Training Volume Calculator
Enter the exercises of a session and get its tonnage, number of hard sets and total reps. Useful to compare weeks and to see if you are doing enough, or too much.
Want to get stronger, faster?
A strength coach programs your loads, your progression and your technique around these numbers. See the strength training and strength and conditioning coaches.
Continue with
Example
Squat 4 × 6 at 225 lb, Romanian deadlift 3 × 8 at 185 lb, leg press 3 × 12 at 300 lb: 10 hard sets, 84 reps, 20,640 lb of tonnage.
Method and formula
Tonnage = sets × reps × load, summed over exercises. Hard sets are counted as entered (assume they are taken within 1 to 3 reps of failure).
Guidance: research reviews point to about 10 to 20 hard sets per muscle group per week for most lifters.
Limits
- Tonnage is not comparable across exercises (a deadlift pound is not a curl pound).
- Volume only counts if sets are hard enough; twenty easy sets are not twenty hard sets.
FAQ
How many sets per muscle per week?
Around 10 to 20 hard sets is the evidence-based range. Beginners progress on the low end, advanced lifters may need the high end.
Is more tonnage always better?
No. Past a point, extra volume slows recovery without extra gains. Progress load or reps over time, not just tonnage.
Free educational tool. Results are estimates from published formulas.