How to use the powerlifting points calculator
- Choose the weight unit, the formula table (male or female coefficients) and the event: squat, bench and deadlift together, or bench press only.
- Enter your body weight and your total (or best bench). The default values are examples.
- For IPF GL points, choose raw or equipped lifting in the last option.
- Read the points under each formula and the multiplier each one used for your body weight.
Formula
Dots = total x 500 / (a + b x + c x^2 + d x^3 + e x^4)
Wilks (2005) = total x 500 / (a + b x + c x^2 + d x^3 + e x^4 + f x^5)
Wilks (2020) = total x 600 / (a + b x + c x^2 + d x^3 + e x^4 + f x^5)
IPF GL = total x 100 / (A - B e^(-C x))
x is body weight in kilograms
The constants are the published values used by the OpenPowerlifting project, with separate sets for each formula, event and kind of lifting. Body weight is limited to the range in which they are defined.
An 83.9 kg lifter with a 521.6 kg total
A lifter of 83.9 kg (185 lb) with a total of 521.6 kg (1,150 lb) scores 350.01 Dots, 345.97 Wilks (2005), 415.57 Wilks (2020) and 71.81 IPF GL points for raw lifting. Entered in pounds as 185 and 1,150, the Dots score is 350.00.
A woman of 60 kg with a 400 kg total scores 443.42 Dots, 445.95 Wilks (2005), 527.61 Wilks (2020) and 90.42 IPF GL points. As a check, the published Wilks (2005) multiplier at 100 kg is 0.60859 for men and 0.83258 for women, and the published IPF GL examples of 112.85 and 96.78 are reproduced in the tests.
Why several formulas
A body-weight formula tries to let lifters of different sizes compete fairly. Wilks was long used, Dots was created to replace it in some competitions, the Wilks 2020 update changed the coefficients, and IPF GL is the points system adopted by the International Powerlifting Federation. They rank lifters in a similar but not identical order, and each favors somewhat different body weights.
Which one counts is up to the organizer of a meet. This page shows all four so you can compare. For lifting numbers themselves, see the one-rep max calculator and the power-to-weight ratio calculator.
What the points are not
Points compare totals across body weights. They are not a measure of health, fitness or how good a lifter is at any one lift. Dots and Wilks are defined for a full total, so a bench-only entry shows only IPF GL points. The tool uses fixed published constants and does not store or send anything you enter. For other sports, try the critical power model calculator or the VDOT training paces calculator.
Assumptions and limits
- Body weight must be between 40 and 200 kg for the male coefficients and between 40 and 150 kg for the female coefficients, so that every formula is defined.
- The total is the sum of the best successful squat, bench press and deadlift in the same unit as body weight.
- The male and female coefficient sets are the two sets the published formulas define. Choose the set that matches your competition category.
- IPF GL uses the classic powerlifting constants for full competitions and for bench press only, in raw and equipped lifting.
Frequently asked questions
Which formula should I use?
Use the one your meet or federation uses. If none applies, any one is fine for tracking your own progress over time, as long as you use the same one each time.
Why is bodyweight limited?
The polynomial formulas misbehave outside the weights they were fitted on, so published implementations clamp them. This page refuses values outside a range where every formula is defined, rather than silently changing your input.
Does it work with pounds?
Yes. Choose pounds and enter both body weight and total in pounds. The tool converts to kilograms with 0.45359237 before applying the formulas.
Are the coefficients sourced?
They come from the open-source code of the OpenPowerlifting project, and the tests reproduce the table values and worked examples published with that code.