PR
Also known as: Personal record, Personal best
A PR (personal record), also called a personal best (PB), is the best documented performance a person has achieved under a defined set of conditions. In strength training, it can mean the heaviest successful lift, the most repetitions completed with a given weight, or the best result for another clearly specified metric.
The conditions are part of the record. A squat PR should identify the variation, equipment, range-of-motion or competition standard, and whether assistance was used. A rep PR normally requires the same load and comparable technique. A best estimated 1RM is an e1RM PR, not a directly tested 1RM record. Separating these categories prevents an improvement in a formula, setup, or movement standard from being mistaken for the same performance achievement.
For example, 100 kg for eight repetitions may be a weight-and-rep PR even if the lifter has previously completed a heavier single. Completing 105 kg for six could produce a higher e1RM, while neither set changes the actual tested 1RM. All three records can be useful; they simply answer different questions.
A PR is evidence of what happened in one session, not proof that capacity has permanently increased by the same amount. Body weight, sleep, motivation, exercise order, rest intervals, equipment, and random variation can influence a result. Durable progression is better judged from a trend across comparable performances than from constant attempts to set a record.
The free version of Alpha Progression identifies personal records from logged workouts and keeps the underlying set in the workout history. Record notifications can be motivating, but they do not require every session to become a test day. Most training can follow the planned effort and rep range while PRs emerge as a consequence of improvement.