Tracking Tonnage As A Simple Programming Guide

Published at: February 13, 2026

Tonnage > Templates

A simple “north star” for barbell training when you’re tired of program-hopping

People love chasing the perfect program.

The perfect spreadsheet. The perfect split. The perfect rep scheme. The perfect “template” that will finally make everything click.

But most lifters don’t need a perfect template. They need one thing: a simple way to know they’re doing enough, consistently, and progressing over time.

That’s where tonnage comes in.

What is tonnage (and why it matters)?

Tonnage is just:

sets × reps × weight

Add that up for a lift (or a whole session), and you get a number that tells you how much work you actually did.

It’s not flashy. It’s not “optimal.” It’s just truth.

Because tonnage answers the question that templates often dodge:

“Am I doing enough hard work, week after week, to keep getting stronger?”

The anti-program program

Here’s a dead-simple heuristic that works for real life:

Train the big four lifts at least once a week
(squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press — combine days however you like).
Track your weekly tonnage for those lifts.
Slowly increase it over time.

That’s it.

No need to obsess over whether you’re doing 3x5, 5x5, 6x4, or “wave-loading blocks” you saw on YouTube. If you’re consistently moving meaningful tonnage in the main lifts each week, you’re doing the thing that actually drives long-term strength.

Tonnage is your “north star”

For most lifters—especially when you’re living in that classic hypertrophy/strength-building range (roughly 3–10 reps)—tonnage is a ridiculously useful guide.

Why?

Because your week-to-week progress often won’t look like PRs.

You might not hit lifetime bests for months. Sometimes years. And that’s normal.

But you can keep winning by stacking up consistent training stress:

same lifts
decent effort
slightly more total work over time

In other words: tonnage keeps you progressing even when the mirror, the mood, and the bar speed are being dramatic.

Strength maintenance is boring (and that’s the point)

Here’s a comforting truth:
If you keep your weekly tonnage moving on the big lifts, you’ll maintain strength remarkably well—even through busy seasons, imperfect sleep, and the occasional “I only had 45 minutes.”

You don’t need novelty. You need continuity.

And tonnage is continuity you can measure.

“But I get bored of 3x5…”

Cool. Change it.

If you’re doing 3x5 and you hate it this month, swap to:

5x3
triples across
a top set + back-off sets
anything sensible in that 3–10 rep world

The key isn’t the combo. The key is the output:

Try to match last week’s session tonnage (or slightly exceed it).

That’s the anti-program program: freedom inside a simple constraint.

The one big exception: peaking for a 1RM

If you’re competing in powerlifting—or chasing a true lifetime 1RM—then yes, you’ll eventually need a peak.

Peaking usually means:

reps come down week by week
tonnage comes down
intensity goes up
you practice heavy singles and doubles
you test a big single at the end

That’s normal and useful for that specific goal.

But it’s also worth saying out loud:

Testing 1RMs carries higher injury risk than building strength through repeated submaximal work.

For many lifters, the safer long-term path looks like:

solid sets of 3–5 reps
consistent weekly tonnage
slow, boring, reliable progress

Not glamorous. Very effective. Very repeatable.

Progress without perfection

Here’s the mindset shift:

You don’t need to feel like you’re “crushing it” every session.

You just need to keep showing up and moving tonnage.

You might never post the lift on Instagram.
But your joints will thank you.
Your future self will thank you.
And your strength will quietly keep building.