Two ways to count volume#
Tonnage — weight × reps × sets — is the classic measure and what this calculator computes. It is useful for comparing like with like: the same exercise, across weeks. Modern hypertrophy research more often counts hard sets — working sets taken close to failure — because a set of 5 and a set of 12 can produce similar growth despite very different tonnage. Track both: tonnage for load progression, hard sets for weekly volume per muscle.
How many sets per muscle per week#
| Weekly hard sets per muscle | What it does |
|---|---|
| 1–5 | Maintains muscle — useful in busy periods or during a fat loss phase |
| 6–10 | Grows muscle for beginners and returning lifters |
| 10–20 | The productive range for most trained lifters |
| 20+ | Diminishing returns — worthwhile only for advanced lifters, one muscle at a time |
Volume only counts if it is honest#
Sets stopped 5+ reps short of failure contribute little — junk volume inflates tonnage without driving adaptation. Count a set when it lands within roughly 0–3 reps in reserve; logging RPE or RIR on your sets keeps this honest, and marking warm-ups as warm-ups keeps them out of your totals. Gript computes volume per exercise, per muscle group, and per week automatically from your log, so you can watch the trend instead of multiplying by hand.