Start from a repeatable estimate
Use a recent set with consistent technique. A single unusually good set can be useful, but it should not automatically become the number that drives every week.
If the estimate comes from higher reps, noisy RPE, or a variation that does not match the main lift, lower the planning number.
A clean five-rep set at roughly RPE 8 is usually more useful for planning than a shaky rep-out that only happened once.
Make the training max lower than the estimate
A training max is there to keep the program trainable, giving you room when sleep, fatigue, equipment, or technique are not perfect.
Protocol's calculator defaults to 90%, with an editable range. Your program rules should override the calculator when they are more specific.
Example: if your e1RM is 180 kg and you choose a 90% training max, the working anchor becomes 162 kg. The program can then use that lower number for percentages instead of acting like every week is a test day.
Use the number inside the whole workflow
Once the training max is set, use it to choose the session load, then check whether the day still matches the intended effort.
Before lifting it, turn the target into plates and warm-up jumps. The point is not just to get a max; it is to make the next session executable.
Use original program sources for program rules
This guide explains the calculation workflow, rather than reproducing paid or proprietary program tables.
If you run a named program, use the original source for sets, reps, progression, and reset rules.