Calculate your weekly training volume per muscle group, sets, reps and total tonnage. See if
you're training in the optimal range for muscle growth and where to add or reduce volume.
Free to use
Per muscle group
MEV / MRV guidance
Tonnage tracker
Workout Volume Calculator
Weekly sets, reps, weight per muscle group
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Exercises
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Total Sets
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Weekly Tonnage
Weekly Sets Per Muscle Group
Optimal
MRV limit
MEV (Minimum Effective Volume) and MRV (Maximum Recoverable Volume) are based on research by Dr Mike
Israetel. These are population averages, individual tolerance varies. Adjust based on recovery, soreness,
and progress over 3-4 week blocks.
The Guide
What Is Training Volume & Why Does It Matter?
Training volume is the total amount of work you do for a muscle group, measured as sets, reps,
weight (tonnage) or simply as the number of hard sets per week. It's the primary driver of muscle growth and
the most important variable to get right in your programme.
Too little volume and you won't stimulate enough growth. Too much and you can't recover properly, which also
limits growth and increases injury risk. Understanding your MEV (Minimum Effective Volume) and
MRV (Maximum Recoverable Volume) gives you the range to work within.
MEV & MRV, The Volume Landmarks
Muscle Group
MEV (sets/wk)
Optimal (sets/wk)
MRV (sets/wk)
Chest
8
10-20
22
Back
10
14-22
25
Shoulders
8
12-20
22
Biceps
6
10-16
20
Triceps
6
10-14
18
Quads
8
12-18
20
Hamstrings
6
10-16
20
Glutes
4
8-16
20
Calves
6
8-16
20
Abs
4
8-16
20
How To Count Sets
Count only hard sets, sets taken close to failure (within 3 reps). Warm-up sets don't count. A
set of 6-30 reps where you push close to failure contributes equally to hypertrophy, so a set of 12 at 60% 1RM
counts the same as a set of 6 at 80% 1RM for volume purposes.
For compound lifts, count the sets towards the primary muscle group. A set of bench press
counts towards chest. A set of rows counts towards back. Secondary muscles (triceps on bench, biceps on rows)
get partial credit, roughly half a set each.
Progressive Volume Over Time
Start at or just above MEV and add 1-2 sets per muscle per week throughout a training block (typically 4-8
weeks). When you approach your MRV, indicated by increasing soreness, reduced performance, or poor recovery,
take a deload week at around 50% of your peak volume, then start a new block slightly higher
than where you began.
Frequency Matters Too
Spreading your weekly volume across 2-3 sessions per muscle group is more effective than
hitting all sets in one session. Muscle protein synthesis lasts roughly 48 hours after a stimulus, so training
each muscle twice a week with equal volume outperforms once-a-week training at the same total volume.
No, there's a ceiling beyond which additional volume no longer produces more growth and
instead impairs recovery. This is your MRV. Beyond MRV, you're accumulating fatigue faster than you can
recover, which leads to stalled progress, increased injury risk, and eventually overtraining. More volume only
helps up to the point where you can still recover between sessions.
Signs you're exceeding your MRV: persistent soreness that doesn't resolve between sessions,
declining performance on key lifts over multiple weeks, disrupted sleep, reduced motivation to train, and
joint aches. If you notice these signs, reduce volume by 30-40% for one week (deload), then resume at a lower
starting point.
For the primary muscle, yes, a hard set is a hard set regardless of whether it's a compound
or isolation exercise. However, compound movements provide more systemic fatigue, which affects your total
recoverable volume across all muscle groups. High-volume compound-heavy programmes can hit your overall MRV
even if individual muscle groups appear within range.
Start by identifying which muscle groups you want to prioritise. Allocate more sets to
priority muscles (up to 60-70% of their MRV) and maintenance volume to others (at or just above MEV). Spread
sets across 2-3 sessions per muscle per week. After a 4-6 week block, increase volume by 2-3 sets per priority
muscle and run another block before deloading.
Research shows hypertrophy is roughly equal across a wide rep range (6-30 reps) as long as
sets are taken close to failure. The sweet spot for most people is 8-15 reps per set, this is challenging
enough to accumulate sufficient fatigue per set without excessive joint stress from very heavy loads. Vary rep
ranges across exercises to develop both strength and size.
