Training Volume Calculator
Volume load (sets × reps × weight) for each exercise and the whole session or week, tonnage, and the change from last week. Type lines like "Squat 5x5 100"; kg or lb.
Result…
How it's calculated
Volume load (per exercise) = sets × reps × weight Session or week total = sum of the lines Change = (this total − last total) ÷ last total × 100 Tonnage = total kg ÷ 1000 (metric tonnes), or total lb ÷ 2000 (short tons) 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg
Volume load is the most common way to put a number on how much work a strength session involved: multiply sets by reps by the weight on the bar for each exercise and add them up. Coaches use it to plan a gradual build from week to week and to spot a sudden jump, which is why this calculator also gives the change from last week. "Tonnage" is the same total expressed in tonnes. Volume load does not capture intensity or effort, so it is usually read next to the weights used (for example as a percentage of a one-rep max) and how hard the sets felt.
Your numbers, step by step
About the Training Volume calculator
This training volume calculator adds up the volume load of a strength session or a training week: sets × reps × weight for each exercise, then the total. Type one exercise per line, such as “Squat 5x5 100”, and it handles kg or lb, converting any line that ends in the other unit. Lifters and coaches use volume load to plan a steady build from week to week and to spot a sudden jump, so enter last week's total to see the change in percent. You also get the total in the other unit, tonnage in metric tonnes and short tons, the number of sets and reps, and the average load per rep. The steps show every line multiplied out with your own numbers, so a typo in a set or a weight is easy to find.
How to use it
- Choose the “Weight unit”, kg or lb.
- In “Exercises, one per line”, type each exercise as name, sets x reps, weight: “Squat 5x5 100” or “Bench 3 x 8 @ 60”. Use 0 for bodyweight moves.
- Optionally enter “Last week's total volume (optional)” for the same session or week, in the same unit.
- Read the “Total volume load”, the tonnage, the sets and reps, and the change from last week.
- Check the steps and the bar chart to see which exercise made up most of the volume.
Worked example
A leg session in kg: Squat 4x6 90, Romanian deadlift 3x8 70 and Leg press 3x10 120. The lines are 4 × 6 × 90 = 2160, 3 × 8 × 70 = 1680 and 3 × 10 × 120 = 3600 kg, a total of 7440 kg (16,402 lb, or 7.44 metric tonnes) over 10 sets and 78 reps, an average of 95.4 kg per rep. Last week's same session came to 5800 kg, so volume is up (7440 − 5800) ÷ 5800 × 100 = 28.3%.
Updated
Questions people ask
How do I calculate training volume for a workout?
For each exercise multiply sets by reps by the weight, then add the exercises together. Three sets of 10 at 50 kg is 3 × 10 × 50 = 1500 kg of volume load.
What is the difference between volume load and tonnage?
They are the same total written in different units. Volume load is usually given in kg or lb; tonnage expresses it in tonnes, so 7440 kg is 7.44 metric tonnes, or the lb total divided by 2000 for short tons.
Should I count warm-up sets in training volume?
Either way works if you are consistent. Many lifters count only working sets, because warm-ups change with the day. What matters is comparing the same kind of total from one week to the next.
Does a higher volume load mean a harder workout?
Not always. Volume load counts weight moved, not effort, so light sets of 20 can match heavy triples. Read it next to the loads you used, for example as a percentage of your one-rep max from the one-rep max calculator.
What are the limits of a training volume number?
It ignores rest times, tempo, range of motion and how close to failure you went, and bodyweight moves add nothing unless you enter a load. It is a planning aid, not a measure of recovery. If you have pain or an injury, get advice from a physiotherapist, doctor or qualified coach.