On Iron Radio, hosts Coach Phil Stevens and Dr. Lonnie Lowery discuss how heavy training taxes recovery, then focus on athlete nutrition knowledge and diet quality using a Current Developments in Nutrition editorial summarizing six articles. They note adolescents often get nutrition info from social media, with athletes valuing credible sources more and viewing food as fuel, while non-athletes see food as social. They discuss YouTube as a major information source and how expert content may lack trust-building communication compared to non-experts. A study in Ireland found sensory appeal as the top driver of food choice even in active populations. Data from Florida State Division I cross-country athletes showed inadequate carbs, calcium, and vitamin D, but adequate protein, fat, and iron, alongside poor overall diet quality. They also cover Iranian bodybuilders’ supplement use patterns and debate how veteran strength athletes simplify supplement choices.

00:00 Show Intro and Hosts

00:35 Meet Prep and Big Lifts

01:30 Squat vs Deadlift Grind

03:01 Risk and Willpower

04:00 Lonnie Background and Credentials

05:01 Today Topic and Upcoming Guests

06:39 Athletes Nutrition Knowledge

08:12 Social Media and Mentors

10:23 YouTube Experts vs Influencers

12:11 Taste Drives Food Choices

14:17 Athlete Fuel Mindset

15:44 Learning to Eat for Gains

16:47 Taste Preferences Get Skewed

17:38 New Podcast Feed

18:48 Mike Nelson Newsletter

19:27 Supplements Book Update

20:35 Runner Diet Quality Study

23:12 Elite Sport vs Health

27:27 Bodybuilder Supplement Habits

31:59 Old School Protein Tales

34:29 Athletes More Mindful

35:04 Wrap Up and Disclaimer

Donate to the show via PayPal HERE.

You can also join Dr Mike's Insider Newsletter for more info on how to add muscle, improve your performance and body comp - all without destroying your health, go to www.ironradiodrmike.com

Thank you!

Phil, Jerrell, Mike T, and Lonnie

Urolithin A for Strength & Mitochondria + Avoiding Wearable-Driven Analysis Paralysis

On Iron Radio, Coach Phil Stevens and Dr. Lonnie Lowery discuss Phil’s upcoming meet and a client question about urolithin A, reviewing a 2022 randomized placebo-controlled trial in middle-aged adults showing about 12% strength improvement plus lower inflammation and acyl-carnitines, while noting the results may not apply to trained lifters and that more research is needed; they also explain urolithin A as a postbiotic derived from polyphenol precursors found in foods like berries and nuts, tying it to “eating like an adult” rather than relying on ultra-processed foods. After show updates and promos, they pivot to “analysis paralysis,” arguing that overreliance on perfect programming, wearables, HRV/sleep scores, RPE, and bar-velocity tracking can become a crutch, and emphasizing hard work, trends over time, and performance as the key markers.

00:00 Show Intro and Hosts

00:44 Meet Prep and Records

01:37 Lonnie Updates and ISSN Talks

03:07 Urolithin A Supplement Buzz

04:52 Study Breakdown and Dosing

09:58 Food Sources and Adult Eating

12:36 Break and Network Updates

15:52 Analysis Paralysis in Training

18:29 Grit Over Perfect Metrics

20:29 Real World Meet Chaos

22:25 Stop Over Measuring

22:53 Train With Fire

24:32 Midnight Strap Squats

25:28 Which Metrics Matter

29:03 Trends Beat One Offs

32:08 Be Researcher Athlete

36:20 Use Data Build Habits

37:59 Measurement Error Reality

39:13 Coaching Fatigue Context

40:02 Final Takeaways Disclaimer

Donate to the show via PayPal HERE.

You can also join Dr Mike's Insider Newsletter for more info on how to add muscle, improve your performance and body comp - all without destroying your health, go to www.ironradiodrmike.com

Thank you!

Phil, Jerrell, Mike T, and Lonnie