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Volume landmark calculator — MEV, MAV & MRV.
Volume landmarks are weekly hard-set targets per muscle — MV, MEV, MAV, and MRV — from Renaissance Periodization. This calculator lets you pick a muscle and returns its recommended weekly set range, so you can program enough volume to grow without overreaching. Choose a muscle below to see its landmarks, no signup.
Landmarks are weekly totals. Frequency just splits your target range across sessions — 2–4 hard sets per session works well for most muscles.
Your four landmarks
Every weekly-set landmark for the selected muscle. Start near MEV, build through MAV, and back off before MRV.
Full landmark table
Weekly hard sets for every muscle, from the Renaissance Periodization landmarks. Your selected muscle highlights.
| Muscle | MV | MEV | MAV | MRV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chest | 8 | 10 | 12–20 | 22 |
| Back | 10 | 10 | 14–22 | 25 |
| Quads | 8 | 8 | 12–18 | 20 |
| Hamstrings | 6 | 6 | 10–16 | 20 |
| Glutes | 0 | 4 | 8–16 | 16 |
| Shoulders (side delts) | 8 | 8 | 16–22 | 26 |
| Shoulders (rear delts) | 0 | 6 | 10–18 | 22 |
| Biceps | 5 | 8 | 14–20 | 26 |
| Triceps | 4 | 6 | 10–14 | 18 |
| Calves | 6 | 8 | 12–16 | 20 |
| Abs | 0 | 6 | 16–20 | 25 |
| Traps | 0 | 4 | 12–20 | 26 |
| Forearms | 2 | 4 | 8–12 | 16 |
The landmarks, explained.
No black box. Four thresholds from the Renaissance Periodization volume model, each a weekly hard-set count per muscle.
maintain → start growing MV holds what you have; MEV is the least weekly volume that drives new growth — your block's floor.
the adaptive sweet spot The range where most hypertrophy happens. Progress through it by adding sets week to week.
the recovery ceiling The most you can recover from. Hit it and it's time to deload, then restart near MEV.
Worked example — for chest, MEV is 10 and MAV is 12–20 weekly hard sets. A lifter training chest twice a week might start at 12 sets (6 per session), add roughly two sets a week toward the top of the MAV range, then deload before reaching the MRV of 22. These landmarks are researched population averages from Dr. Mike Israetel and the RP team, not exact personal prescriptions — adjust to your own recovery.
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OpenVolume landmark questions.
What are MEV, MAV, and MRV?
They are weekly training-volume landmarks from Renaissance Periodization, measured in hard sets per muscle per week. MEV (minimum effective volume) is the least that grows muscle; MAV (maximum adaptive volume) is the sweet-spot range where most gains happen; MRV (maximum recoverable volume) is the ceiling you can recover from. MV (maintenance volume) is the minimum to hold muscle.
How many sets per muscle per week should I do?
For most lifters seeking growth, work within the MAV range for each muscle — often around 10 to 20 hard sets per week, depending on the muscle. Start near the MEV end of the range and add sets over a training block as recovery allows, backing off before you reach MRV. This calculator shows all four landmarks for the muscle you pick.
What counts as a "hard set"?
A hard set is a working set taken close to failure — roughly within 0 to 4 reps in reserve. Warm-up sets and easy back-off sets do not count toward your weekly volume landmarks. The landmarks assume each counted set is genuinely challenging, so honest effort is what makes the numbers meaningful.
Should beginners use these volume landmarks?
Beginners usually grow well near or slightly above MEV and rarely need to chase MRV, because lower volumes already drive strong newbie gains and leave more room to recover and learn technique. Intermediate and advanced lifters, who adapt more slowly, benefit most from progressing through the MAV range toward their personal MRV.
How do I progress volume through a training block?
Start a block near MEV, then add one to two sets per muscle per week as long as you keep recovering and progressing. When performance stalls, soreness lingers, or you hit MRV, take a deload week of low volume, then restart the next block near MEV. This wave — accumulate, then deload — is the core of the RP volume model.
Are these landmarks exact numbers?
No. The Renaissance Periodization landmarks are population averages and starting estimates, not precise personal prescriptions. Your true MEV and MRV depend on training age, genetics, sleep, nutrition, and stress, so use the landmarks as a well-researched starting range and adjust based on your own recovery and progress over several weeks.
Save your targets. Hit them.
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