CALCULATOR 16
Strength Score Calculator
How strong you are for your body weight, as DOTS, Wilks and IPF GL points.
DOTS points
Choose the sex used in the formulas.
For general information only; not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before making health decisions.
How this is calculated
DOTS, bw = body weight in kg
DOTS = total × 500 ÷ (a + b·bw + c·bw² + d·bw³ + e·bw⁴)
Wilks (1994)
Wilks = total × 500 ÷ (a + b·bw + c·bw² + d·bw³ + e·bw⁴ + f·bw⁵)
IPF GL
GL = total × 100 ÷ (A − B·e^(−C·bw)) A, B and C depend on sex, equipment and event
Each formula has its own coefficients for men and women. Body weight is held to the range each formula was fitted on (DOTS: 40–210 kg for men, 40–150 kg for women).
DOTS and Wilks don't change with equipment or event. IPF GL does, so choose classic or equipped and full power or bench only.
Sources
- DOTS (Dynamic Objective Team Scoring), Bundesverband Deutscher Kraftdreikämpfer (2019); coefficients as published by OpenPowerlifting.
- Wilks R (1994), Wilks formula; Vanderburgh PM, Batterham AM (1999), Validation of the Wilks powerlifting formula. Med Sci Sports Exerc 31:1869–1875.
- International Powerlifting Federation (2020), IPF GL formula (Goodlift points).
About the strength score calculator
Why strength needs a score
A 120 kg lifter will almost always total more than a 60 kg lifter, so raw totals can't say who is stronger for their size. Strength scores divide your total by a curve fitted to top lifters at each body weight. The result lets you compare across weight classes, between men and women, and against yourself as your weight changes.
Read more about the Strength Score calculator
DOTS, Wilks and GL
Wilks was the standard for decades but tended to favour some body weights over others. DOTS was introduced in 2019 with a fresher dataset and is now widely used by federations and meets. IPF GL points are what the International Powerlifting Federation uses for its best-lifter awards. They are fitted separately for classic and equipped lifting, and for full power and bench-only competitions.
As a rough guide for a full-power total, a DOTS score around 300 is a solid gym lifter, 400 is competitive at national level, and 500+ is world class.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good DOTS score?
Around 200–300 is typical for a trained recreational lifter, 300–400 is strong, 400+ is competitive nationally and 500+ is elite.
Is DOTS better than Wilks?
DOTS was built on newer data and treats very light and very heavy lifters more evenly, which is why many federations switched. Wilks is still used by some.
Can I use it for a single lift?
Yes. Enter one lift instead of a total to compare that lift across body weights. For IPF GL bench-only competitions, choose "Bench only".
Do I enter my weight on meet day?
Use the body weight you lifted at. In competition that's your weigh-in weight.