Let's say you are benching with a shirt on and it is a submaximal weight. It is very hard to touch but easy to press. It would take a lot of effort to touch so an RPE would be 9 or so but once you touched it flew off the chest to lockout so that could be and RPE of around 6. How would you go about rating something like that?
Let's say you are benching with a shirt on and it is a submaximal weight. It is very hard to touch but easy to press. It would take a lot of effort to touch so an RPE would be 9 or so but once you touched it flew off the chest to lockout so that could be and RPE of around 6. How would you go about rating something like that?
I dont think it would be an RPE of 6. Could you really do another 10 reps or even more which is what 6 is approx. I think you may have the RPE scale a little wrong. I asked this question about the bench shirt and not being able to touch a little while back and Mike told me to not worry so much about touching just go as low as you can then just press it back up.
You're right about the advice, Nick, but I thought it was an interesting question nonetheless. The point being... Is there any reason to rate the effort to touch? I'm still thinking about it myself....
The problem with bringing it down part way and pressing it back up is that you can only compare lifts brought down to the same level. What happens if you break the shirt in and bring it down farther but it is harder. You aren't comparing the same ifts because you are moving it farther.
After giving it some thought, here's what I think....
I see what you're saying about bringing the bar down only so far and only comparing it to similar lifts, but in this instance, I think training needs to err toward practicality.
I also don't think it would be necessary to track RPE on the negative of the rep. I feel that this could easily become concentration wasted and also, I should be covered to some degree with the concentric RPE. But, if you think I'm wrong, try tracking it for a couple of months and see if you notice anything interesting. Let me know if you do!
Well, I have thought about this too and here is what I was thinking...
With most exercises you do them full range(for that exercise). With shirt training there is another factor to consider(bench shirt). Therefore, we need to look at this from a unique perspective. Consider this, the reason we are only bringing down the bar so far is becaue the range of motion is restricted by the shirt and the weight on the bar. The shirt will give you say "X" amount of help from midway down. For each inch you lower the bar past that point the shirt will add more "help". So Considering the above examples I would suggest that the help from the shirt increases as you get closer to the chest so the distance n shirt work can be removed from the equation.
How does that sound? Makes me sound all smart and stuff!
-- Edited by obrnpwrlftr on Wednesday 18th of March 2009 02:28:56 AM
