RPE in Spinning® Training – Listen to What Your Body Tells You

Instead of guessing how hard you’re working — listen to your body.The RPE scale (Rating of Perceived Exertion) helps you estimate training intensity based on your body’s internal signals. It’s a simple yet powerful tool — used by both professional athletes and recreational riders. In Spinning®, where tempo and resistance shift constantly, RPE works perfectly.

What is the RPE scale?

The RPE scale was originally developed by Swedish researcher Gunnar Borg, who designed it to measure perceived effort from 6 to 20.Today, a simplified and more intuitive 1–10 version is commonly used.

RPE reflects the relationship between exercise intensity, breathing, and communication ability — as intensity rises, breathing deepens, speech shortens, and fatigue increases.

It’s a subjective, body-based measure of effort — but one that correlates closely with physiological data such as heart rate and oxygen uptake.

Level	General description	Physical signs	Breathing	Emotions	Speech
1	Very light	No fatigue, loose legs, calm heartbeat	Natural, effortless	Total relaxation	Full conversation
2	Light	Slight muscle tension, warm-up	Easy, steady breathing	Relaxed, focused	Full sentences
3	Moderate	Noticeable movement, light sweat	Deeper but regular	Comfortable	Shorter sentences
4	Medium	Warmth, visible effort	Faster breathing	Focused	Talking possible but less frequent
5	Noticeable effort	Muscle fatigue, sweat, need for focus	Heavy but rhythmic	Concentration, first signs of struggle	Short phrases
6	Quite hard	Burning muscles, visible fatigue	Harder to control	Requires motivation	Single words
7	Hard	Strong leg fatigue, tension, dripping sweat	Loud, broken breathing	Strong willpower needed	Difficult to talk
8	Very hard	Trembling muscles, nearing limits	Deep, rapid breaths	Internal battle	One word per breath
9	Extreme	Muscle pain, stiffness, hard to maintain pace	Shortness of breath	Anger, desperation	Almost speechless
10	Maximum effort	Everything hurts, total exhaustion	Gasping for air	Pure survival mode	Complete silence

Levels 1–3 represent light effort — relaxed, steady breathing, easy conversation.Levels 4–6 mark moderate effort — growing fatigue, sweat, and laboured breathing.Levels 7–8 bring high intensity — heavy legs, shaking muscles, strong urge to slow down.Levels 9–10 define maximal effort — pain, shortness of breath, and full physical limit.

RPE doesn’t require equipment — only awareness. It complements, not replaces, heart-rate or power-based training.

What is Spinning®?

Spinning® (a registered trademark of Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc.) is indoor cycling performed to music, blending endurance, rhythm, and group energy.Classes usually last 40–60 minutes and alternate between three body positions:

• SEATED (SEAT)

• RUNNING (RUN)

• STANDING CLIMB (SC)

Participants of different ages and fitness levels ride together, adjusting resistance individually. It’s this adaptability that makes Spinning® both challenging and inclusive.

RPE and Spinning® – how they work together

Spinning® is built on variation — mixing intervals of high effort with steady aerobic sections.Studies show that for most adults, indoor cycling ranges between moderate and high intensity, making regulation essential for progress and safety.

RPE helps you interpret what’s happening inside your body in real time.Research indicates that the strongest cardiovascular response occurs in RUN and STANDING CLIMB positions, but it’s not necessary to reach RPE 10 for optimal benefit.In fact, the best performance improvements are achieved at RPE 7–8 — strong but sustainable effort, far from the “red zone” of exhaustion.

How to apply RPE in practice

1. Associate feeling with numbersFor beginners, linking effort to a number may take time. Use mental anchors:

• RPE 3 – “I could ride like this for hours.”

• RPE 5 – “It’s intense, but I’m in control.”

• RPE 8 – “Teeth clenched — I can’t talk.”

• RPE 10 – “This is my absolute limit.”

2. Record your RPE after each sessionAfter each ride, note how you felt — overall and in specific intervals.You might notice that what once felt like RPE 9 now feels like RPE 7 — a clear sign of progress.Tracking RPE also helps recognise low-energy days and plan recovery more intelligently.

Why use RPE?

Because it teaches self-awareness.It turns training into a dialogue between mind and body.It allows you to push hard — but wisely.

RPE complements metrics like heart rate or wattage, giving a fuller picture of performance.It’s simple, effective, and accessible to everyone.

Try it on your next ride — jot down your RPE after class and watch how your awareness, control, and strength evolve.

Over time, you’ll ride not just harder, but smarter — because you’ve learned to truly listen to what your body tells you.

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• Borg GA (1982). "Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion". Med Sci Sports Exerc. 14 (5): 377–81. doi:10.1249/00005768-198205000-00012. PMID 7154893

• Classification of physical activity intensity J Hum Kinet. 2013 Dec 31;39:93–101. doi: 10.2478/hukin-2013-0072

• Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc. Jazda na Spinningu®. W: Podręcznik instruktora spinningu®. Wenecja, Włochy: Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc., 2010. str. 1.07–01.19.

• Rendos, Nicole K.1; Musto, Antoni A.2; Signorile, Józef F.1,3. Interaktywne efekty ułożenia ciała i odczuwanego wysiłku podczas ćwiczeń spinningowych. Dziennik Badań nad Siłą i Kondycją 29(3):p 692-699, marzec 2015. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.000000000000000699

• Szalona Lekkoatletyka Dogg, Inc. Podróż spinningowa®: faza I. W: Podręcznik instruktora spinningu®. Wenecja, Włochy: Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc., 2010. P. 1.02.