How to Calculate Weekly Training Volume (Sets × Reps × kg)

The short answer: multiply sets × reps × weight for each exercise, then add up every exercise you did that week. That total, called tonnage, is your weekly training volume. It's a blunt number, but it's honest and repeatable. Compare it with your own previous weeks, not with anyone else's.

Worked example in kg

Here's a sample week with three lifts:

Exercise	Sets × reps × weight	Volume
Bench press	4 × 8 × 60 kg	1,920 kg
Back squat	5 × 5 × 100 kg	2,500 kg
Barbell row	3 × 10 × 50 kg	1,500 kg
Total	87 working reps	5,920 kg

That's the sample our free weekly volume calculator loads with. Edit it or add your own lifts to check your own numbers. The total updates as you type.

The formula

Volume = the sum of (sets × reps × weight) for every exercise

If your reps or weights changed across sets, do each set on its own and add them up. For example, 8, 8, 6 @ 60kg is (8 + 8 + 6) × 60 = 1,320 kg.

What to count

Working sets only, usually. Most people leave warm-ups out so the number stays comparable week to week. Whichever you choose, stay consistent.

Bodyweight moves. These are tricky for tonnage. Either leave them out or track them separately by reps.

Every session in the week. Weekly volume means all your sessions added together, not just one.

How to use weekly volume

Track it, then change it slowly. Comparing this week with the last few tells you whether you're actually progressing or just moving the same load around.

Use it as one signal, not the whole picture. Not all kilograms are equal. Ten thousand kilograms of leg press isn't ten thousand kilograms of squats. Heavy low-rep work reads low on tonnage while being very demanding.

Watch it around deloads. A planned easy week should show a clear drop. Our guide on logging a deload week shows how to label it so the dip makes sense later.

Total volume or per muscle?

Total weekly tonnage is the simplest place to start. If you want more detail, group your lifts by body part (for example, all pressing, all squatting, all pulling) and add each group up separately. That shows whether one area is getting a lot more work than another.

Either way, the trick is the same: compare with your own past weeks.

The easy way: let your log do the maths

Doing this by hand every week gets old fast. If your sessions are written down in a consistent format, the maths can happen for you.

In Twaka, you write sessions in plain English, like Bench press 4x8 @ 60kg, and it works out the volume. The homepage example, Bench press 3 sets of 10 at 60kg then 1x6 @ 70kg, comes out at 36 reps and 2,220 kg. Your end-of-workout recap shows total volume, PRs and how each lift moved since last time.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate weekly training volume?

For each exercise, multiply sets × reps × weight. Add up every exercise from every session that week. 4 × 8 × 60 kg of bench is 1,920 kg, for example.

Should I count warm-up sets?

Most people count working sets only so the number stays comparable. If you include warm-ups, include them every week.

Should I track volume per muscle or in total?

Start with the total. If you want more detail, group lifts by body part and total each group separately. Compare each one with your own previous weeks.

Are all kilograms of volume equal?

No. Different exercises and rep ranges load you very differently. Treat volume as one signal alongside how heavy you lifted and how you feel.

What's the difference between volume weeks and intensity weeks?

A volume-focused week has more sets and reps at moderate weights, so tonnage is high. An intensity-focused week uses heavier weights for fewer reps, so tonnage can look lower even though the week is hard.

Tool for the maths, Twaka for the diary

Check your week on the free weekly volume calculator. If you'd rather not re-type your sessions every week, Twaka keeps your training log in plain English and does the totals. It's on the App Store for iPhone. Download Twaka on the App Store.

General training information, not medical advice.