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Learn/Strength·Explainer

Explainer · Strength

What is RIR

How to use reps in reserve to choose weights — without guessing or maxing out every set.

RIRRPE StrengthHypertrophyProgram Help
Read What is RPE → How to Choose Weights A simple way to stop guessing — and to train the body you brought today.

Stop guessing

"3 × 8 with 2 RIR" just means do 8 with 2 clean reps left.

RIR stands for Reps in Reserve — how many good reps you probably had left at the end of a set. Not ugly reps, not desperate reps, not "maybe if my partner screams at me" reps. Clean reps.

Why it matters for grapplers

RIR lets you adjust the load to the day without abandoning the program.

A weight that's smooth after a technical class can feel horrible after hard wrestling, poor sleep and a gi session that cooked your grips. Same training target — different weight if needed. That's not weakness, that's good programming.

The scale

Reps in reserve, top to bottom.

An estimate of how many clean reps you had left before technical failure.

4Easy–moderate — ~4 clean reps left. Warm-ups, deloads, technique, new movements. ≈ RPE 6.
3Moderate working effort — ~3 left. Volume and beginner strength work. ≈ RPE 7.
2Hard but controlled — ~2 left. The great default for most BJJ strength sets. ≈ RPE 8.
1Very hard — ~1 left. Heavier strength & hypertrophy. ≈ RPE 9.
0No clean reps left — technical failure. Mostly for safer hypertrophy work. ≈ RPE 10.
RIR and RPE are two sides of the same coin. RIR asks "how many clean reps did I have left"; RPE asks "how hard did that feel" 2 RIR ≈ RPE 8. Don't obsess over the maths — it's an estimate. The real question: how close was that set to the last clean rep

The rule people break

RIR only counts clean reps.

If your next rep would involve bouncing, twisting, grinding or changing the movement, you don't have another clean rep — you're at 0 RIR, not 2. Your logbook shouldn't be fiction.

Counts as a rep

Clean
Full intended rangeControlled techniqueStable body positionNo sharp painNo form collapse

The last rep you can do with the intended movement.

Doesn't count

Not RIR
Half / shortened repsBouncing or swingingGrinding ugly repsSpotter-assisted"One more bro" reps

0 RIR = technical failure, not reckless failure.

0 RIR = the last clean rep you could perform — the same thing BJJ Strong programs mean by technical failure. It matters most in hypertrophy work (BJJ Jacked may prescribe max reps or failure-based sets) — push to technical failure, never sloppy failure.

How close to failure

It depends on the exercise and the goal.

Strength · big lifts

1–3 RIR. Squat, deadlift, trap bar, heavy press/row, weighted pull-up. Train them hard — you don't need failure. 0 RIR used rarely.

Hypertrophy accessories

0–2 RIR. Curls, lateral raises, hamstring curls, pressdowns, machine rows, calves — safer to push close to technical failure.

Power

Ignore RIR. Jumps, throws, push press, swings — stop when speed drops. You may have reps left, but if it's no longer fast, the power stimulus is gone.
Beginners are bad at estimating RIR (you might call 0 when it's really 5, or 3 when your form's already gone). Start conservative — 3–4 RIR on new movements, 2–3 on familiar ones — and avoid frequent 0 RIR on big lifts. Learn the skill on safe exercises (machine row, hamstring curl, leg extension, goblet squat): guess your RIR, write it down, occasionally test close to failure, compare. Don't learn RIR by testing your deadlift to failure — that's not education, that's poor judgement.

Where RIR earns its place

Train the body you brought today.

If BJJ was brutal yesterday, your normal weights feel heavier — that's fatigue, not sudden weakness. Hold the effort target and adjust the load.

Fresh week

2 RIR target
  1. Trap Bar DL — 80kg × 8
  2. Feels hard but controlled
  3. ~2 clean reps in the tank

Hard BJJ week

Same 2 RIR target
  1. Trap Bar DL — 72.5kg × 8
  2. Same effort, lower load
  3. Still ~2 clean reps left
RIR doesn't replace progression. You still improve over time — more reps, more load, better range or control at the same RIR. Example: 30kg×8 @2RIR → ×9 → ×10 → then 32.5kg×8 @2RIR. Effort stays the same; output improves. And if today's prescribed RIR is wrong — set one feels like 0 RIR (too heavy) or 5 RIR (too light) — use that feedback and adjust the load. Don't force the next sets because your ego got involved.
Want it programmed for you

BJJ Strong and BJJ Jacked build the RIR/RPE targets in so you're not guessing.

Find Your Program →How to Choose Weights

Common mistakes

Six ways RIR goes wrong.

1

Counting ugly reps

RIR is clean reps only — ugly reps don't count.

2

Always writing "2 RIR"

Be honest — some sets are 4 RIR, some are 0. Your notes should reflect reality.

3

Using RIR to train soft

If the target's 1 RIR, the set should be hard. Do the work.

4

Ignoring BJJ fatigue

Cooked from hard rounds Adjust the load — that's the whole point.

5

Taking power work to failure

Power isn't hypertrophy — stop when speed drops.

6

Treating it as exact

It's a useful estimate, not a lab measurement.

The BJJ Strong approach

RIR teaches grapplers to train hard without being stupid.

You need effort, progression and clean reps — and enough recovery left for BJJ. RIR balances that with a target that flexes to the week. Fresh week Push the load. Cooked week Hit the same RIR with less weight. Same program, smarter execution.

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The best set isn't always the heaviest — it's the one that gives the right stimulus and still lets you train jiu-jitsu.

FAQ

Quick answers.

What does RIR mean +
Reps in reserve — how many clean reps you had left at the end of a set.
What does 2 RIR mean +
You finished the set with about two clean reps left.
What does 0 RIR mean +
No clean reps left. In BJJ Strong programs that's technical failure, not sloppy failure.
Is RIR the same as RPE +
Closely related — RIR measures reps left, RPE measures effort. 2 RIR ≈ RPE 8.
Should beginners use RIR +
Yes, but expect inaccurate estimates at first. Start conservative and learn over time.
What RIR for strength +
Most BJJ strength work fits well around 1–3 RIR.
What RIR for muscle gain +
Hypertrophy often needs 0–2 RIR, especially on safer accessory exercises.
Should I use RIR for power +
Not the same way — power work should stop when speed drops, not at failure.

Use it honestly. Track it. Progress over time.

RIR tells you how many clean reps you had left. Most strength work lives around 1–3 RIR; hypertrophy often needs 0–2; power stops when speed drops; and 0 RIR means technical failure, not sloppy failure. The best set isn't always the heaviest — it's the one that gives the right stimulus and still lets you train jiu-jitsu.

Read What is RPE → How to Choose Weights