What is a Wilks score?

A Wilks score lets you compare the strength of lifters who weigh different amounts. A heavier lifter will usually lift more in total, but isn’t always stronger for their size. The Wilks formula multiplies your total by a number (a coefficient) based on your bodyweight and sex. Lighter lifters get a bigger multiplier, heavier lifters a smaller one. The result is a single powerlifting score you can compare across weight classes.

Your total is your best squat, plus your best bench press, plus your best deadlift. If you don’t know your maxes, estimate them first with the squat, bench and deadlift calculators, or choose “Squat, bench, deadlift” above and enter each lift.

The Wilks calculator above does all the maths for you. Enter your numbers once and compare all four scores. You can use this Wilks calculator in pounds or kilograms, and for a meet total or a gym total.

Formula comparison matrix

How the four scores are built, side by side. All use bodyweight and total in kilograms.

Wilks vs Wilks 2020 vs DOTS vs IPF GL points

Over the years, federations have updated how they score lifters. This calculator shows all four so you can use whichever your federation or friends use.

• Wilks (1998) The original formula, used for decades in powerlifting. Many older records and rankings use it.
• Wilks 2020 An updated version fitted to more recent results. Its numbers are on a different scale, so a Wilks 2020 score isn’t comparable with an old Wilks score.
• DOTS A newer formula created in Germany and popular in many federations and online rankings. Scores land close to old Wilks numbers for many lifters.
• IPF GL points (Goodlift) The formula the International Powerlifting Federation uses today. It has separate settings for classic (raw) and equipped lifting, and for full powerlifting and bench-only events.

For example, an 83 kg man with a 600 kg raw total scores about 400.50 Wilks, 480.99 Wilks 2020, 405.05 DOTS and 83.06 IPF GL points. A 63 kg woman with a 350 kg raw total scores about 375.89 Wilks, 376.43 DOTS and 76.57 IPF GL points.

How does bodyweight change your score?

Here is the same 600 kg raw total for men at different bodyweights. The lighter the lifter, the higher the score, because lifting 600 kg at 66 kg bodyweight is a bigger feat than at 120 kg.

And a 400 kg raw total for women:

How does the Wilks calculator work out your score?

Each formula turns your bodyweight into a coefficient using a curve fitted to competition results, then multiplies it by your total:

Bodyweight (bw) and total are in kilograms, and each formula has separate constants for men and women. If you enter pounds, the calculator converts for you. Every constant we use, with its source, is listed on how our calculators work. We check our results against published examples, including IPF results, before every release.

How do I get a total if I have never competed?

You don’t need a meet result to use this calculator. Choose “Squat, bench, deadlift” and enter your best single for each lift, or an estimate. To estimate each lift, enter a recent heavy set on the squat, bench press and deadlift calculators. Keep in mind that a gym total isn’t a meet total. Meets have strict rules for depth, pauses and lockout, and many lifters lift a little less under those rules at first.

Also remember that 1RM formulas tend to underestimate the deadlift (LeSuer and colleagues, 1997), so an estimated total may run a little low.

Why do the formulas ask for sex?

Men and women have different average strength at the same bodyweight, so each formula was fitted separately for male and female competition results. The calculator uses the male or female set of constants you pick. The formulas don’t have a separate setting for other categories. Some federations have their own rules for this, so check with yours if it applies to you.

Raw vs equipped: why it matters for IPF GL

“Raw” (called “classic” by the IPF) means lifting with only a belt, wrist wraps and knee sleeves. “Equipped” means supportive suits and bench shirts, which let lifters handle more weight. Wilks and DOTS use the same formula for both, so an equipped lifter usually scores higher. IPF GL points use separate constants for classic and equipped lifting, which makes comparisons within each category fairer. Pick the right setting in the calculator.

Does it matter if I use pounds?

The formulas are defined in kilograms. If you enter pounds, we convert your bodyweight and total to kilograms first (1 kg = 2.20462 lb), then apply the formula. Your score is the same whichever unit you type in. Small differences can appear if you round your bodyweight, so enter it as exactly as you can.

What is a good Wilks score? Are there Wilks score standards?

There’s no official scale, and it depends on who you compare yourself with. Competitive lifters are much stronger than average gym-goers, so any ranking based on meet results will look tough. The most useful comparison is with yourself: a rising score means you’re getting stronger for your size. If you compete, look up your federation’s recent results to see what scores win in your class.

Which score should I use?

• Competing in an IPF-affiliated federation? Use IPF GL points with the right equipment and event setting.
• Comparing with friends or online rankings? DOTS is widely used.
• Looking at older records? Use the original Wilks.

For a DOTS-only tool with more detail, see the DOTS calculator.

More tools

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. The OpenPowerlifting Project. Coefficient implementations for Wilks, Wilks 2020, Dots and IPF GL points (crates/coefficients). Source code