Powerlifting needs a fair way to compare a 60 kg lifter with a 120 kg lifter. DOTS, short for Dynamic Objective Team Scoring, is one of several answers. It takes your squat, bench press and deadlift total, multiplies by 500 and divides by a polynomial of your body weight, giving a score in which higher is stronger relative to the typical performance at that weight. It was designed to replace the older Wilks formula, fitting more recent competition data and reducing the bias in the extreme weight classes. This calculator computes your DOTS score and coefficient and shows the Wilks score beside it.
How to use the DOTS calculator
- Select sex and enter your body weight in kilograms or pounds.
- Enter your best squat, bench press and deadlift; the calculator adds them for your total.
- Read the DOTS score and coefficient, and compare with Wilks if you need to.
DOTS formula
Men: a = −307.75076, b = 24.0900756, c = −0.1918759221, d = 0.0007391293, e = −0.000001093
Women: a = −57.96288, b = 13.6175032, c = −0.1126655495, d = 0.0005158568, e = −0.0000010706
Body weight (bw) and total are in kilograms. The DOTS coefficients are documented by OpenPowerlifting, the open powerlifting results database. The formula is valid for roughly 40 to 200 kg in men and 40 to 150 kg in women. The Wilks formula (Robert Wilks) is shown for comparison.
Worked example
A man weighing 83 kg with squat 200 kg, bench 140 kg and deadlift 260 kg.
- Total = 600 kg
- DOTS coefficient at 83 kg = 500 ÷ polynomial = 0.6751
- DOTS = 600 × 0.6751 = 405.1; Wilks = 400.5
A woman weighing 60 kg with a 400 kg total has a DOTS of 443.4.
DOTS and Wilks coefficients by body weight
| Body weight | Wilks coefficient, men | DOTS coefficient, men | Wilks coefficient, women | DOTS coefficient, women |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 0.8529 | 0.8440 | 1.1149 | 1.1085 |
| 67.5 kg | 0.7710 | 0.7707 | 1.0206 | 1.0324 |
| 75 kg | 0.7126 | 0.7174 | 0.9506 | 0.9740 |
| 82.5 kg | 0.6699 | 0.6774 | 0.9000 | 0.9281 |
| 90 kg | 0.6384 | 0.6466 | 0.8641 | 0.8915 |
| 100 kg | 0.6086 | 0.6155 | 0.8326 | 0.8533 |
| 110 kg | 0.5885 | 0.5923 | 0.8131 | 0.8243 |
| 125 kg | 0.5698 | 0.5668 | — | 0.7937 |
Using your DOTS score
- Track progress across weight changes. If you gain or lose weight, DOTS shows whether your strength rose relative to your size.
- Compare with teammates fairly, as in team scoring.
- Use the same formula over time. Scores from different formulas are not interchangeable.
- Remember limits. It does not include age, equipment or lift technique.
Related tools
See the Wilks Calculator for the older formula, the One Rep Max Calculator to estimate maxes from submaximal sets, and the lift-specific Squat Max Calculator, Bench Press Max Calculator and Deadlift Max Calculator. The lifting-strength-calculator places your lifts in context.
This page is for information only and is not coaching or medical advice. If you have a heart condition or are new to hard exercise, check with a doctor before maximal efforts.
Sources
- OpenPowerlifting. DOTS and Wilks formulas, coefficients and valid body-weight ranges.
- Wilks R. Wilks coefficients for powerlifting, published in Powerlifting USA.
Frequently asked questions
What does DOTS stand for?
DOTS stands for Dynamic Objective Team Scoring. It is a body-weight-adjusted powerlifting score, introduced by Tim Konertz and adopted for use in team competitions, as a replacement for the Wilks formula.
How is DOTS different from Wilks?
Both multiply your total by a coefficient that depends on body weight and sex. DOTS uses a fourth-degree polynomial fitted to more recent data from large federations, which reduces the advantage that Wilks gives to very light and very heavy lifters in some classes.
What is a good DOTS score?
It depends on federation and era. Informally, scores around 300 are strong for a recreational lifter, 400 competitive, and 500 or above elite. These are community benchmarks and not official standards.
Which should I use, Wilks or DOTS?
Use whichever your federation uses, and use it consistently. The calculator shows both so you can compare; they typically differ by a few percent at most body weights.
Does DOTS account for age?
No. The basic formula only adjusts for body weight and sex. Age coefficients, such as McCulloch factors, are separate adjustments used by some federations.