The Total Tonnage Method

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The total tonnage method is a high-volume training protocol I learned from Keith Wassung, an old-school strength guy with a phenomenal overhead press.  Not surprisingly, I think the protocol works best for building the overhead press, but it can help your bench and squat, too.  I don’t recommend this strategy for the deadlift — the volume is just too high — and I don’t recommend using it for more than one lift per training cycle.

If you’d like help applying this method in your own training, click here to contact me for coaching!

The Total Tonnage Method

The “how” is simple.  You’ll rotate through three rep schemes:

1. 3 sets of 10 reps

2. 5 sets of 5 reps

3. 5 sets of 3 reps

Each training session, calculate your total tonnage with this formula:

Set 1 Weight * Set 1 Reps + Set 2 Weight * Set 2 Reps + … Set n Weight + Set n Reps

For example, if you perform 100x10, 110x10, 110x10 in week 1, your total tonnage is:

100x10 + 110x10 + 110x10 = 3200

Here’s the key: each time you repeat a protocol, try to beat your total tonnage from three weeks ago. In our above example, you could try this in week 4:

100x10 + 110x10 + 120x10 = 3300

Or you could try this:

110x3x10 = 3300

If you’re not feeling so hot, you could even do this:

105x10 + 107.5x10 + 110x10 = 3225

As you can see, there are many different choices to progress.

Why It Works

The total tonnage method provides a good guide for long-term progression using fairly high workloads while limiting the likelihood that you’ll overreach on any particular session or individual set.  This is especially helpful for pressing movements, which tend to respond well to higher levels of volume and more moderate levels of effort relative to the squat or deadlift.  It’s nearly identical to the idea behind 5/3/1 — it’s just a slightly different and, in my opinion, more flexible implementation.

To me, the obvious question is: “why not just use DUP and RPE?”  And the equally obvious answer to that question is: “this is simpler.”  It’s not more effective, but it takes much less thought and is more easily repeated from mesocycle to mesocycle.

A Sample Pressing Program

The total tonnage method really shines when used together with a lower-volume, higher-intensity loading scheme.  Fortunately for you, I’ve written about one of those already: the VESP max effort method.  If I wanted to get my bench press or overhead press up quickly, I’d use a program that looks something like this:

Make sure to warm up appropriately each day.

Day 1: Upper Volume

Bench or Overhead Press — use the total tonnage method
Accessory work for lats, shoulders & triceps

Day 2: Lower Volume

Squat — 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps at RPE 8-9
Accessory work for hamstrings, glutes & abs

Day 3: Full Body Recovery

Choose one of the options from this article.

Day 4: Full Body Intensity

Pressing variation of choice — use the VESP max effort method
Deadlift — cluster singles
Accessory work for grip & lower back

That’s it for this one.  If you use the total tonnage method and enjoy it, I’d love to hear about your experience — leave a comment below!