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Training Volume Calculator
Estimate weekly training volume and per-muscle-group sets
Training
sets
days
groups
What This Calculator Measures
Training Volume refers to the total number of working sets you perform per muscle group per week. It is one of the most important variables for driving muscle growth, and both too little and too much volume can be suboptimal.
How It Works
**Total Weekly Sets = Sets per Session x Sessions per Week**
**Estimated Sets per Muscle Group = Total Weekly Sets / Muscle Groups Trained**
| Weekly Sets per Muscle Group | Classification | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Below 10 | Minimum Effective Volume | Maintenance or slow growth |
| 10-20 | Moderate | Optimal for most lifters |
| 20-30 | High | Advanced lifters, specialization phases |
| 30+ | Very High | Recovery risk, diminishing returns |
Volume Landmarks
Research by Dr. Mike Israetel and others has identified key volume landmarks:
•**Minimum Effective Volume (MEV):** ~6-8 sets per muscle per week to stimulate growth.
•**Maximum Adaptive Volume (MAV):** ~12-20 sets per muscle per week where most growth occurs.
•**Maximum Recoverable Volume (MRV):** The most volume you can recover from, typically 20-30 sets per week per muscle group.
Limitations
•Not all sets are equal. Proximity to failure, load, range of motion, and exercise selection all affect the growth stimulus of each set.
•Compound exercises train multiple muscle groups simultaneously, so total volume per muscle group is hard to precisely estimate.
•Individual recovery capacity varies enormously based on genetics, sleep, nutrition, stress, and training age.