A 120 kg lifter will usually out-lift a 70 kg lifter, but that does not make them stronger for their size. Powerlifting solves this with weight classes, and relative-strength formulas solve it across classes. The Wilks score, created by Robert Wilks, became the best-known: it multiplies your total by a coefficient that depends on your body weight and sex, so that a lighter lifter’s total is scaled up and a heavier one’s scaled down. A higher score means more strength relative to the typical performance at that body weight. This calculator computes the Wilks score from your three lifts, shows the coefficient used and gives the DOTS score beside it for comparison.
How to use the Wilks calculator
- Select your sex because the formula has separate coefficients for men and women.
- Enter your body weight at the time of the lifts, in kilograms or pounds.
- Enter your best squat, bench press and deadlift. Their sum is your total.
- Read the Wilks score and coefficient. DOTS is shown for comparison.
Wilks formula
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| a | −216.0475144 | 594.31747775582 |
| b | 16.2606339 | −27.23842536447 |
| c | −0.002388645 | 0.82112226871 |
| d | −0.00113732 | −0.00930733913 |
| e | 7.01863 × 10−6 | 4.731582 × 10−5 |
| f | −1.291 × 10−8 | −9.054 × 10−8 |
Body weight (bw) and total are in kilograms. The coefficients are the published Wilks values as reproduced in the OpenPowerlifting documentation; the formula is valid for body weights of roughly 40 to 200 kg for men and 40 to 150 kg for women. DOTS uses a fourth-degree polynomial with its own coefficients (men: −307.75076, 24.0900756, −0.1918759221, 0.0007391293, −0.000001093; women: −57.96288, 13.6175032, −0.1126655495, 0.0005158568, −0.0000010706), documented by OpenPowerlifting.
Worked example
A man weighing 83 kg who squats 200 kg, benches 140 kg and deadlifts 260 kg.
- Total = 200 + 140 + 260 = 600 kg
- Wilks coefficient at 83 kg = 500 ÷ polynomial = 0.6675
- Wilks score = 600 × 0.6675 = 400.5; DOTS = 405.1
A woman weighing 60 kg with a 400 kg total scores 446.0 Wilks and 443.4 DOTS.
Wilks and DOTS 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 |
Interpreting your score
- Compare like with like. Use the same formula for everyone; scores from different formulas differ by 10 to 20 points.
- Lighter lifters get higher multipliers. The coefficient falls as body weight rises: at 60 kg it is about 0.85, at 100 kg about 0.61 (men).
- Informal benchmarks. Lifter communities talk of 300 as solid, 400 as competitive and 500 as elite, but these are not official.
- It ignores lifting style and equipment. Raw and equipped totals are not comparable.
Related tools
For the DOTS formula alone see the DOTS Calculator. To estimate your maxes from lighter sets use the One Rep Max Calculator, or the lift-specific Squat Max Calculator, Bench Press Max Calculator and Deadlift Max Calculator. The lifting-strength-calculator gives a broader strength picture.
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
- Wilks R. Wilks coefficients for powerlifting, published in Powerlifting USA (1990s) and reproduced in the OpenPowerlifting documentation.
- OpenPowerlifting. Wilks and DOTS formulas and valid body-weight ranges.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Wilks score?
The Wilks score is a formula that adjusts a powerlifting total for body weight so lifters of different sizes can be compared. It was developed by Robert Wilks, then of Powerlifting USA, and uses a fifth-degree polynomial fitted to record totals across weight classes, with separate coefficients for men and women.
How is the Wilks score calculated?
Multiply the total of your squat, bench press and deadlift by 500, then divide by a polynomial of your body weight: a + b·bw + c·bw² + d·bw³ + e·bw⁴ + f·bw⁵. The reciprocal 500 ÷ polynomial is the Wilks coefficient, so the score is total times coefficient.
What is a good Wilks score?
Scores depend on the federation and era. As a rough guide used in lifter communities, 300 is a strong recreational lifter, 400 is a serious competitor and 500 or more is elite. These are informal benchmarks and not official standards.
Is the Wilks formula still used?
It was long the most popular, but critics noted it favours lifters at certain body weights, especially in the heaviest classes. Newer formulas such as DOTS and IPF GL Points have been adopted by several organisations. The calculator shows DOTS alongside so you can compare.
What body weights is it valid for?
The coefficients were fitted for roughly 40 to 200 kg in men and 40 to 150 kg in women, and results outside those ranges are unreliable. The calculator rejects values outside 40 to 200 kg.