Training volume calculator
Enter a program's exercises. You get the weekly hard sets for each muscle group, and which ones sit below, inside or above a common range for the lifter's level.
How weekly volume is counted
- Hard sets only: working sets taken reasonably close to failure. Warm-up sets don't count.
- Weekly sets = sets per session × sessions per week.
- Primary muscle gets every set. A secondary muscle gets half a set, for example the triceps on a bench press. This is a common counting convention; some coaches count secondary work as a full set or not at all.
- One-arm or one-leg exercises: enter the sets for one side. Both sides get that many sets.
The ranges used here
The ranges follow common coaching guidelines for hard sets per muscle group per week: about 6–10 for beginners, 10–16 for intermediates and 12–20 for advanced lifters. They are starting points, not rules. Recovery, sleep, stress, age and the client's goal all move the right number, and a muscle the client isn't prioritizing can sit lower.
Reading the result
A muscle far below the range for weeks is likely to lag. One far above it may stop recovering between sessions, especially if performance or sleep is dropping. Change volume a little at a time, for example two sets per week for a muscle, and watch the training log.
General training math, not medical advice. Clients with pain, injuries or health conditions need a qualified professional's input before volume goes up.
Building programs for new clients? The Intake to Program skill for Claude turns an intake form into a safety screen, a client summary and a first 4-week program that fits the client's days, session length, equipment and injuries, with the weekly volume per muscle group worked out.
See Intake to ProgramProgressing the sets week to week? Try the free progressive overload calculator.
