Volume load

Volume load is sets multiplied by reps and the weight lifted on each rep.^{1Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 478.} Two sets of 10 with 50 pounds gives 2 × 10 × 50, or 1,000 pounds; when weights differ between sets, calculate each set separately and add the results.^{1Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 478.}

For a given lifter, the distance the weight travels is fairly constant, so volume load tracks concentric work.^{1Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 478.} Divide it by total reps to get average weight per rep, a measure related to training intensity.^{1Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 478.} Mechanical work, measured in joules, is more precise because it also reflects range of motion and acceleration.^{2Zatsiorsky, Kraemer and Fry, Science and Practice of Strength Training, 3rd ed., p. 218.}

In practice

• Count work sets: in one squat example, warm-ups added 1,375 pounds to a 4,150-pound total, while the work sets drove adaptation.^{3Rippetoe et al., Practical Programming for Strength Training, 3rd ed., p. 56.}
• Avoid comparisons across rep ranges: a light 20RM set produces more volume load than a heavy 5RM set, yet heavy training builds more strength with much less total work.^{4Schoenfeld and Snarr (eds.), NSCA’s Essentials of Personal Training, 3rd ed., p. 425.}
• Allow longer rest intervals as the amount of work in a set increases.^{5Schoenfeld and Snarr (eds.), NSCA’s Essentials of Personal Training, 3rd ed., p. 426.}
• Sets taken to failure need longer rests to maintain volume load; stopping short allows shorter rests without losing it.^{6Schoenfeld, Science and Development of Muscle Hypertrophy, 2nd ed., p. 121.}