Hypertrophy Weekly Volume Planner
Turn weekly sets per muscle into a simple split
Weekly volume, sets per session and “junk” sets FAQ
What does this hypertrophy volume planner actually do?
It takes your training days per week and your planned hard sets per muscle group, then shows a total, rough sets per session, and simple tags for low, typical or high weekly volume. The goal is a quick “sanity check”, not a full program builder.
How many sets per muscle per week is usually effective?
Many evidence-based guides treat roughly 10–20 hard sets per muscle per week as a common working range for hypertrophy. Beginners can often grow on less, while advanced lifters sometimes use more, depending on recovery, exercise selection and life stress.
What is “junk volume” in this context?
“Junk volume” is extra sets that add fatigue without much extra growth. Doing very high weekly sets per muscle, or cramming too many sets into one session, can push you into that zone, especially if sleep, food and recovery are limited.
Does this planner tell me which exercises to do?
No. The tool works at the set and muscle-group level. You still choose exercises for chest, back, legs, shoulders and arms. Compound lifts often count for multiple muscles at once, so many sets pull double duty when you track volume.
How should beginners use weekly volume targets?
Beginners usually do well starting on the low end of the ranges, with good form, long rests and simple exercises. You can always add sets over time if progress stalls and recovery feels solid, instead of starting with a very high volume from day one.
What if I train some muscles more often than others?
The planner assumes you spread sets across your listed training days. In practice, you might hit chest three days per week and arms twice. That is fine: the numbers here are a weekly average that you and your coach can map onto a split.
Who should be extra cautious with high volume training?
Anyone with a history of joint injuries, overuse problems, chronic fatigue, heart or metabolic conditions should be careful with big jumps in volume. Work with a coach or clinical team to set safe starting points and progressions.
How to use this hypertrophy weekly volume planner
This planner turns weekly set targets for the main muscle groups into a simple overview of volume. Instead of guessing whether your split is light, reasonable or overloaded, you get quick totals, per-session averages and tags against typical ranges.
1. Set your experience level and training days
Start by picking your experience level. Beginners often grow well on fewer sets, while advanced lifters may use more. Then enter how many days per week you lift with hard sets for hypertrophy. This gives the planner a base to spread weekly sets across sessions.
2. Enter weekly hard sets per muscle group
For chest, back, legs, shoulders and arms, enter how many hard working sets you plan across the full week. Count sets from compounds that train a muscle heavily, not just isolation work. Leave a box at zero if you are not targeting that muscle right now.
3. Read total weekly sets and per-session averages
Hit Plan weekly volume to see:
- Total hard sets per week across these muscles.
- Average sets per session given your training days.
- Simple per-muscle notes like “below range”, “in range” or “above range”.
You can use this to see, for example, whether legs are getting far more sets than upper body, or if arms are lagging behind chest and back.
4. Use the per-muscle list to tidy your split
The log shows each muscle with its weekly sets, sets per session and a basic tag. If one muscle is far above typical ranges, you might trim a few sets or spread them across more days. If a muscle is well below the range, you can add a small amount of volume and reassess after a few weeks.
5. Copy the summary into your program notes
Use the Copy summary button to paste the plan into a spreadsheet, notes app or coaching check-in. That way, you and anyone helping you do not have to re-count sets every time you tweak the program.
If soreness, joint pain or stalling progress show up, treat that as feedback. It is normal to adjust volume up or down over time rather than trying to hit one fixed number forever.
How the hypertrophy volume and session math works
The planner uses simple, transparent rules so you can follow or recreate the numbers by hand. It focuses on weekly hard sets per muscle group and how they spread across your training days.
1. Weekly set ranges by experience
For each experience level, the tool uses broad ranges like:
- Beginner: around 8–12 sets per muscle per week.
- Intermediate: around 10–18 sets per muscle per week.
- Advanced: around 12–20 sets or more, if recovery allows.
These bands are not strict rules. They just give a sense of when volume looks especially low, typical, or high for many lifters.
2. Total weekly sets and per-session volume
After you enter weekly sets, the planner:
- Adds all muscle groups to get total weekly sets.
- Divides that by training days per week to estimate sets per session.
- Divides each muscle’s weekly sets by days to get per-session sets per muscle.
This helps you spot sessions that might cram too many sets for one muscle into a single workout.
3. Classifying volume as low, typical or high
For each muscle with any sets, the planner compares your weekly number to the band for your experience level:
- Below the lower end → tagged as below range.
- Inside the band → tagged as in typical range.
- Above the upper end → tagged as above range.
The same idea is used when suggesting a rough total weekly volume and per-session set count.
4. Why you should still adjust based on recovery
Research suggests that more sets help up to a point, but recovery, exercise choice, sleep and stress all change how much you can handle. That is why the planner is a starting frame: your joints, performance, and strength gains should be the final judge of whether a given volume is right for you.
If you see good progress on fewer sets, there is no need to chase the very top of any range. If you add sets and performance and recovery drop, dial the volume back and build more gradually.
References and further reading on hypertrophy volume
These resources discuss training volume, weekly sets and how they relate to muscle growth:
- Outlift — Hypertrophy Training Volume: How Many Sets to Build Muscle? — explains why many lifters grow well on around 10–20 hard sets per muscle per week.
- Weightology — Set Volume for Muscle Size: The Ultimate Evidence-Based Bible — reviews research on set volume, per-session caps and diminishing returns.
- Schoenfeld et al. — Evidence-Based Guidelines for Resistance Training Volume — outlines why multi-set protocols and 10+ sets per muscle per week are often a solid starting point.
Use these for deeper reading, then tweak the numbers in this planner with help from a coach or clinician who knows your training history and goals.