Should I Track Sets and Reps or Total Volume

Why Tracking Sets and Reps Is Keeping You Weak

When deciding whether you should i track sets and reps or total volume, the answer is simple: you must track total volume (sets x reps x weight), because just tracking sets and reps alone is the reason your lifts have stalled. If you've been stuck benching 135 pounds for months, writing "3 sets of 8 reps" in your notebook is the problem. That note tells you what you did, but it doesn't tell you how to get stronger.

Think of it this way: "3 sets of 8 reps" is just a container. The real question is what's inside the container. Is it 3x8 with 135 pounds or 3x8 with 155 pounds? The second option is 3,840 more pounds of total work. That difference is everything. Total volume is the single most important metric for ensuring progressive overload-the non-negotiable principle of getting bigger and stronger. It forces you to answer a better question: "How can I do more total work than last week?" Answering that question is what builds muscle. Just repeating the same sets and reps is what keeps you stuck in the same place, wondering why nothing is changing.

This is for you if you feel like you're spinning your wheels in the gym, doing the same workouts and lifting the same weights week after week. This is for you if you want a clear, mathematical way to ensure you're making progress. This is not for you if you're a competitive powerlifter focused only on your one-rep max, or if you prefer intuitive training without tracking numbers. For everyone else, understanding and manipulating volume is the key to unlocking consistent gains.

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8,100 lbs vs. 9,000 lbs: The Hidden Math of Muscle Growth

Let's make this crystal clear. The reason you're not getting stronger is you aren't demanding more from your body in a measurable way. Total Volume is that measurement. The formula is painfully simple: Sets x Reps x Weight = Total Volume. This number represents the total amount of weight you've lifted in an exercise. It is the most direct measure of your workload.

Here’s a real-world example of why tracking just "sets and reps" fails:

• Workout A: You squat 225 lbs for 3 sets of 5 reps. Your logbook says "Squat: 3x5".
• Your Total Volume is: 3 sets x 5 reps x 225 lbs = 3,375 lbs.
• Workout B (Next Week): You feel good, so you try to add weight. You squat 235 lbs, but you only manage 3 sets of 4 reps. Your logbook might say "Squat: 3x4". You feel like you worked harder because the weight was heavier.
• Your Total Volume is: 3 sets x 4 reps x 235 lbs = 2,820 lbs.

You actually did 555 lbs less work, even though the weight on the bar was heavier. Your body received a weaker signal to grow. Without calculating volume, you would have thought you were progressing. In reality, you were regressing.

Now, let's look at a smarter approach:

• Workout C (Smarter Progression): Instead of a big jump in weight, you squat 225 lbs again, but you push for 3 sets of 6 reps.
• Your Total Volume is: 3 sets x 6 reps x 225 lbs = 4,050 lbs.

You lifted the same weight, but by adding just one rep to each set, you increased your total workload by 675 lbs. That is a powerful signal for your muscles to adapt and grow stronger. This is progressive overload in action. Sets and reps are the ingredients; total volume is the final recipe. You can't bake a better cake without measuring.

You see the math. Total Volume = Sets x Reps x Weight. It's the formula for getting stronger. But let me ask you: what was your total volume for dumbbell shoulder press three weeks ago? Not the sets and reps, the total pounds lifted. If you can't answer that in 5 seconds, you aren't using progressive overload. You're just guessing.

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The 4-Week Protocol to Break Any Plateau

Knowing you need to increase volume is one thing; doing it systematically is another. Follow this four-week protocol to turn this knowledge into actual strength gains. This isn't a complicated program, it's a method you apply to your *existing* workout routine.

Step 1: Establish Your Baseline (Week 1)

For one week, do your normal workouts. Don't change anything yet. Your only job is to be a meticulous data collector. For every single exercise, log the weight, sets, and reps. At the end of each workout, calculate the Total Volume for each exercise. For example, if you did Dumbbell Bench Press with 50 lb dumbbells for 3 sets of 10, your volume is 3 x 10 x 100 lbs (50 lbs per hand) = 3,000 lbs. Do this for everything. This week gives you your starting numbers-the numbers you now have to beat.

Step 2: Apply the 5% Rule (Week 2)

Your goal for week two is to increase the Total Volume on your main compound lifts (like squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press) by approximately 5%. You have three simple tools to achieve this:

1. Add Weight: The most effective tool. If you squatted 225 lbs for 3x5 (3,375 lbs volume), try squatting 235 lbs for 3x5 (3,525 lbs volume). This is a 4.4% increase.
2. Add Reps: If adding weight isn't possible, add one rep to each set. Squatting 225 lbs for 3x6 (4,050 lbs volume) is a 20% increase. This is a big jump, but shows the power of reps.
3. Add a Set: If you can't add weight or reps, add another set. Squatting 225 lbs for 4x5 (4,500 lbs volume) is a 33% increase. Use this one sparingly as it adds significant time and fatigue.

Pick one method. Don't try to do all three at once. The goal is a small, sustainable increase.

Step 3: Use Rep Ranges for Smart Progression (Week 3)

You can't add 5 lbs to the bar forever. This is where rep ranges become your best friend. Pick a range, for example, 6-8 reps. Your goal is to progress within this range before increasing weight.

• Week 3: You bench 155 lbs for 3 sets of 6 reps (Volume: 2,790 lbs).
• Week 4: You aim for 3 sets of 7 reps with 155 lbs (Volume: 3,255 lbs).
• Week 5: You finally hit 3 sets of 8 reps with 155 lbs (Volume: 3,720 lbs).

Now that you've maxed out the rep range, you've *earned the right* to increase the weight. Next workout, you'll use 160 lbs and drop back down to 3 sets of 6 reps. Your new starting volume is 2,880 lbs, which is higher than your old starting point of 2,790 lbs. This is a structured, repeatable system for getting stronger.

Step 4: Watch for Junk Volume (Ongoing)

More is not always better. Chasing a higher volume number with sloppy form or low intensity is called "junk volume." It creates fatigue without stimulating growth. As a rule of thumb, your working sets should feel challenging. On a scale of 1-10, where 10 is maximum effort, your sets should be in the 7-9 RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) range. If you're doing sets at an RPE of 4 just to pump up your volume number, you're wasting your time. Quality of effort is just as important as the total quantity of work.

What Your First 60 Days of Volume Tracking Will Look Like

Adopting this method requires a mental shift. It's not a magic pill; it's a superior process. Here is what to realistically expect when you make the switch from just logging sets and reps to tracking total volume.

Weeks 1-2: The Awkward Phase

This will feel slow and tedious. You'll spend more time on your phone or in your notebook than you're used to, calculating the volume from your last set. You might even feel weaker as you focus on form and logging accurate numbers instead of just throwing weight around. This is normal. You are laying the foundation and collecting the data that will fuel your future progress. Do not get discouraged. Stick to the process.

Weeks 3-4: The "Aha!" Moment

Sometime during the first month, it will click. You'll walk into the gym with a clear, objective target. Instead of vaguely thinking, "I'll try to lift more on bench press today," you'll know, "Last week's volume was 3,720 lbs. Today, my target is 3,800 lbs." This transforms your workout from a chore into a mission. You might break a small plateau on a secondary lift, which will build your confidence in the system.

Weeks 5-8: Seeing Real Progress

This is where the investment pays off. After two months of consistently beating your previous numbers, you will be measurably stronger. The squat that was a struggle at 185 lbs is now a smooth 205 lbs for the same reps. You'll have a logbook filled with data that proves you are improving. This objective proof is incredibly motivating. It kills the feeling of being stuck and replaces it with the confidence that your hard work is translating into real-world results.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Best Way to Calculate Volume

The simplest way is the formula: Sets x Reps x Weight. For a full workout, calculate this for each exercise and add them together. Many fitness tracking apps, like Mofilo, calculate this for you automatically, saving you the mental math and letting you focus on lifting.

Minimum Effective Volume for Growth

For muscle growth, a good starting point is 10-12 hard sets per muscle group per week. A hard set is one that is taken close to failure, typically in the RPE 7-9 range. More advanced lifters may need to progress towards 15-20 sets per week, but starting with more than that often leads to recovery issues.

Tracking for Bodyweight Exercises

For exercises like pull-ups or dips, you can track volume by assigning your bodyweight as the weight. If you weigh 180 lbs and do 3 sets of 5 pull-ups, your volume is 3 x 5 x 180 = 2,700 lbs. To progress, you can add reps, add sets, or add external weight with a dip belt.

What "Junk Volume" Means

Junk volume is any training that adds fatigue without stimulating muscle growth. This is typically volume performed with poor technique or at a very low intensity (below an RPE of 6). Ten sets of half-rep squats is junk volume. It creates a big volume number on paper but does little to make you stronger.

How Often to Take a Deload

After 4-8 weeks of consistently increasing your training volume, your body will accumulate fatigue. A deload week is a planned period of reduced volume and intensity. A simple way to do this is to reduce your total sets by about 50% and keep the weights the same, or reduce weights by 20-30% for the same sets and reps. This allows your body to recover and prepares you for another block of hard training.