Tonnage (Load)
Also known as: Total Load, Training Load, Work Load
The total weight moved in a session — the simplest measure of mechanical stress placed on the body. Tonnage captures "how heavy was today?" in a single number.
Formula
Tonnage = sets x reps x weight (per exercise, summed across session)Example
Bench Press: 4 sets x 8 reps x 80 kg = 2,560 kg. Squat: 3 sets x 5 reps x 120 kg = 1,800 kg. Session tonnage = 4,360 kg (4.36 t).
How Afitpilot Uses This
We compute tonnage for every exercise that has a numeric weight. Sessions display tonnage in kg or tonnes (auto-selected at the 1,000 kg threshold). We compare your actual tonnage against the planned prescription and flag deviations greater than 10% (amber) or 25% (red).
Typical session tonnage by athlete type
| Who / Context | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Powerlifter (heavy block) | 15,000-25,000 kg | 60-100 t/week across 4 sessions |
| Regular gym goer | 3,000-6,000 kg | Varies hugely by exercise selection |
| Hybrid athlete | 2,000-4,000 kg | Lower per session — stress split across modalities |
| Active aging (60+) | 800-2,500 kg | Perfectly effective; consistency > tonnage |
| Runner (10 km equivalent) | ~2,600 t impact force | Ground reaction force x strides — different metric, same idea |
Known Limitations
- •Bodyweight exercises (push-ups, pull-ups, dips) contribute zero tonnage because we don't yet factor in body mass — this understates total mechanical work for calisthenics-heavy sessions.
- •Band, cable-machine, and percentage-based prescriptions (e.g. "70% 1RM") are excluded from tonnage comparison because the absolute load isn't known.
- •Tonnage treats all weight equally — 100 kg at RPE 6 and 100 kg at RPE 9 produce the same tonnage despite very different physiological demands.
What We're Improving
Science Context
Tonnage is widely used in powerlifting and strength research as a proxy for mechanical tension, one of the primary drivers of hypertrophy (Schoenfeld, 2010). However, it is an incomplete measure — it ignores time under tension, eccentric vs. concentric loading, and metabolic stress.