Wilks Calculator
The Wilks score has compared powerlifters across weight classes since the 1990s. Enter your bodyweight and total — or your three lifts — to get your score.
Calculate your Wilks score
Level: —
What is the Wilks score?
The Wilks formula was created by Robert Wilks for Powerlifting Australia and validated against years of competition results. It multiplies your powerlifting total by a coefficient derived from a fifth-order polynomial of your bodyweight:
Wilks = Total × 500 ÷ (a + b·BW + c·BW² + d·BW³ + e·BW⁴ + f·BW⁵)
For over twenty years, Wilks decided best-lifter awards around the world, and a score of 400 became the classic benchmark of a serious lifter. This calculator uses the original, official coefficients.
What is a good Wilks score?
| Wilks score | Level |
|---|---|
| Under 300 | Developing lifter |
| 300 – 350 | Solid club competitor |
| 350 – 400 | Strong — above most trained lifters |
| 400 – 450 | Elite, national level |
| 450+ | World class |
Wilks vs DOTS
Many federations have replaced Wilks with the newer DOTS formula (2019) or the IPF's GL points, because Wilks could favour middleweight lifters and was based on older results. DOTS scores and Wilks scores are on a similar scale but are not interchangeable — a 380 Wilks is not the same performance as a 380 DOTS. Use whichever your federation uses, and use the same one over time to track your own progress. Build the total itself with help from the one rep max calculator and the strength standards tables.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Wilks score?
The Wilks score compares powerlifting totals across bodyweight classes. Created by Robert Wilks in the 1990s, it multiplies your total by a coefficient based on your bodyweight and sex so lifters of different sizes can be ranked against each other.
What is a good Wilks score?
Roughly: under 300 is a developing lifter, 300–350 is a solid club competitor, 350–400 is strong, 400–450 is elite at national level, and 450–500+ is world class. A 400 Wilks has long been considered the mark of a serious powerlifter.
Is Wilks still used in competition?
Less than before. Many federations have moved to DOTS or IPF GL points, but Wilks is still used by some federations and gyms, and decades of results are recorded in Wilks, so it remains the reference for comparing older performances.
What is the difference between Wilks and Wilks-2?
Wilks-2 is an updated set of coefficients proposed in 2020 to better match modern results. Most competitions that still say 'Wilks' mean the original formula, which is what this calculator uses.