Learn 5/3/1

The same explanations the app shows you in context, gathered in one place. Start at the top if the barbell is new to you.

Lifting Basics

The Bar Counts as Weight A standard barbell weighs 45 lb (20 kg) on its own. Every weight the app shows already includes the bar — you add plates to make up the rest.
Loading Plates Evenly Plates load in matching pairs — the same weight on both ends — so the bar stays balanced. "Each side" means per end, not total.
Reading the Plate Math The app shows exactly which plates to put on each side to hit your target weight, so you never have to do the arithmetic.
Rounding to Loadable Weights 5/3/1 percentages rarely land on a round number, so the app rounds each set to the nearest weight you can actually load.
How Long to Rest Rest long enough that the next set is hard because of the weight, not your breathing — roughly 2–5 minutes for heavy main work.
Start Light, Lift Safe Use collars, start lighter than you think, and never trade form for weight. 5/3/1 is built to start easy and climb.

One-Rep Max (1RM) The heaviest weight you can lift one time with good form. Used once, at the start, to set your Training Max.
Training Max (TM) A conservative 'working max' (usually 90% of your 1RM). Every working set in 5/3/1 is a percentage of this number, not your true max.
1RM vs Training Max Your 1RM is what you could lift on a great day. Your Training Max is what you train from — lower on purpose so every session feels manageable and you keep progressing.
% of Training Max The weight on the bar is this percentage of your Training Max. Every week and set has a prescribed %TM from the 5/3/1 tables.
Personal Record (PR) Your best-ever result. 5/3/1 chases rep PRs — more reps at a weight than you've ever done.
Estimated 1RM (e1RM) A one-rep max estimated from a multi-rep set. A floor for planning, not a promise.

The 4-Week Wave 5/3/1 runs on a 4-week wave: Week 1 (5/5/5+), Week 2 (3/3/3+), Week 3 (5/3/1+), Week 4 Deload. The '+' means the last set is AMRAP.
AMRAP Set As Many Reps As Possible. The last main set of week 1, 2, and 3 is an AMRAP — do as many clean reps as you can, then stop. Not a grinder, not a failure set.
Week Order Standard runs 5s → 3s → 5/3/1 → deload. Reverse flips it to 3s → 5s → 5/3/1. Standard is the default; reverse is an advanced variation.
Starting Week Which week to start on. New users pick Week 1. Pick something else only if you're mid-cycle and want to resume.
Deload Week A planned light week — typically 40/50/60% of your TM — every 4th week (or every 2–3 cycles on the Forever plan). Recovery is programmed; don't skip it.

PR Sets The last main set is an AMRAP — push for a rep PR. Used in most templates. Helps you beat last cycle's numbers.
5s PRO Five Sets of Five PROgression. Every main work set is 5 reps (no AMRAP). Less intensity, more total volume — great when paired with BBB.
FSL — First Set Last First Set Last. After your main work, do more sets at the weight you used for your very first working set. Usually 5×5.
BBB — Boring But Big Boring But Big. Supplemental hypertrophy work: 5 sets of 10 reps at 50% of your TM. High volume, same-lift pairing.

Main Work The three main sets of the core lift (Squat, Bench, Deadlift, or Overhead Press) at the week's prescribed percentages. This is the meat of the workout.
Supplemental Work Extra volume on the same lift after main work — BBB, FSL, SSL, etc. Drives size and movement practice without the intensity of main work.
Assistance Work Extra exercises that balance your training, grouped into four categories: Push, Pull, Single Leg (lower-body accessory), and Core. Wendler's guideline is roughly 50–100 reps per category — not a hard rule, more a frame for balance.

Leader & Anchor Phases 5/3/1 Forever organizes cycles into Leader (2 high-volume cycles, no internal deload) and Anchor (1 lower-volume, higher-intensity cycle), bridged by a 7th Week Protocol. Built for long-term progress.
7th Week Protocol A one-week bridge between Leader and Anchor phases. Pick Deload (light recovery), TM Test (re-evaluate your training max), or PR Attempt (test a true 1RM).