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DOTS calculator — your DOTS score.
The DOTS score adjusts a powerlifting total for bodyweight so lifters of any size compare fairly. This calculator uses the published DOTS coefficients — a sex-specific fourth-degree polynomial with a 500 numerator — and multiplies the coefficient by your total. DOTS is the default score on OpenPowerlifting. Enter sex, bodyweight and total below; it updates instantly, no signup.
What your DOTS score means
Approximate strength bands for a raw powerlifting total. The score is unisex, so a woman and a man with the same DOTS are comparably strong for their bodyweight.
| DOTS score | Level | Who it fits |
|---|---|---|
| < 200 | Beginner | New to the platform; early-stage totals |
| 200–300 | Novice | A year or two of consistent training |
| 300–400 | Intermediate | A solid competitive local total |
| 400–500 | Advanced | Strong regional / national-level lifter |
| 500+ | Elite | World-class; roughly the top 0.1% of all lifters |
The DOTS formula.
No black box — the exact coefficient set OpenPowerlifting uses as its default score.
C = 500 ÷ (a + b·bw + c·bw² + d·bw³ + e·bw⁴) A fourth-degree polynomial of bodyweight (kg), with separate a…e constants for men and women.
DOTS = C × total (kg) Multiply the coefficient by your squat + bench + deadlift total. Example: a 500 kg total at 90 kg male ≈ 323.
a −307.75076 · b 24.0900756 · c −0.1918759221 · d 7.391293e−4 · e −1.093e−6 Women use a distinct set — the calculator swaps both when you toggle sex.
Source: the published DOTS coefficient set used by OpenPowerlifting as its default ranking formula. DOTS is widely regarded as a modern replacement for the older Wilks formula; the IPF itself uses IPF GL points.
Related powerlifting calculators.
Compare your total three ways, then put the number to work in the tracker.
Wilks calculator
The classic bodyweight-adjusted score, updated for 2020.
Open toolIPF GL points calculator
The official IPF Goodlift score by sex and event.
Open toolStrength level calculator
Where a single lift lands — untrained to elite.
Open tool1RM calculator
Estimate your one rep max from any working set.
Open toolDOTS score questions.
What is a good DOTS score?
A DOTS score around 300 is a solid intermediate mark, 400 is advanced, and 500 or more is elite. Fewer than 450 lifters in the OpenPowerlifting database have posted a raw DOTS above 500, roughly the top 0.1% of everyone who has ever competed. DOTS is unisex, so the same score means comparable strength for men and women.
Is DOTS better than Wilks?
Many lifters and federations consider DOTS an improvement on Wilks. DOTS was fit to a larger, more recent dataset with a single, cleaner fourth-degree polynomial per sex, and OpenPowerlifting uses it as the default ranking formula. Wilks-2020 rebalanced the older equation and is still widely quoted, so both remain in common use.
How is the DOTS score calculated?
The DOTS coefficient is 500 divided by a fourth-degree polynomial of bodyweight in kilograms, using sex-specific constants. Your DOTS score is that coefficient multiplied by your total in kilograms. Because the polynomial curbs the advantage of heavier lifters, DOTS lets athletes of different bodyweights be compared on a level playing field.
What does DOTS stand for?
DOTS is not a strict acronym in common use; it is the name of the bodyweight-adjustment formula that OpenPowerlifting adopted as its default score. It was designed to replace the older Wilks and IPF-points systems with a single equation that behaves well across the full range of competitive bodyweights.
What bodyweight range does DOTS cover?
The DOTS polynomial is fit across the full range of competitive powerlifting bodyweights, roughly 40 to 210 kg. Inside that range the score is reliable; well outside it the fourth-degree curve can behave unpredictably, so treat scores for very light or very heavy lifters as approximate rather than exact.
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