Fixed plans make fixed assumptions
A conventional programme assumes a rate of progress and recovery. That stability is useful, but the assumptions will sometimes be wrong. Travel, stress, illness and other training can all change what a sensible load feels like.
Adaptive programming keeps the structure and updates selected decisions from completed strength work. In RACK, the inputs include prescribed load and reps, what you completed and the RPE reported for each set. Runs and cardio data are not inputs to this strength engine.
What RPE contributes
Rate of perceived exertion expresses how close a set felt to your current limit. It adds context that reps and load cannot carry alone. If the same work repeatedly lands easier than intended, a working number may be conservative. If it lands much harder, progression may need to slow or the next set may need a smaller load.
RPE is subjective, so consistency matters more than false precision. Calibrate it by noticing how many sound repetitions remained, reviewing video where useful and logging honestly. The goal is not to earn a high score. The value comes from creating a comparable effort history.
Different time scales need different actions
- Inside the session: a next-set suggestion can respond to the previous set while the exercise is still in progress.
- Across the week: completed sessions can update estimated and working numbers used for later prescriptions.
- Across a block: programme structure, accumulated work and planned recovery determine when volume or intensity changes and when a deload lands.
Explanations build useful trust
An adjustment is easier to judge when the reason is visible. RACK surfaces coach lines that can explain a new estimated max, a moved working max or why a number was held. This is intentionally different from an opaque readiness score. The athlete can compare the rationale with what happened outside the app.
Override is part of the system
Equipment may be occupied. A joint may dislike a variation. Time may be short. RACK allows you to edit a prescribed load, cap work, push past, swap a lift or skip a session. An override records what was actually possible.
The result is a programme with a spine, not a script. Hypertrophy, powerbuilding and powerlifting keep their own aims and rep ranges. A separate run plan can share the calendar, so the athlete can see both workloads without mixing their adaptation logic.
Evidence checked: A systematic review and meta-analysis found RPE to be a valid measure of resistance-training intensity. It is still subjective, which is why a single unusual score should not rewrite a block.