Dr. Stephanie Estima

Ego is the enemy in the gym. Ego is the absolute enemy. And this is why I was saying before, I don't actually care that you're lifting eight pounds, like you're doing lunges with eight pounds. Like as long as you're getting to an RPE of eight, nine or 10, which is receipt rate of perceived exertion, eight, nine or 10 in your set. Like you could be doing a hundred lunges. It doesn't matter.

Ego is the enemy in the gym. Ego is the absolute enemy. And this is why I was saying before, I don't actually care that you're lifting eight pounds, like you're doing lunges with eight pounds. Like as long as you're getting to an RPE of eight, nine or 10, which is receipt rate of perceived exertion, eight, nine or 10 in your set. Like you could be doing a hundred lunges. It doesn't matter.

Ego is the enemy in the gym. Ego is the absolute enemy. And this is why I was saying before, I don't actually care that you're lifting eight pounds, like you're doing lunges with eight pounds. Like as long as you're getting to an RPE of eight, nine or 10, which is receipt rate of perceived exertion, eight, nine or 10 in your set. Like you could be doing a hundred lunges. It doesn't matter.

You know, if you're doing, if you have the eight pounds and you're like, okay, I am at an eight out of 10 right now. Or the other way to look at it, which I tend to like a little bit better is a reps in reserve, which is RIR. So how many reps left, right? It should be like between one and three. Yep. I love that. And you know that you're getting there because the reps are slowing down, right?

You know, if you're doing, if you have the eight pounds and you're like, okay, I am at an eight out of 10 right now. Or the other way to look at it, which I tend to like a little bit better is a reps in reserve, which is RIR. So how many reps left, right? It should be like between one and three. Yep. I love that. And you know that you're getting there because the reps are slowing down, right?

You know, if you're doing, if you have the eight pounds and you're like, okay, I am at an eight out of 10 right now. Or the other way to look at it, which I tend to like a little bit better is a reps in reserve, which is RIR. So how many reps left, right? It should be like between one and three. Yep. I love that. And you know that you're getting there because the reps are slowing down, right?

So you're not like rep one no longer looks like, let's say you're on rep 15. I don't know. Like your rep one and rep 15 look very different. Rep one is really fast. There's not a lot of struggle with it. But rep 15, you're struggling for the depth. You're struggling on the concentric, like to come back up to neutral or to your starting position again. And the subjective...

So you're not like rep one no longer looks like, let's say you're on rep 15. I don't know. Like your rep one and rep 15 look very different. Rep one is really fast. There's not a lot of struggle with it. But rep 15, you're struggling for the depth. You're struggling on the concentric, like to come back up to neutral or to your starting position again. And the subjective...

So you're not like rep one no longer looks like, let's say you're on rep 15. I don't know. Like your rep one and rep 15 look very different. Rep one is really fast. There's not a lot of struggle with it. But rep 15, you're struggling for the depth. You're struggling on the concentric, like to come back up to neutral or to your starting position again. And the subjective...

weight, like it feels like rep 15, like the eight pounds actually feels like it's 800, right? So it feels heavier, right? So that's kind of, you know, some guidelines or some action items for your listeners where they're like, but how heavy? It's like heavy doesn't matter. What matters is that you approximate muscle failure. So RPE of eight, nine or 10 or RIR of one, two or three.

weight, like it feels like rep 15, like the eight pounds actually feels like it's 800, right? So it feels heavier, right? So that's kind of, you know, some guidelines or some action items for your listeners where they're like, but how heavy? It's like heavy doesn't matter. What matters is that you approximate muscle failure. So RPE of eight, nine or 10 or RIR of one, two or three.

weight, like it feels like rep 15, like the eight pounds actually feels like it's 800, right? So it feels heavier, right? So that's kind of, you know, some guidelines or some action items for your listeners where they're like, but how heavy? It's like heavy doesn't matter. What matters is that you approximate muscle failure. So RPE of eight, nine or 10 or RIR of one, two or three.

And those are kind of the qualifiers, right? It's like, can I do one more rep? And can I do it in full range? And is the velocity slowing down? And does the weight feel subjectively heavier to me?

And those are kind of the qualifiers, right? It's like, can I do one more rep? And can I do it in full range? And is the velocity slowing down? And does the weight feel subjectively heavier to me?

And those are kind of the qualifiers, right? It's like, can I do one more rep? And can I do it in full range? And is the velocity slowing down? And does the weight feel subjectively heavier to me?

Great.

Great.

Great.

I know, I know. Yeah, heavy is such a subjective term. So if you're new to the gym, you know, like I was saying before, the 10 pound weights for lunges might be the best weight for you. But if you're still at 10 pounds, like six months later, you're not using some of the principles of progressive overload. Heavy, like I said, and like you said, very subjective.

I know, I know. Yeah, heavy is such a subjective term. So if you're new to the gym, you know, like I was saying before, the 10 pound weights for lunges might be the best weight for you. But if you're still at 10 pounds, like six months later, you're not using some of the principles of progressive overload. Heavy, like I said, and like you said, very subjective.