Training Volume Calculator
Tonnage is the easy number and the wrong one.
Work out Training Volume. Tonnage is the easy number and the wrong one. Names the misconception directly.
Weekly tonnage
7.5 t
15 sets, 75 reps at 71% of max
Tonnage — sets times reps times load — is easy to measure and a poor proxy for stimulus. Ten sets of twenty at 40% of maximum moves more tonnage than five hard sets of five at 85% and builds far less strength. Hard sets per muscle per week is the better figure for hypertrophy, and the evidence points to roughly ten to twenty per muscle group for most people. Beyond that, returns diminish and recovery cost keeps rising. Intensity as a percentage of maximum is what separates the training effects. Below about 65% the stimulus is mostly work capacity; 65 to 85% is the hypertrophy range; above 85% is where maximal strength is built, at a much higher fatigue cost.
How the Training Volume Calculator works
Weekly tonnage, sets, reps and average intensity from a working set, with an assessment of where that lands. Tonnage is reported because people ask for it, and hard sets per week is reported because it is what matters.
Also known as: how many sets per week · weekly tonnage calculator · workout volume tracker · how much volume for hypertrophy
Not medical advice. This calculator gives a general estimate, not medical advice. It cannot account for your individual health, medical history, or medication. Talk to a qualified healthcare professional before acting on any result.
Frequently asked questions
What is training volume?
Usually sets times reps times load, giving tonnage. It is easy to measure and a poor proxy for stimulus, which is why hard sets per muscle per week has largely replaced it.
Why is tonnage misleading?
Ten sets of twenty at 40% of maximum moves more tonnage than five sets of five at 85% and builds far less strength. Load and effort are not interchangeable.
How many sets per week should I do?
Roughly ten to twenty hard sets per muscle group per week suits most people for hypertrophy. Beyond that, returns diminish while recovery cost keeps rising.
What does intensity as a percentage mean?
The working load as a share of your one-rep max. Below 65% is mostly work capacity, 65 to 85% is the hypertrophy range, and above 85% builds maximal strength at a high fatigue cost.
Should volume stay constant?
No. Most structured programmes raise volume across a block and then cut it sharply for a week, because accumulated fatigue masks the fitness that has been built underneath it.
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