Wilks Score Calculator
Calculate your Wilks score to compare powerlifting strength across weight classes. Enter your total and bodyweight.
The Wilks score converts your total powerlifting volume into a bodyweight-adjusted number so that lifters in different weight classes can be compared on a level playing field. Enter your total weight and bodyweight below to calculate your Wilks score.
What Wilks measures
Your total raw powerlifting score is the sum of your best squat, bench press and deadlift. But a 600 kg total at 66 kg bodyweight is a completely different achievement than a 600 kg total at 120 kg. Wilks applies a multiplier based on total weight and gender, which produces a single number that allows for comparison between categories.
Higher Wilks = stronger relative to body weight.
Formula
Wilks score = Total x multiplier
The coefficient is obtained from a 5th order polynomial fitted to the race data:
Multiplier = 500 / (a + bx + cx^2 + dx^3 + ex^4 + f*x^5).
where x is body weight in kilograms and a-f are the sex-linked constants derived by Robert Wilks in the early 1990s.
You don't need to know math. A calculator will do it for you.
Interpreting the results
| Wilks Score | Level |
|---|---|
| 150-200 | Beginner |
| 200-300 | Intermediate |
| 300-400 | Advanced/Regional Competitor |
| 400-450 | National level |
| 450-500 | International level |
| 500+ | World Class |
These ranges apply to raw purchasing. Endowed total scores naturally produce higher Wilks scores, so the ranges move upwards for endowed species associations.
History and context
Robert Wilks developed the formula in the early 1990s for the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). For nearly three decades, it was the dominant method for comparing lifters across categories. Wilks determined the awards for the best lifter at the meetings.
The formula was originally calibrated based on competition data from that era. As the sport evolved - more lifters, better nutrition, wider bodyweight ranges - the accuracy of the formula at the extremes (very light and very heavy lifters) was questioned.
Critics argued that Wilks overestimated heavy lifters and underestimated lighter ones. This led to the IPF adopting the DOTS formula in 2019 as an alternative, although Wilks is still widely used by many federations worldwide.
Wilks vs. other formulas
DOTS: a replacement for IPF. Uses updated coefficients and a different polynomial structure. Generally considered more accurate for modern race data. Favors lighter lifters slightly more than Wilks.
IPF Points (GL): Another IPF formula used for absolute rankings. Includes world record data, so the scale changes as records change.
Schwartz/Malone: An older formula used by some American federations. Largely replaced.
For random comparison, any formula will do. For competition results, check which formula your federation uses.
Practical applications
Best lifter awards. Most competitions use either the Wilks or DOTS method to determine the strongest lifter.
Target setting. 300 Wilks is a solid milestone regardless of weight class. It gives you a target that takes into account changes in body weight.
Tracking your progress across weight classes. If you move up or down a weight class, your overall result will change. With Wilks, you can see if you've really gotten stronger or just weighed more.
** Team selection.** National teams often use relative strength formulas to select lifters when space is limited.
Calculate your score above and see where you stand.