Training volume calculator · Free · No sign-up
Training Volume Calculator
A training volume calculator multiplies sets by reps by weight and adds up every exercise, giving a session’s volume load, or tonnage. This one also counts a pair of dumbbells, bodyweight, push-ups and one-sided reps by the rule you choose, shows the range other rules give, and counts hard sets per muscle.
4 sets of 6 at 100 kg is 2,400 kg; one session can read 5,700 or 12,096 kg.
- Total reps
- 192
- Sets counted
- 18
- Hard sets
- 18
- Average per rep
- 59.9 kg
- In the other unit
- 25,344 lb
- On last time
- –
Warm-up: not counted (tick Include warm-up sets to count it).
4 sets, 24 reps × 100 kg = 2,400 kg
3 sets, 24 reps × 80 kg = 1,920 kg
3 sets, 30 reps × 2 × 30 kg = 1,800 kg
3 sets, 24 reps × 80 kg body = 1,920 kg
3 sets, 60 reps × 2 × 16 kg, both sides = 1,920 kg
2 sets, 30 reps × 0.64 × 80 kg = 1,536 kg
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Load counted | Volume | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back squat (warm-up) | 2 × 5 | 60 kg | not counted | – |
| Back squat | 4 × 6 | 100 kg | 2,400 | 21% |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8 | 80 kg | 1,920 | 17% |
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 × 10 | 2 × 30 kg | 1,800 | 16% |
| Pull-up | 3 × 8 | 80 kg body | 1,920 | 17% |
| Walking lunge | 3 × 10 a side | 2 × 16 kg, both sides | 1,920 | 17% |
| Push-up | 2 × 15 | 0.64 × 80 kg | 1,536 | 13% |
| Total | 192 reps | 11,496 | 100% |
| Muscle | Direct | Indirect | Fractional sets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chest | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Back | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Biceps | 0 | 3 | 1.5 |
| Triceps | 0 | 5 | 2.5 |
| Quads | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Hamstrings | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Glutes | 0 | 10 | 5 |
| Hard sets | 18 |
The session above is an example: replace it with yours. It counts what you did; it does not judge whether that is the right amount for you. Worked out in this browser and kept there. To count the reps while you lift, use the rep counter.
Enter each exercise as sets, reps and weight, or a rep list such as 10, 10, 8. The total, the reps, the hard sets per muscle and the change on last time update as you type.
Training volume is how much work a session or a week contains. It is counted two ways: as volume load (sets × reps × weight, often called tonnage) and as the number of hard sets each muscle receives.
- No sign-up
- Nothing sent anywhere
- Sources named
- Works offline
- Shows its working
Key facts
| Detail | Answer |
|---|---|
| Price | Free, no sign-up, nothing to install |
| Formula | Sets × reps × weight, summed over every exercise |
| Rows | Up to 15 exercises; reps as one number or a list per set |
| Load types | Barbell or machine, two dumbbells, one dumbbell, bodyweight plus or minus, six push-ups |
| Counting rules | Both dumbbells or one, bodyweight in or out, both sides or one, warm-ups in or out |
| Hard sets | 0–3 reps left; 1 set for the main muscle, ½ for the one it also works |
| Units | kg or lb, total shown in both |
| Where figures are kept | This browser only |
How to calculate your training volume
Enter the session, choose how to count it, and read the total.
Enter your bodyweight and units
Bodyweight is needed for pull-ups, dips and push-ups; choose kg or lb for everything.
Add each exercise
Type or pick a name; the list fills in the load type and the muscles. Enter sets and reps, or a rep list such as 10, 10, 8.
Enter the weight
The total on the bar for a barbell, one dumbbell for a pair, or the added weight for a bodyweight exercise.
Mark the effort
Hard for sets ending 0–3 reps short of failure, Working for easier ones, Warm-up for warm-ups.
Choose the counting rules
Tick or untick both dumbbells, bodyweight, both sides and warm-ups, and keep the same rules from session to session.
Read and save
Read the total, the reps and the hard sets per muscle, then press Save as last time to compare the next session.
Who adds up training volume
Anyone who wants to know whether this week’s training was more or less than last week’s.
Lifters tracking progress
One session against the last, on the same rules, so a rise means more work and not a different way of counting.
Home and bodyweight training
Push-ups, pull-ups and dips with a real load each, instead of zero because no plate was on the bar.
Planning a week
Hard sets per muscle for a whole week, with the triceps and glutes credited for the presses and squats that work them.
Coaches and personal trainers
A client’s session totalled with the rule written next to the number, ready to paste into a spreadsheet.
Checking an app’s figure
Find out why a workout app’s volume differs from your own sum: usually the dumbbells, bodyweight or one-sided reps.
Deload weeks
See how far a lighter week actually cut the volume and the hard sets.
Which weight counts: why one session is 5,700 kg or 12,096 kg
Every training volume calculator in the search results gives the same formula, sets × reps × weight, and none of them says which weight. That is the hard part, because the apps people log in do not agree, and the same workout can come out at twice the volume in one app as in another. Four choices decide it:
| Choice | What gets counted | What the apps say |
|---|---|---|
| A pair of dumbbells | Both (the weight you moved) or one | StrengthLog’s help page on one-sided exercises says to enter one dumbbell for a chest press, because each side moves one, and both for lunges, because each leg carries both |
| Bodyweight | Your bodyweight in a pull-up, chin-up or dip, or only the plate on the belt | Hevy’s help centre adds your logged bodyweight for pull-ups, chin-ups, dips and handstand push-ups from its library, subtracts the help on assisted ones, and adds nothing for a custom exercise |
| One-sided reps | Ten lunges a leg as 20 reps of load, or 10 | Exercise.com’s support pages show how to double a per-side exercise so it is not undercounted; other apps log one side as if it were two-legged |
| Warm-up sets | Left out, or every set logged | Most guides count working sets only; an app that totals every logged set counts the warm-ups too |
The example session on this page, with an 80 kg lifter, shows how far apart the answers are:
| Counted with | Volume |
|---|---|
| Both dumbbells, bodyweight in, both sides, no warm-ups (this calculator’s default) | 11,496 kg |
| One dumbbell of each pair | 9,636 kg |
| Bodyweight left out: only added weight on pull-ups and push-ups | 8,040 kg |
| Lunges counted for one leg | 10,536 kg |
| Warm-up sets included | 12,096 kg |
| All four at the low end | 5,700 kg |
None of these is wrong. What matters is that you keep one rule, because volume is useful for comparing your sessions with each other, and a change of app or of habit can move the total by up to a third with no change in the training. The board shows the range under the result for that reason, and each row says what it counted, such as “2 × 30 kg” or “0.64 × 80 kg”.
The bar counts. For a barbell, enter the weight of the bar and plates together: an Olympic bar is 20 kg (a women’s bar 15 kg), so “two 20s on each side” is 100 kg, not 80. Machines are the exception that cannot be fixed: a stack’s numbers are not the force at the handle, so machine volume compares only with the same machine.
How much of your bodyweight a push-up, pull-up or dip moves
A push-up does not lift your whole bodyweight, because your feet (or knees) carry part of it. Ebben and colleagues measured it on a force plate with 23 fit adults, and their figures are the ones this calculator uses (Ebben and colleagues, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2011; the table is in their 2010 conference paper):
| Push-up | Share of body mass | Load at 80 kg | 3 × 15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feet on a 60 cm box | 0.74 | 59.2 kg | 2,664 kg |
| Feet on a 30 cm box | 0.7 | 56 kg | 2,520 kg |
| Regular push-up | 0.64 | 51.2 kg | 2,304 kg |
| Hands on a 30 cm box | 0.55 | 44 kg | 1,980 kg |
| On the knees | 0.49 | 39.2 kg | 1,764 kg |
| Hands on a 60 cm box | 0.41 | 32.8 kg | 1,476 kg |
The figure is the peak force at the hands, so it is a fair load for counting volume rather than an exact one; the authors say it can be used for just that. A weighted vest is part of your mass, so the calculator adds it to your bodyweight before taking the share.
Pull-ups, chin-ups and dips are counted at your full bodyweight plus anything on the belt, as Hevy does. Your hands and forearms do not rise, so the true figure is a little lower, but no study gives a share for them, and a made-up percentage would be worse than a stated convention. Assisted versions subtract the help: an 80 kg lifter with 25 kg of assistance moves 55 kg.
Hard sets per muscle, and why indirect sets count half
Tonnage is one number for the whole session. For planning, coaches count something else: hard sets per muscle per week, a hard set being one taken close to failure. There is no single official cut-off; calculators and coaches use from three to five reps left in the tank. This one marks a set hard when you finish with 0–3 reps left (about RPE 7 or more). Warm-up sets and easier working sets add to the tonnage but not to the hard sets.
The awkward question is the muscle an exercise works only indirectly: the triceps in a bench press, the biceps in a pull-up. Pelland and colleagues, Sports Medicine, 2026 tested three answers across 67 studies and 2,058 people: count that set as a whole set, as half, or not at all. Counting it as half, which they call fractional, predicted both muscle growth and strength gains best. Growth and strength both rose with weekly sets, with diminishing returns that were stronger for strength; training a muscle more often helped strength but made no clear difference to growth.
So the muscle table gives each hard set 1 for its main muscle and ½ for the one it also works. For the example session:
| Muscle | Direct | Indirect | Fractional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chest | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Back | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Biceps | 0 | 3 | 1.5 |
| Triceps | 0 | 5 | 2.5 |
| Quads | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Hamstrings | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Glutes | 0 | 10 | 5 |
The glutes get no direct sets but 10 indirect ones from squats, deadlifts and lunges, which is 5 fractional sets. Done twice a week (choose 2 under Sessions like this a week) the quads reach 14. For scale, the American College of Sports Medicine’s 2026 position stand ties muscle growth to at least 10 sets per muscle group a week; the reps and sets guide covers what else it found.
The exercise list fills in a main muscle and one it also works, by the usual convention (the triceps in a press, the biceps in a pull, the glutes in a squat). Change either if your coach counts differently.
What tonnage tells you, and what it does not
Tonnage measures how much you moved, and the same number can come from very different training:
| Session | Reps | Volume | Average per rep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 × 10 at 100 kg | 30 | 3,000 kg | 100 kg |
| 10 × 3 at 100 kg | 30 | 3,000 kg | 100 kg |
| 5 × 5 at 120 kg | 25 | 3,000 kg | 120 kg |
| 2 × 25 at 60 kg | 50 | 3,000 kg | 60 kg |
Three sets of ten at 100 kg are close to failure for many lifters; ten sets of three at the same weight are not. And two sets of 25 with 60 kg reach the same total with the lightest weight. That is why tonnage rewards piling up easy reps, and why the calculator shows the average per rep beside it: when the total rises because the average fell, you did more reps with less, not more work at the same effort.
Tonnage is at its best for one thing: comparing the same exercise, or the same session, from week to week. Press Save as last time after a session and the next one shows the change. For comparing different programmes, or deciding whether a muscle gets enough work, use the hard sets.
What this calculator does not do
The calculator adds up what you did. It does not:
| It does | It does not |
|---|---|
| Add sets × reps × load for up to 15 exercises, with rep lists such as 10, 10, 8 | Write a programme or tell you how much to lift |
| Count dumbbells, bodyweight, push-ups and one-sided reps by a rule you choose | Say whether your volume is too much or too little for you |
| Count hard sets per muscle, indirect sets as half | Estimate a one-rep max, calories or fatigue |
| Compare a session with the last one you saved | Account for tempo, range of motion or rest between sets |
| Keep your figures in this browser | Send them anywhere |
Volume figures and set counts here are general information from studies of healthy adults, not individual advice. Anyone training with an injury, pain or a medical condition should work with a qualified coach, physiotherapist or doctor.
Calculator, basic tool, workout app or notebook
Four ways to add up a session, and where each one stops.
| This calculator | A basic volume calculator | A workout app | A notebook or spreadsheet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free, no sign-up | Free | Free or paid | Free |
| Dumbbells, bodyweight, one-sided reps | Counted by a rule you choose | Not addressed | By the app’s own rule | Whatever you write down |
| Push-ups by variation | 0.41 to 0.74 of bodyweight | No | Usually not counted | No |
| Range under other rules | Shown under the result | No | No | No |
| Hard sets per muscle | Yes, indirect as half | Sometimes | Often, rule unstated | If you build it |
| Rep lists such as 10, 10, 8 | Yes | Rarely | Yes | Yes |
| Account needed | No | No | Usually | No |
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Frequently asked questions
What is the training volume formula?
Volume load is sets × reps × weight, added up over every exercise. Four sets of six at 100 kg is 4 × 6 × 100 = 2,400 kg. With different reps in each set, multiply each set’s reps by its weight and add them. The calculator takes a rep list such as 10, 10, 8 and does that for you, then totals the session.
Do you count both dumbbells in training volume?
Count both if you want the weight you actually moved: two 30 kg dumbbells for 10 reps is 600 kg. Some apps count one, and StrengthLog enters one dumbbell for presses but both for lunges. Neither is wrong, but the totals differ by half, so pick one rule and keep it. The calculator has a setting for it and shows the other figure under the result.
How do you calculate volume for bodyweight exercises?
Use your bodyweight as the load. A pull-up or dip counts your full bodyweight plus anything on the belt, minus any assistance. A push-up moves part of it: 0.64 of body mass for a regular push-up and 0.49 on the knees, by force-plate measurements. An 80 kg person doing 3 × 15 push-ups moves about 2,304 kg.
Should I count warm-up sets in my training volume?
Usually not. Most guides and coaches count working sets only, because warm-ups are light and their number changes from day to day, which would make sessions harder to compare. Mark them as Warm-up and they stay out of the total and the hard sets; tick Include warm-up sets if your app or coach counts every set logged.
What counts as a hard set?
A set taken close to failure. There is no single official cut-off: calculators and coaches use from three to five reps left in reserve. This calculator counts a set as hard when you finish with 0–3 reps left, about RPE 7 or more. Easier working sets add to the tonnage but not to the hard sets per muscle.
How should I count sets for muscles an exercise works indirectly?
As half a set. In a 2026 meta-regression of 67 studies, Pelland and colleagues found that counting an indirect set, such as the triceps in a bench press, as 0.5 predicted muscle growth and strength gains better than counting it as a full set or as nothing. The muscle table here uses that fractional rule.
How do you count volume for exercises done one side at a time?
Count both sides if you want the work done: ten lunges a leg holding 32 kg is 20 reps, 640 kg per set. Some apps log one side, giving half. Tick Reps are for each side on the row, and the counting rule decides whether both sides are counted. Keep the same rule from week to week.
Is higher training volume always better?
No. Muscle growth and strength both rise with weekly sets, but with diminishing returns, stronger for strength, and more sets also need more recovery. The 2026 ACSM position stand ties muscle growth to at least 10 sets per muscle group a week. The calculator counts your volume; it does not say whether the amount is right for you.
How do I track training volume over time?
Compare the same exercises or the same session, counted the same way, week to week. Press Save as last time after a session and the next one shows the change as a percentage. Watch the average weight per rep too: a total that rose because the average fell means more easy reps, not more work at the same effort.
Does the barbell weight count in volume?
Yes. Volume uses the weight you moved, so enter the bar and plates together: an Olympic bar weighs 20 kg, so a 20 kg plate each side is 60 kg, not 40. Leaving the bar out makes light sessions look much smaller than they were. Machine weights only compare with the same machine, because a stack’s numbers are not the force at the handle.
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