DOTS Calculator

What a DOTS score compares

Heavier lifters can usually move more weight, so a raw total tells you little about who is stronger for their size. DOTS divides your total in kilograms by a curve fitted to bodyweight, then scales the result by 500. The output is one number you can set beside lifters from any weight class.

Men and women each have their own curve. In the table below the calculator, a 181 lb man needs a total of about 974 lb for a DOTS of 300, while a 181 lb woman gets there with about 711 lb. Both lifters earn the same score for those very different totals.

Why many federations switched to DOTS

For years the standard tool was the Wilks formula from the 1990s. One large international federation used it until the end of 2018, then dropped it and called it biased and outdated.

DOTS appeared around 2019 as a newer fit. Many federations, meet software and open results databases now report it, especially for raw lifting. Some meets still rank by Wilks or its 2020 revision, so check the rules before you compare your score with a posted result.

The bodyweight range behind the formula

The DOTS curve is defined from 40 to 210 kg (about 88 to 463 lb) for men and 40 to 150 kg (about 88 to 331 lb) for women. Outside that range the formula holds the bodyweight at the nearest edge.

That means a 500 lb man is scored as if he weighed 463 lb, and a 360 lb woman as if she weighed 331 lb. For nearly everyone the clamp never comes into play, but it explains why two very heavy lifters with the same total can get the same score.

Getting clean inputs

Use the bodyweight you had on the day of the lifts, not your weight from a month ago. In the default example, weighing 184 lb instead of 181 lb drops the score from 338.92 to about 335.8, and meets use the official weigh-in.

Your total should be three real single lifts done to full depth and lockout. If you only have sets of reps, estimate each max with the one rep max calculator and treat the score as a rough guide. The powerlifting calculator adds the three lifts for you and shows where the total ranks among meet lifters.

DOTS next to Wilks

For the default example, 1,100 lb at 181 lb, DOTS gives 338.92 and the original Wilks gives 335.23. Near the middle weights the two land close together, but the gap grows at the light end. A 114 lb man needs about 916 lb for a DOTS of 400, versus about 893 lb for a Wilks of 400. The Wilks formula page explains where that older curve came from.

Related pages

Wilks Formula Calculator, RPE Calculator, FFMI Calculator, One Rep Max Formula