The classic pound-for-pound powerlifting score — updated with the official March 2020 coefficients, shown side by side with your DOTS score.
On the 2020 formula, scores run roughly 20% higher than the old 500-based Wilks. These bands give you an honest read on where a full squat-bench-deadlift total lands.
| Level | Wilks 2020 (Men) | Wilks 2020 (Women) |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Under 360 | Under 300 |
| Novice | 360 – 480 | 300 – 420 |
| Intermediate | 480 – 540 | 420 – 480 |
| Advanced | 540 – 600 | 480 – 540 |
| Elite | 600+ | 540+ |
Because level cutoffs were originally defined for DOTS and old Wilks, treat these bands as guidance rather than official classifications — and always compare scores computed with the same formula.
Wilks Score = Weight Lifted (kg) × 600 ÷ (a + b·w + c·w² + d·w³ + e·w⁴ + f·w⁵), where w is bodyweight in kilograms. This calculator uses the official 2020 coefficients — men: a=47.46178854, b=8.472061379, c=0.07369410346, d=−0.001395833811, e=7.076659731×10⁻⁶, f=−1.208043365×10⁻⁸; women: a=−125.4255398, b=13.71219419, c=−0.03307250631, d=−0.001050400051, e=9.387738815×10⁻⁶, f=−2.333461388×10⁻⁸.
Robert Wilks of Powerlifting Australia published the original formula in the 1990s, and it served as the sport's universal ranking metric for over two decades. The 2020 revision rebalanced men's and women's scoring and fixed known bias at extreme bodyweights.
For most modern comparisons, use DOTS — it's the default on OpenPowerlifting and preferred by most federations outside the IPF. Wilks remains useful for historical comparisons and federations that still award best-lifter prizes on it. Since this page computes both from the same inputs, you don't have to choose.
Analysis of two decades of results showed the original curve favored lighter lifters and misjudged superheavyweights. The 2020 revision refit the coefficients on modern data and moved to a 600-point scale to visually distinguish new scores from old ones.
Yes — that's exactly what it's for. The sex-specific coefficients normalize the known physiological differences, so a 480 scored by a woman and a 480 scored by a man represent comparable relative strength.
Yes. The formula simply scales whatever weight you enter, so you can rank a bench-only meet or compare deadlifts between training partners. Just make sure everyone is compared on the same lift.
Reaching a Wilks 2020 of around 360 (men) or 300 (women) within the first year of structured barbell training is a solid and achievable target for most people. Track it monthly — relative strength climbs fast for beginners.