DETERMINING THE RATINGS OF YOUR WORKOUTS
Importantly, let us start by stating that workout volume is a spectrum, instead of distinct, easilydistinguishable categories. Moreover, it wouldn’t make sense to provide any one-size-fits-all calorie
burning guidelines to help guide your workout rating calculations, because these would be dependent
on body size, and hence incredibly variable from one RP client to the next. What we are able to provide,
however, are general tips to help determine the rating of your workouts.
Light Day:
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Most workouts of 30-45 minutes, up to an hour long
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In room temperature (68 - 72°F or thereabouts), you have a bit of sweat on your shirt afterwards
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Calories burned during the workout on the order of several hundred or less for most body sizes
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Mobility or technique sessions
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Small bodypart workouts like arms or delts for bodybuilding
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Peaking sessions for powerlifting, with most reps in the 1-3 range, and no more than ~10 total
working sets for the day
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Individual metcons by themselves. Ex: A typical CF class (for most people)
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A workout which is psychologically pretty easy and doesn't tire you out too much - even if it's
super heavy - because the workload is so small
Moderate Day:
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Workouts that typically last 1 hour to 1.5 hours, and up to 2 hours maximum. Ex: a CF class
followed by lifting, cumulatively over an hour in duration
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In room temperature, your clothes are roughly half wet and half dry
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Calories burned around the average 500 mark, with a wide range
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Large bodypart workouts like back, chest, legs, pull, push
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Between 10 and 25 working sets for powerlifting and bodybuilding work
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A workout that is psychologically tough: it’s plenty of work and makes you plenty tired
Hard Day:
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Workouts that last more than 2 hours
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In room temperature, you're so sweaty after the workout that people think you showered
in your clothes
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Calories burned can approach or surpass 1000 for most body sizes
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Training with more than 25 working sets per workout
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Highly intense workouts for lower body or whole body that pound relentless volume
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Workouts that combine strength, weightlifting, metcons, and volume work in the same session,
and last from 2 to upwards of 3 hours
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A workout that is so psychologically tough, getting through it is practically a religious experience
Additional Tips:
1. The main takeaway from the above guidelines is this: if your workout features most of the
conditions listed for any of the intensities above, it can be classified as such. Ex: If your workout
fails to meet every single characteristic listed for "moderate day" but does meet most of them,
then “moderate day” nutrition is your best bet for that day.
2. If you are on the border of two different intensities, it might be wise to “round down” when
losing fat and “round up” when gaining muscle. Ex: If unsure whether light or moderate when
losing fat, err on the side of choosing light. But, when looking to gain muscle and torn between
two options, choose the harder option ( with more food).
3. Some folks may rate the same workout as light and others as moderate. The important point to
keep in mind is that you should make adjustments to your diet as needed to yield the best
results. If you’re using moderate and NOT losing weight (when that is your goal) you may want
to readjust to light days, and see if this helps move the needle.
4. If you’re a fitness sport athlete, this article should be a big help in categorizing the ratings of
your workouts.
5. Genetics also play a role, enabling some folks to get by using the option with more calories and
still lose weight, but making others work harder for results. Some inherent trial and error is
expected before you hit your stride with any DIY diet program, so staying flexible and persistent
will help you find the optimal approach for you.
6. Remember that, while our diet templates pack our best know-how to help you meet your
goals, a little ambiguity is expected when using any non-interactive tool like this. If you’d prefer
a guided approach that removes the guesswork from your dieting journey and is completely
personalized to your exact needs and schedule, consider RP 1:1 coaching!