Strength
Wilks Formula Calculator
Updated 1 Nov 2026 · Source: Wilks formula coefficients ↗
Type in your total, bodyweight and sex to get a score from the original Wilks formula. A DOTS score for the same total is shown below it for comparison.
Worked example
- Total 1,100 lb = 499.0 kg; bodyweight 181 lb = 82.1 kg
- Coefficient for 82.1 kg = 0.6719
- 499.0 × 0.6719 = 335.23
Total (lb) needed for a Wilks score of 300, 400 and 500
| Bodyweight (lb) | Men 300 | Men 400 | Men 500 | Women 300 | Women 400 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 114 | 670 | 893 | 1,117 | 528 | 704 |
| 132 | 774 | 1,032 | 1,290 | 592 | 790 |
| 148 | 854 | 1,139 | 1,423 | 645 | 861 |
| 165 | 927 | 1,236 | 1,545 | 695 | 926 |
| 181 | 984 | 1,313 | 1,641 | 733 | 977 |
| 198 | 1,035 | 1,380 | 1,725 | 765 | 1,020 |
| 220 | 1,086 | 1,448 | 1,810 | 794 | 1,059 |
| 242 | 1,123 | 1,498 | 1,872 | 813 | 1,084 |
| 275 | 1,160 | 1,547 | 1,934 | 833 | 1,110 |
How the Wilks formula works
The formula takes your total in kilograms and multiplies it by a coefficient. That coefficient is 500 divided by a fifth-degree polynomial of your bodyweight in kilograms, with one set of six constants for men and another for women.
In the default example, a man weighing 181 lb (82.1 kg) gets a coefficient of 0.6719. His 1,100 lb total is 499.0 kg, and 499.0 times 0.6719 gives a Wilks score of 335.23. If you enter pounds, the calculator converts both numbers first, using 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg.
Where the original came from
Wilks was introduced in the 1990s as a way to pick a best lifter across weight classes, and it held that role in many meets for years.
The largest international drug-tested federation used Wilks until the end of 2018, then moved to its own points system and described the old formula as biased and outdated.
The 2020 revision
An updated version, Wilks 2020, refits the coefficients and uses 600 in place of 500 in the numerator. It was meant to replace the 1990s original.
Because the scale changed, a Wilks 2020 score is not comparable with an original Wilks score. This calculator gives the original, so if a meet or ranking list quotes Wilks 2020, expect its numbers to sit on a different scale from ours.
Wilks against DOTS
DOTS, introduced around 2019, does the same job with a newer curve and is now used by many federations. The two agree fairly well for men in the middle classes: 1,100 lb at 181 lb scores 335.23 Wilks and 338.92 DOTS.
They split more for women. From the tables on each page, a 181 lb woman needs about 977 lb for a Wilks of 400 but about 948 lb for a DOTS of 400. Run the same numbers on the DOTS calculator to see the gap for your own bodyweight.
Which score to use
To build the total from your three lifts and see its rank among meet lifters, use the powerlifting calculator. The exact constants we use are listed on our method page.
- For a meet: whatever the rule book ranks by, since that decides the trophies.
- For your own progress: either one, as long as you stick with it from test to test.
- For comparing with friends: the same formula and the same version for everyone.
Related pages
FFMI Calculator, DOTS Calculator, Leg Press Calculator, RPE Calculator
Questions
Is Wilks still used?
Yes, some federations still rank by the original Wilks or by Wilks 2020, while many others have moved to DOTS. Check the rules of the meet you care about.
Why does another calculator give me a different Wilks score?
It may be using Wilks 2020, which has a different scale, or it may round your bodyweight before scoring. Small rounding changes the last decimal or two.
Can Wilks compare a man and a woman?
That is what the separate coefficients are for: they put both sexes on one scale. Close comparisons across sexes are still rough, since each curve was fitted to a different group of lifters.
How we calculate: every formula, with its author and year, is on our method page; data sources and their licenses are on sources.
gymnical.com gives estimates from published formulas and public data. It is not medical advice and not a training prescription. Last reviewed November 2026.