Powerlifting Score Calculator: DOTS & Wilks
Enter your bodyweight and best squat, bench and deadlift to get your DOTS and Wilks scores, the standard way to compare strength across weight classes.
Your DOTS score
- Wilks
- 338.9
- Total
- 1175 lb
- Total (kg)
- 533.0 kg
- Bodyweight (kg)
- 90.7 kg
DOTS is the modern IPF-era standard. Wilks is shown for legacy comparison.
What DOTS and Wilks actually measure
Both DOTS and Wilks turn your squat + bench + deadlift total into a single number adjusted for bodyweight, so a 60 kg lifter and a 110 kg lifter can be compared fairly. The math accounts for the fact that absolute strength scales sub-linearly with bodyweight: bigger people lift more, but not in proportion to how much bigger they are.
DOTS is the formula adopted by the IPF in 2020. It uses a fifth-order polynomial in bodyweight to model modern raw lifters more accurately than its predecessor. Higher score is better. Wilks is the older formula that DOTS replaced. It's still calculated at many meets and on lifting forums for historical comparison, but the IPF and most major federations now rank lifters by DOTS.
How to read your score
- Below 200: Beginner. You'll move up fast in your first year of structured training.
- 200-300: Intermediate. You'd place at a small local meet.
- 300-400: Advanced. Regional-level competitor.
- 400-500: Elite. National-level.
- 500+: World-class. Top of the sport, vanishingly rare.
Worked examples
Example 1, 200 lb male: 405 / 275 / 495 lb (1,175 lb total ≈ 533 kg). DOTS ≈ 360, advanced. Wilks ≈ 350.
Example 2, 132 lb female: 220 / 130 / 275 lb (625 lb total ≈ 283 kg). DOTS ≈ 405, elite.
Example 3, 250 lb male: 500 / 350 / 600 lb (1,450 lb total ≈ 658 kg). DOTS ≈ 385, advanced.
Why the formulas differ
Wilks was built on data from the 1990s. As raw lifting grew and absolute records climbed, Wilks scores at the heaviest classes drifted unrealistically high. DOTS recalibrated against modern raw data and gives a flatter, fairer curve across bodyweight. Expect a DOTS that's 10-30 points lower than your Wilks at light bodyweights, and higher at extreme ends of the curve.
Common mistakes
- Using gym totals. Use lifts you could hit on a meet day with judged commands.
- Inflating bodyweight. Weigh in at competition weight, not post-meal Saturday.
- Mixing equipped and raw totals. If you lift with knee wraps or a bench shirt, label it.
- Treating DOTS as a personality trait. Two lifters at 350 DOTS can train very differently and both be correct.
FAQ
What is a DOTS score?+
DOTS is a bodyweight-adjusted strength score adopted by the IPF in 2020. It replaced Wilks because it modeled modern lifters more accurately. Higher is better, 500+ is world-class.
Should I use DOTS or Wilks?+
Use DOTS. It's the current IPF standard and used at most modern meets. Wilks is still calculated for legacy comparisons but is no longer the official formula.
Is the total kilos or pounds?+
The formula is in kilograms internally. Use the unit toggle, the calculator converts automatically.
Why is my Wilks higher than my DOTS?+
The Wilks formula was generous at the extreme bodyweight ends and at modern elite totals, which is part of why it was replaced. A gap of 10-30 points between them is normal.
Does this account for raw vs equipped?+
No, the formula is the same. If you lift equipped your total is bigger so your score is bigger. Federations track raw and equipped totals separately.
What's a good score?+
300 is a competitive intermediate. 400 is advanced. 500+ is world-class and rare. Below 200 is beginner regardless of bodyweight.
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