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Workout volume calculator

Total volume (sets × reps × weight) for a session — the most useful single number for tracking hypertrophy work.

Sets

Total volume
3,375lb

3 sets · 15 total reps

Heaviest set
225lb
Average rep weight
225.0lb

Volume (sets × reps × weight) is one of the strongest predictors of hypertrophy. For most muscle groups, 10–20 hard sets per week is the productive range.

What volume measures

Training volume is the total amount of work you did. The tonnage version — sets × reps × weight — is the most useful when comparing weeks of the same exercise: more tonnage at the same relative intensity means more total stimulus.

For programme planning, hard-set count is usually a better unit. Roughly 10–20 hard sets per muscle group per week is the evidence-backed productive range for hypertrophy.

The formula

volume = Σ (set weight × set reps)

Warm-ups are excluded by convention — only working sets count. Drop sets and rest-pause clusters are usually logged as a single entry at the heaviest weight × total reps.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as a 'hard set'?
A set taken to within 1–3 reps of muscular failure. Warm-ups and back-off sets at low effort don't count for hypertrophy volume. If you could comfortably have done 4 or more extra reps, the set was too easy to drive growth.
How much volume per week?
For most muscle groups, 10–20 hard sets per week is the productive range, supported by meta-analyses by Brad Schoenfeld and others. Below 10 sets tends to under-stimulate; above 20 sets adds little for most people while adding a lot of fatigue.
Does volume mean tonnage or set count?
Both are used. Tonnage — total weight moved, which is what this calculator displays — is most useful within a single exercise across weeks. Set count is the more practical unit when planning a whole programme, because it lets you compare squats to lat pulldowns without doing unit conversions.

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