Volume Load Calculator
Tally session tonnage (sets × reps × weight) across as many exercises as you ran. Free, no signup.
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About this calculator
Volume load (also called tonnage) is the total weight moved in a session — the simplest measure of mechanical work. Compute it per exercise as sets × reps × weight, then sum across the session. A 5×5 squat at 100 kg is 2,500 kg of tonnage; add a 4×8 bench at 80 kg (2,560 kg) and the session is already at 5,060 kg. Tonnage is most useful for tracking weekly trends — week-to-week increases in tonnage at similar RPE indicate progress. Limitations: tonnage doesn’t weight intensity (1×5 at 95% counts the same as 5×1 at 95%, despite the latter being harder per rep), it ignores bodyweight exercises and band-resisted work, and percentage-based prescriptions (e.g. "5×3 @ 80%") need to be converted to absolute loads first. Use this calculator alongside an intensity metric like average %1RM or session RPE, not on its own.
Sources
Tonnage = Σ (sets × reps × weight) across exercises. Standard in strength-sport literature; see McGuigan (Monitoring Training and Performance in Athletes, 2017).
FAQs
What counts as one "set" in this calculator?
A set is one continuous bout of reps before resting. For straight sets (5×5 at one weight), enter 5 sets, 5 reps, the weight, on a single row. For pyramids or top-set-then-backoff schemes, add one row per distinct weight — e.g. one row for "1×3 @ 180 kg" and a second row for "3×8 @ 140 kg".
How do I handle bodyweight exercises?
Pure bodyweight exercises (push-ups, dips, pull-ups with no added load) don’t produce a meaningful tonnage in kg or lb — they’d need to include your bodyweight, which most logs don’t. Either skip them in the calculator, or add bodyweight to the load if you want a rough approximation (e.g. weighted pull-ups: bodyweight + added).
Is more tonnage always better?
No. Tonnage measures work, not adaptation. Adding 1,000 kg of tonnage by doing more easy sets (low %1RM, low RPE) generates much less stimulus than adding the same tonnage via heavier or harder sets. Track tonnage alongside intensity (average %1RM, session RPE) — both moving up at the same time is the signal of real progress.
Why is "average load" useful?
Average load (tonnage ÷ total reps) gives you a single intensity number for the whole session. Two sessions with the same tonnage can have very different average loads — one heavy session with low reps and one high-rep session at lighter weight. Comparing average load across weeks tells you whether you’re shifting toward heavier or lighter work.