Chest
Dumbbell press
Your chest isn't the problem. Your hands are.
Sets per muscle per week calculator
Add the exercises you do in a week and see how many hard sets each muscle gets, against the growth zone of 10 to 20 sets. Helper muscles count for half a set, the same way the Musclr app counts the workouts you log.
- Free, no sign-up
- 85 exercises, 14 muscles
- Helpers count half a set
In the Musclr app
Log your workouts, and Musclr counts this for you every week.
Your week
Start from an example week
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Bench Press (Barbell)Chest · helps front delts, tricepsSetsDays a week
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Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell)Chest · helps front delts, tricepsSetsDays a week
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Shoulder Press (Machine)Front delts · helps side delts, tricepsSetsDays a week
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Lateral Raise (Cable)Side delts · helps trapsSetsDays a week
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Triceps Pushdown (Cable)TricepsSetsDays a week
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Overhead Triceps Extension (Cable)TricepsSetsDays a week
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Lat PulldownLats · helps biceps, mid backSetsDays a week
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Straight Arm PulldownLats · helps tricepsSetsDays a week
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Chest Supported Row (Machine)Mid back, Lats · helps rear delts, traps, bicepsSetsDays a week
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Face PullRear delts · helps traps, mid backSetsDays a week
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Biceps Curl (Dumbbell)Biceps · helps brachialis, forearmsSetsDays a week
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Hammer Curl (Dumbbell)Brachialis, Forearms · helps bicepsSetsDays a week
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Squat (Barbell)Quads, Glutes · helps adductors, lower backSetsDays a week
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Romanian Deadlift (Barbell)Hamstrings, Glutes · helps lower back, adductorsSetsDays a week
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Leg PressQuads, Glutes · helps adductors, hamstringsSetsDays a week
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Seated Leg CurlHamstringsSetsDays a week
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Standing Calf Raise (Machine)CalvesSetsDays a week
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Cable CrunchAbs · helps obliquesSetsDays a week
No exercises yet. Search above, or start from an example week.
18 exercises · 104 hard sets a week
Sets per muscle
8 of 14 muscles in the growth zone
- In the zone 8
- Under 5
- Over 1
- None 0
- Zone 10 to 20
Chest
12
Front delts
12
Side delts
9
Rear delts
9
Lats
18
Mid back
12
Traps
9
Biceps
14
Triceps
22
Quads
12
Hamstrings
15
Glutes
18
Calves
6
Abs
6
Let Musclr count this for youLog your workouts and see every muscle against the zone, every week.
Coming soon
85exercises in the calculator
14muscles counted separately
10 to 20hard sets per muscle per week
½a set for every helper muscle
Based on meta-analyses of training volume (Schoenfeld and colleagues, 2017; Pelland and colleagues, 2024) · Sources
Quick answer
How many sets per muscle per week?
Aim for 10 to 20 hard sets per muscle per week. Ten or more weekly sets went with more growth than fewer in a meta-analysis of training volume, and 20 is the usual upper end of the advice. Count a whole set for the muscle that does the work, and half a set for each helper.
Under 10 sets
Under the zone
The muscle still grows, just slower. The quickest win: one more exercise for it, or a second day that trains it.
10 to 20 sets
In the growth zone
Where most lifters grow well. Start near 10, and move up when your sessions feel easy to recover from.
Over 20 sets
Over the zone
Each extra set adds less, while the fatigue keeps adding up. Move a few sets to a muscle that needs them.
The method
How the calculator counts your sets
The same three steps as the weekly muscle report in the Musclr app.
1Sets times days
3 sets of bench press, 2 days a week
= 6 sets
2Helpers count half
6 sets of bench press
= 6 chest + 3 front delts + 3 triceps
3Add up per muscle
6 bench + 6 incline + 3 fly
= 15 chest sets: in the zone
A hard set is a working set you take close to failure, with a few reps left at most. Warm-up sets and cardio do not count.
Weekly volume reference
Sets per session to reach the zone
How many hard sets each session needs, by how often you train a muscle.
| Trained | 10 sets a weekstart of the zone | 12 sets a weeka solid week | 15 sets a weekmiddle of the zone | 20 sets a weektop of the zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Once a week | 10 sets10 a week | 12 sets12 a week | 15 sets15 a week | 20 sets20 a week |
| Twice a week | 5 sets10 a week | 6 sets12 a week | 8 sets16 a week | 10 sets20 a week |
| 3 times a week | 4 sets12 a week | 4 sets12 a week | 5 sets15 a week | 7 sets21 a week |
| 4 times a week | 3 sets12 a week | 3 sets12 a week | 4 sets16 a week | 5 sets20 a week |
Rounded up to whole sets. Many coaches keep one muscle to about 10 hard sets per session, so for the top of the zone, spread the sets over more sessions. Educational reference, not medical advice.
3D muscle guides
The one detail that makes
each exercise count.
A set only counts for a muscle if that muscle does the work. Each guide shows in 3D which muscle really works, the mistake most people make, and the fix, with the numbers from the model.
Back
Lat pulldown
Your lats aren't lagging. They're getting half a rep.
Quads
Leg extension
Your quads aren't stubborn. You're just sitting too straight.
Triceps
Triceps pushdown
Pushdowns not growing your triceps? Take one step forward.
Glutes
Hip thrust
Feel hip thrusts in your thighs? Your feet are in the wrong spot.
Rear delts
Rear delt fly
You're doing rear delt flies wrong. Here's why.
The Musclr app
Stop counting. Start lifting.
The calculator checks one week. The app counts every week for you, from the sets you log, and tells you which muscle to give more.
Log in secondsTap a set, rest, go again. Your PRs are spotted for you.
Weekly muscle reportEvery muscle against the zone, and the ones you skip.
A plan built around youYour days, your goal and the muscle you find hardest to grow.
3D muscle guidesWhich muscle really works, the common mistake and the fix.
Free to log · No account needed
This week
7 of 12 muscles in the zone
Chest
14
Lats
12
Side delts
9
Rear delts
6
Biceps
10
Triceps
11
Quads
16
Hamstrings
7
Glutes
12
Calves
0
Abs
10
Traps
22
Notes app vs Musclr
Stop training on memory.
A notes app and this calculator are a fine start. Musclr does the rest of the work.
| By hand | Musclr | |
|---|---|---|
| Logging your sets | Typing reps into a note | A tap per set, with a rest timer |
| Sets per muscle | This calculator, every week again | Counted for you from what you log |
| Form | Random videos and gym lore | 3D guides: the common mistake and the fix |
| Your plan | A split copied from the internet | Built around your days, goal and weakest muscle |
| Personal records | Scrolling back through old notes | Spotted for you, per exercise |
| Your data | Stuck in a note | Stays on your phone, export any time |
Free and Pro
Free to log, for good.
Everything you need to log your training is free. Pro adds the guides, the plans and the weekly report.
Musclr
Freefor good
Everything you need to log your training, no account needed.
- Log every workout
- Rest timer and PRs
- History and export
- Up to 3 routines
Musclr Pro Free trial
Promonthly or yearly
The guides, the plans and the weekly report. Try it free first.
- Everything in Free
- Unlimited routines
- The 4-day programs
- 3D muscle guides
- Weekly muscle report
The free trial is on the monthly plan. Cancel any time in your App Store account.
Common questions
Things people ask about weekly sets.
About training volume, the growth zone and the app. Something else? Email support@musclr.app.
How many sets per muscle per week should I do?
Aim for 10 to 20 hard sets per muscle per week. In a meta-analysis of weekly volume, 10 or more sets per muscle per week went with more growth than 5 to 9, and 5 to 9 with more than fewer than 5 (Schoenfeld, Ogborn and Krieger, 2017). Twenty is the usual upper end of the advice.
Is 12 sets a week too much?
No. Twelve hard sets per muscle per week sits inside the growth zone of 10 to 20, a normal amount for most lifters. Spread over two sessions, that is 6 sets each.
Is 30 sets a week too much?
For most people, yes. Thirty sets per muscle per week is far above the usual advice of 10 to 20. Research suggests growth can still rise a little with more sets, but each extra set adds less while the fatigue keeps adding up. The calculator marks anything above 20 as over the zone.
Do secondary muscles count toward weekly sets?
Yes, for half a set. A set counts as a whole set for the muscle that does most of the work and half a set for each helper: 4 sets of rows count 4 for your lats and 2 for your biceps. A large 2024 meta-regression on training volume counted sets this way too (Pelland and colleagues).
Do warm-up sets count as hard sets?
No. A hard set is a working set you take close to failure, with a few reps left at most. Warm-up sets do not count, and neither does cardio.
Should I train a muscle once or twice a week?
Research suggests the weekly total matters more than how you split it. Spreading the sets over two or more sessions mainly keeps each set fresh, so for 15 to 20 sets, train the muscle at least twice a week.
What muscle is hardest to grow?
It differs per person. Muscles that get few direct sets often lag behind, like the side and rear delts, the calves and the hamstrings: in many popular splits the calculator shows them under the zone. Musclr asks for the muscle you find hardest to grow and builds your plan around it.
When can I download Musclr?
Musclr is coming soon to the App Store for iPhone, with Android after that. As soon as it is live, this page links straight to the store.
Is Musclr free?
Yes. Logging, the rest timer, your PRs, history and export are free for good, with up to 3 routines. Musclr Pro adds unlimited routines, the 4-day programs, the 3D muscle guides and the weekly muscle report.
Do I need an account?
No. Your training stays on your phone, and Pro belongs to your App Store or Google Play account: on a new phone, tap Restore purchases.
Sources
Where the numbers come from
- Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 2017. PubMed
- Pelland JC, Remmert JF, Robinson ZP, and colleagues. The resistance training dose response: meta-regressions exploring the effects of weekly volume and frequency on muscle hypertrophy and strength gain. SportRxiv preprint, 2024. SportRxiv
The zone of 10 to 20 sets and the half sets for helpers are the same in the Musclr app. Educational information, not medical advice.
Coming soon
Let Musclr do the counting.
Log your workouts and see every muscle against the zone, every week. Free to log, for good.
Coming soon
iPhone first, Android after