Weekly Volume Calculator
What is training volume?
Volume is how much work one muscle gets in a week. The most common unit is the number of hard sets taken close to failure, and multiplying those sets by reps and weight gives total volume, often called tonnage.
The formula this calculator uses
Weekly sets = sets per session × sessions per week. Total weekly volume = weekly sets × reps × weight.
Recommended range per muscle group
A dose-response meta-analysis found the largest muscle growth at 10 or more sets per week, and a review of trained lifters put the working range at 12 to 20 sets per week. This calculator combines both into a 10 to 20 sets per week range.
| Muscle group | Sets per week |
|---|---|
| Chest | 10 to 20 sets |
| Back | 10 to 20 sets |
| Shoulders | 10 to 20 sets |
| Biceps | 10 to 20 sets |
| Triceps | 10 to 20 sets |
| Quads | 10 to 20 sets |
| Hamstrings | 10 to 20 sets |
| Glutes | 10 to 20 sets |
| Calves | 10 to 20 sets |
| Abs | 10 to 20 sets |
Sources: Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger (2017), Journal of Sports Sciences 35(11):1073-1082; Baz-Valle et al. (2022), Journal of Human Kinetics 81:199-210.
Assumptions and limits
The sets counted here are hard sets taken close to failure, so leave warm-up sets out. The range is the same for every muscle group, because there is not enough agreed data to split it by muscle. Your own best volume also shifts with recovery, training age, sleep, and food.
How to read the result
Below the range — You have room to add sets. Build up slowly, by 1 or 2 sets a week.
In the range — You are inside the range the research points to. Hold this volume and add weight or reps instead.
Above the range — Check that your recovery keeps up. If your lifts drop or something hurts, cut sets back.
FAQ
What counts as a hard set?
A set you end with about 1 to 3 reps left in the tank. Warm-ups and very light sets do not count.
Do I count sets that hit a muscle indirectly?
A common approach is to count them as half. Four sets of bench press, for example, count as four sets for chest and two for triceps.
Are more sets always better?
No. Past a point recovery cannot keep up and your lifts start to fall. If you are at the top of the range and stuck, cutting sets is a fair thing to try.
Why does the calculator also show total volume?
Set count alone hides the weight you added. If your sets stayed the same but tonnage went up, you did more work that week.