Program with reps in reserve, have clients log weight and reps against that target, and let the platform turn performance into the next prescription. No spreadsheet rewrites, no static load tables - and the coach still owns every meaningful decision.
The repeatable math runs inside the software. The programming judgment stays with the coach.
Set per-exercise RIR or RPE ranges, sets, reps, and progression rules in the exercise program builder — organized into periodized blocks, each with its own exercises and RIR progression (e.g. 4→2 in an accumulation block, 2→0 in a peak). Program hypertrophy and strength styles in the same client plan.
The mobile workout view shows the target RIR as a hint and records weight and reps performed. Rest timers and prior-session loads keep logging fast; AMRAP sets stamp RIR 0 for e1RM.
On periodized programs the next session’s load comes from e1RM plus the week’s target reps and RIR. As RIR falls through a block, intensity climbs without a weekly coach rewrite.
Scheduled deload blocks cut sets and load on the calendar. When performance stalls, the platform can surface a recovery-week suggestion — the coach confirms, nothing is force-inserted.
Most platforms treat effort as a notes field. CoachingPortal treats RIR as structured programming data: targets progress through blocks, stamp onto logged sets for e1RM, and drive load prescription and deload blocks. Coaches who program with effort targets get a system that understands the prescription style instead of forcing a workaround.
The approach is informed by published RIR research, including Zourdos et al. (2016) on rating accuracy and Schoenfeld et al. (2017) on volume and proximity to failure - cited directly on the science page.
A RIR (reps in reserve) coaching platform is software that lets coaches program with effort targets - prescribing how close to failure each set should land - and uses logged performance against those targets to adjust future load and volume on periodized programs. CoachingPortal is a RIR coaching platform built around RIR-based autoregulation as a first-class feature, not an after-thought toggle. Clients log weight and reps (target RIR is shown as a hint); actual per-set RIR entry is not required today.
RIR (Reps In Reserve) describes how many additional reps the lifter could have completed before failure on a given set. RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) is typically expressed on a 10-point scale where the equivalent calculation is 10 minus RIR. Both describe the same underlying signal - proximity to failure - but RIR is direct and tends to be easier for clients to apply session-to-session. CoachingPortal supports both, with a built-in RPE-to-RIR converter for coaches who use the two interchangeably.
Today the product prescribes a target RIR as a hint on the reps field and clients log weight and reps performed. The system stamps the prescribed effort for e1RM and progression (AMRAP sets count as RIR 0). A dedicated per-set RIR input is not required for auto-periodization to run - matching how most online clients actually train.
Yes on periodized programs. The platform estimates e1RM from the best working set of the session, then derives the next load from that estimate plus the week’s target reps and RIR (which progress through each block). Scheduled deload blocks cut volume and intensity on the calendar; stall patterns can surface a recovery-week suggestion for the coach to confirm. Coaches always retain override control.
No. RIR-based programming is well-supported by research for hypertrophy, general strength, and mixed strength-and-conditioning work. It is especially useful any time client readiness varies week to week - meaning almost every real-world online coaching roster. The system can be turned off for clients on percentage-based, fixed-load, or competition prep blocks where RIR autoregulation would interfere.
Free for up to 3 clients with every feature included - including RIR logging, auto-periodization, and the full analytics dashboard.