Training Volume Calculator
Calculate the volume load of a lift — sets × reps × weight — the tonnage that programmes track from week to week, with the total relative to your bodyweight.
How much weight you moved in total: sets × reps × load.
How the training volume calculator works
Volume load, or tonnage, is the simplest measure of how much work a strength session contained: multiply sets by reps by the weight on the bar. Coaches track it week to week because steady increases drive adaptation and sudden jumps predict injury. Add the bodyweight in Detailed mode and the calculator expresses the total in bodyweights, which makes sessions comparable between lifters.
It counts external load only; bodyweight exercises need the lifted share of bodyweight added (roughly 65% for push-ups, 100% for pull-ups).
Formula: volume load = sets × reps × weight
Worked examples
| Inputs | Volume load | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 4 × 8 at 60 kg | 1,920 | 1,920 kg |
| 5 × 5 at 100 kg | 2,500 | 2,500 kg — 2.5 tonnes |
| 3 × 10 at 135 lb | 4,050 | 4,050 lb |
FAQFrequently asked questions
What is volume load?
Sets × reps × weight: the total external load lifted in an exercize, session or week. It is the basic currency of strength programming.
How much should volume increase each week?
Small steps — around 5–10% a week is a common guideline, with lighter deload weeks every three to six weeks.
Does it count bodyweight movements?
Only if you add the lifted share of your bodyweight as the weight: about 65% for push-ups, 100% for pull-ups and dips, plus any added load.
Is more volume always better?
Up to a point set by recovery. Research supports a dose–response up to roughly 10–20 hard sets per muscle per week for most people; beyond that returns fall and injury risk rises.
Where these figures come from
- Riegel PS, "Athletic records and human endurance", American Scientist 1981 — T2 = T1 × (D2 ÷ D1)^1.06
- Cooper KH, "A means of assessing maximal oxygen intake", JAMA 1968 — the 12-minute run test
- Ainsworth BE et al., Compendium of Physical Activities (2024 update) — MET values by activity
- OpenPowerlifting — DOTS coefficients (Tim Konertz, 2019) — the DOTS polynomial used for scoring
- Naismith's rule (1892) as used by UK and Australian walking bodies — 1 hour per 5 km plus 1 hour per 600 m of ascent
- American College of Sports Medicine — exercize-science guidelines
Last checked: September 2026. Formulas are fixed by their published sources; the MET values come from the Compendium of Physical Activities.