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Wilks calculator — your Wilks 2020 score.
The Wilks score adjusts a powerlifting total for bodyweight so lifters of any size can be compared fairly. This calculator uses the official Wilks-2020 coefficients — a sex-specific fifth-degree polynomial with a 600 numerator — and multiplies the coefficient by your total. Enter sex, bodyweight and total below; the score updates instantly, no signup.
What your Wilks score means
Approximate strength bands for a raw powerlifting total. The score is unisex, so a woman and a man with the same Wilks are comparably strong for their bodyweight.
| Wilks 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; near the top of the sport |
The Wilks-2020 formula.
No black box — the exact coefficient set the powerlifting community adopted in March 2020.
C = 600 ÷ (a + b·bw + c·bw² + d·bw³ + e·bw⁴ + f·bw⁵) A fifth-degree polynomial of bodyweight (kg), with separate a…f constants for men and women.
Wilks = C × total (kg) Multiply the coefficient by your squat + bench + deadlift total. Example: a 500 kg total at 90 kg male ≈ 383.
a 47.4618 · b 8.4721 · c 0.07369 · d −0.0013958 · e 7.0767e−6 · f −1.2080e−8 Women use a distinct set — the calculator swaps both when you toggle sex.
Source: the Wilks-2020 coefficient set as published on the Wilks coefficient reference and used by OpenPowerlifting. It replaced the original 1994 Wilks (500 numerator). Many federations have since moved to DOTS or the IPF GL points.
Related powerlifting calculators.
Compare your total three ways, then put the number to work in the tracker.
DOTS calculator
The newer bodyweight-adjusted score most feds now use.
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 toolWilks score questions.
What is a good Wilks score?
A Wilks score around 300 is a solid intermediate mark, 400 is advanced, and 500 or more is elite, world-class territory reached by very few lifters. Beginners typically score under 200. The score is unisex, so a 350 for a woman and a 350 for a man represent comparable strength relative to bodyweight.
Is Wilks or DOTS better?
DOTS is generally considered more current: it was fit to a larger, more recent dataset and does not rely on separate men and women equations tuned years apart. Wilks-2020 rebalanced the old formula and is still widely quoted, but many federations and lifters have moved to DOTS or the official IPF GL points for ranking.
What is the difference between old Wilks and Wilks 2020?
The original Wilks formula dated from 1994 and used a 500 numerator. In March 2020 the coefficients were re-derived (Wilks-2020) with a 600 numerator to rebalance men versus women and to pull the extreme bodyweight classes back in line with the middle classes. This calculator uses the Wilks-2020 coefficient set.
How is the Wilks coefficient calculated?
The Wilks coefficient is 600 divided by a fifth-degree polynomial of bodyweight in kilograms, using sex-specific constants a through f. Your Wilks score is that coefficient multiplied by your total in kilograms. Because the polynomial shrinks the advantage of heavier lifters, the score lets athletes of different bodyweights be compared fairly.
Does Wilks work for a single lift?
Wilks was designed for a full powerlifting total (squat plus bench plus deadlift), so a single-lift Wilks is unofficial. You can enter one lift as your total to get a rough coefficient-adjusted number, but for bench-only comparison the IPF GL bench coefficients are the sport-standard choice.
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