Count your weekly hard sets per muscle group and the training volume calculator grades each one against the hypertrophy-research landmarks — under 5 sets maintains, 10–19 is the growth zone for most lifters, 20+ risks junk volume. Same engine, same bands as the NutriMind body map's volume mode.
Chest
No volumeNo direct sets — this muscle isn't getting a growth signal at all this week.
Back (lats & mid-back)
No volumeNo direct sets — this muscle isn't getting a growth signal at all this week.
Traps
No volumeNo direct sets — this muscle isn't getting a growth signal at all this week.
Shoulders
No volumeNo direct sets — this muscle isn't getting a growth signal at all this week.
Biceps
No volumeNo direct sets — this muscle isn't getting a growth signal at all this week.
Triceps
No volumeNo direct sets — this muscle isn't getting a growth signal at all this week.
Forearms
No volumeNo direct sets — this muscle isn't getting a growth signal at all this week.
Core / abs
No volumeNo direct sets — this muscle isn't getting a growth signal at all this week.
Glutes
No volumeNo direct sets — this muscle isn't getting a growth signal at all this week.
Quads
No volumeNo direct sets — this muscle isn't getting a growth signal at all this week.
Hamstrings
No volumeNo direct sets — this muscle isn't getting a growth signal at all this week.
Calves
No volumeNo direct sets — this muscle isn't getting a growth signal at all this week.
Weekly volume summary
0 of 12 muscle groups in the 10–19 set growth zone · 12 below it · 0 at 20+ sets (possible junk volume)
Most lifters do best prioritizing 2–4 groups per training block rather than pushing all twelve into the growth zone at once.
Not sure a set was "hard"? Check it against the RPE calculator, or gauge your loads with the 1RM calculator. More free tools →
| Sets / week | Band | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No volume | No stimulus — the muscle detrains over time |
| 1–4 | Low | Maintains existing muscle; minimal growth |
| 5–9 | Moderate | A solid base — grows newer lifters |
| 10–19 | Optimal | Evidence-backed growth zone for most people |
| 20+ | High | Possible junk volume — watch recovery closely |
Bands per muscle group, counting direct hard sets. Compound lifts contribute partial volume to secondary muscles (bench press also works triceps and front delts) — the NutriMind app credits those fractions automatically when it builds your body-map volume view from logged workouts.
NutriMind builds this exact volume audit automatically from your logged workouts — fractional credit for compound lifts included — and shows it on a per-muscle body map, alongside AI nutrition coaching so your recovery matches your volume.
What counts as a "hard set"?
A working set taken close to failure — roughly RPE 7 or harder, meaning three or fewer reps left in the tank. Warm-ups, feeler sets, and deliberately easy technique work don't count. A compound lift's sets count fully for its prime movers and partially for helpers (a bench press set is a full set for chest, a partial set for triceps and front delts).
What are MEV, MAV, and MRV in plain language?
They're the volume landmarks popularized by hypertrophy research: MEV (minimum effective volume) is the least weekly volume that still produces growth — usually a handful of sets; MAV (maximum adaptive volume) is the productive sweet spot — for most muscles and lifters, somewhere in the 10–19 set zone; MRV (maximum recoverable volume) is the ceiling you can recover from — pushing past it (often 20+ sets) means performance drops and you're accumulating fatigue, not muscle.
Why isn't more volume always better?
Growth per set diminishes as weekly volume climbs, but fatigue per set doesn't. Past your recoverable ceiling, extra sets lower the quality of every other set, blunt strength progress, and raise injury risk — that's "junk volume." If a muscle stalls at 20+ weekly sets, the fix is usually FEWER, harder sets plus more food and sleep, not more sets.
Do I need 10+ sets for every muscle every week?
No. 10–19 sets is the growth zone for muscles you're prioritizing. Muscles you only want to maintain hold on to size with as few as 3–6 hard sets weekly. Most good programs rotate emphasis: push 2–4 target muscles into the growth zone for a block while the rest ride at maintenance.
How should I count sets for compound exercises?
Count each set fully toward the prime mover and roughly half toward significant helpers. Example: 4 sets of pull-ups = 4 back sets and about 2 biceps sets. This calculator takes whatever numbers you enter, so add fractional credit yourself — or let the NutriMind app compute it automatically, since it applies the same fractional model to every workout you log.