Reps In Reserve. A trending tool to optimize your training.

Reps In Reserve. A trending tool to optimize your training.

What is RIR?

Reps In Reserve, or otherwise known as RIR, is slowly gaining popularity among gym goers. It quite literally means: How many repetitions of exercise you COULD HAVE done before breaking proper form or failing the set. While it is trendy, I was skeptical about whether it was actually useful or just another gym-bro jargon. Turns out that RIR is indeed a reliable tool in tailoring your effort and load in your trainings for various goals, according to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

How it can help you

It is very useful in measuring the effort that you put into the particular set and you can use it to tailor your workout to what training you are going for. However, keep in mind that how many repetitions you have in reserve is an estimate, which gets more accurate as you practice more. You can only be truly sure if you are unable to perform another rep, which is 0 RIR.

For Calisthenics...

While it is used primarily for gym-goers, it can also be applied to CALISTHENICS as well. In fact, this is the secret that I have been using to get stronger despite my busy schedule between work and other commitments, just like you…

How to use RIR with Calisthenics to train when you don’t have time

If you only have an hour to squeeze in, every other day, this will very much help you. Our body responds to the amount of stress that you put on it. The more effort you put in, the more micro-damages that your body repairs, which will cause muscle hypertrophy. This same concept also applies to gaining strength. The closer you get to failure, the more your body responds to become stronger.

Instead of doing 5 moderate intensity sets per exercise, you could do 3 high intensity sets for that same exercise to achieve the same or even better results. This saves you a lot of time and you get the MOST out of that set. To achieve that intensity and go close to failure, you are looking at an RIR of 0-1.

Different ranges of RIR can be used to train differently. Here is a summary of how various RIR range affects your performance and type of training for Calisthenics:

RIR Intensity & Effort Type of Training When to do it Benefits
0 Maximum Endurance, Strength Endurance When you have more experience in Calisthenics and working out. When you want most ‘Bang’ for your ‘Buck’. When you have little time to workout. Increases endurance, Builds Muscle, Promotes cardiovascular health
1-2 High Strength Training Standard training, when you can afford to spend a bit more time for workouts. Increase strength, Builds muscle
3-4 Moderate Power, Formwork, Recovery When you have the luxury of time and the exercise requires complex movement. When you want to keep yourself fresh for the day ahead, avoid overloading your nervous system. When you are new to Calisthenics. Can be used for deload, Improve form & posture, Good for power & explosiveness


What this means

If you want maximum results with muscle gains with minimal time, leaving 0-1 RIR is best when performing Calisthenics. However, training with such intensity requires adequate recovery time and your ability to put out that kind of effort that day. If you are feeling extremely fatigue after a long day, training with 3-4 RIR could be better to avoid injuries but still get in the workout despite the hectic day.

CAVEAT

Remember that ultimately, RIR is simply another tool that you can use to help optimize your Calisthenics training to your goals. There are many other factors such as the Number of Reps that you actually perform per set and whether you are doing weighted training. There are also Isometric Training and Time Under Tension that comes into play so do not blindly apply RIR. Happy training!

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