Which version does this calculator show?

Both. The headline figure is Wilks 2, the 2020 revision, and the classic 1994 score sits beside it. They are genuinely different numbers: a 90 kg man totalling 500 kg scores 383.50 on the 2020 formula and 319.20 on the 1994 one. If you have a Wilks score on file from a meet or an older calculator, check which version produced it before comparing.

Why are the two versions so far apart?

Mostly the numerator. The 1994 formula divides 500 by the quintic; the 2020 revision divides 600 by a refitted one, so scores rise by roughly a fifth across the board before any change in curve shape takes effect. The refit itself alters how lifters at the very light and very heavy ends are treated, which was the main criticism of the original.

What is a good Wilks score?

Any answer has to name a version, which is the trouble with the question. On the 1994 formula, national-level raw competitors commonly land between 350 and 500 for men and 300 to 450 for women, with world-class figures above those. Add roughly a fifth for the 2020 equivalent. These are descriptions of what meet data looks like, not standards anyone is obliged to meet.

Can I use my gym maxes?

The arithmetic will run on any total, but the coefficients were fitted to lifts judged to federation standards. Squat depth, the pause on the bench, and lockout commands all move a gym number relative to a platform one, usually downward. A Wilks from untested gym lifts is best treated as a private benchmark rather than something to compare with anyone else's.

How does Wilks differ from Dots or IPF GL Points?

All three normalise totals across body weight, and all three are separate curve fits to different datasets. Dots and IPF GL Points were both introduced around 2019 partly in response to criticisms of the original Wilks at the extremes of the range. Their outputs are on different scales and do not convert into one another, so a Dots score and a Wilks score are not comparable even for the same lifter.

Does the formula account for age?

No. Wilks adjusts for body weight and sex only. Age factors such as McCulloch, Glossbrenner and Reshel apply a further multiplier for masters and junior lifters, and some federations combine one of them with Wilks for those categories. This tool applies no age adjustment at all.

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Strength Training

Wilks Score Calculator

Compare powerlifting totals across body weights with Wilks 2 (2020), alongside the classic 1994 score.

JCVerified Verified by Jobi Cheriyan, Founder & Builder

Updated 21 August 2026

What this tool does

This calculator computes a Wilks 2 score using the 2020 revision, a sex-specific fifth-degree polynomial with a 600 numerator that normalises powerlifting totals across body weights. Enter the total lifted in kilograms, body weight in kilograms, and sex. Because most lifters still have a classic 1994 Wilks figure on file, the tool reports that alongside: the two use different constants and a different numerator, so a 2020 score runs roughly a fifth above a 1994 one for the same lifter and the two must never be compared directly.

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Formula Used

W_{2020} = T \times \frac{600}{a + b B + c B ^{2} + d B ^{3} + e B ^{4} + f B ^{5}}

T

Total lifted in kg

B

Body weight in kg

a \dots f

Sex-specific constants of the 2020 revision

Disclaimer

This calculator is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not provide medical, nutritional, or training advice. Results are mathematical estimates and may not reflect individual circumstances. Consult a qualified coach, registered dietitian, medical professional, or physiotherapist for personal guidance.

The Wilks Score Calculator normalises powerlifting totals across body weights and sexes, producing a single coefficient-adjusted number for comparison. It reports the 2020 revision, commonly called Wilks 2, and the classic 1994 score side by side.

How the Wilks Score Calculator works

Enter the total lifted (best squat, bench press and deadlift summed, in kilograms), body weight in kilograms, and sex. The tool computes a sex-specific coefficient from a fifth-degree polynomial in body weight and multiplies the total by it. Lighter lifters receive larger coefficients and heavier lifters smaller ones, which is what makes totals comparable across weight classes.

The formula, and the two versions of it

Score = total lifted × coefficient, with the coefficient given by a quintic in body weight.

The 1994 original uses coefficient = 500 ÷ (a + b·BW + c·BW² + d·BW³ + e·BW⁴ + f·BW⁵). The 2020 revision keeps that shape but refits every constant and raises the numerator to 600. That single change is why the two scores are not interchangeable: for a 90 kg man totalling 500 kg, the 1994 coefficient is 0.6384 giving 319.20, while the 2020 coefficient is 0.7670 giving 383.50. Same lifter, same platform, two numbers 64 points apart. A score quoted without its version is ambiguous.

Why the revision happened

The 1994 constants were fitted to competition data from that era. Over the following quarter century, training methods, equipment and the demographics of competitive powerlifting all moved, and the original curve was criticised for how it treated lifters at the extreme ends of the body-weight range. The 2020 refit was drawn from more recent international competition results and adjusts the shape of the curve accordingly. Both versions remain in circulation, which is precisely why this tool shows them together rather than picking one and leaving the reader to guess which they are looking at.

Why body-weight scaling is hard

Every one of these formulas is an attempt to solve a problem with no exact answer: strength does not scale with body mass in a simple proportion. Muscle force follows cross-sectional area rather than volume, so a plain ratio of total to body weight favours lighter lifters, while an unadjusted total favours heavier ones. Allometric work on the same question in other strength measures reaches the same conclusion, that a fitted exponent describes the relationship better than a straight ratio (Vanderburgh, Mahar and Chou, 1995). Wilks, Dots and IPF GL Points are three different curve fits to that same underlying problem.

Where this method is most accurate

Comparisons hold best between lifters competing under the same rules in sanctioned meets, where judging standards for depth, pause and lockout are consistent (IPF technical rules). Scores mean less for gym maxes, for lifters far outside typical competitive body-weight ranges, or when comparing across federations with different equipment rules. The formula assumes a competition total judged to standard.

What this tool does not do

It does not adjust for age, for which the McCulloch and Glossbrenner factors exist, nor for training experience, limb lengths, or leverages. It offers no training guidance, body-composition analysis, or health assessment, and it is not a federation ranking system. It also does not convert between scoring systems: Wilks, Dots and IPF GL Points are separate fits and their numbers do not translate into one another.

Disclaimer

This tool is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical, training, or professional advice. The calculated score is an estimate based on a standardised formula and does not account for individual biomechanics, training history, or health status. Consult a qualified coach or sports-medicine professional before making training decisions. Use of this calculator does not create any professional relationship.

Questions

Which version does this calculator show?: Both. The headline figure is Wilks 2, the 2020 revision, and the classic 1994 score sits beside it. They are genuinely different numbers: a 90 kg man totalling 500 kg scores 383.50 on the 2020 formula and 319.20 on the 1994 one. If you have a Wilks score on file from a meet or an older calculator, check which version produced it before comparing.
Why are the two versions so far apart?: Mostly the numerator. The 1994 formula divides 500 by the quintic; the 2020 revision divides 600 by a refitted one, so scores rise by roughly a fifth across the board before any change in curve shape takes effect. The refit itself alters how lifters at the very light and very heavy ends are treated, which was the main criticism of the original.
What is a good Wilks score?: Any answer has to name a version, which is the trouble with the question. On the 1994 formula, national-level raw competitors commonly land between 350 and 500 for men and 300 to 450 for women, with world-class figures above those. Add roughly a fifth for the 2020 equivalent. These are descriptions of what meet data looks like, not standards anyone is obliged to meet.
Can I use my gym maxes?: The arithmetic will run on any total, but the coefficients were fitted to lifts judged to federation standards. Squat depth, the pause on the bench, and lockout commands all move a gym number relative to a platform one, usually downward. A Wilks from untested gym lifts is best treated as a private benchmark rather than something to compare with anyone else's.
How does Wilks differ from Dots or IPF GL Points?: All three normalise totals across body weight, and all three are separate curve fits to different datasets. Dots and IPF GL Points were both introduced around 2019 partly in response to criticisms of the original Wilks at the extremes of the range. Their outputs are on different scales and do not convert into one another, so a Dots score and a Wilks score are not comparable even for the same lifter.
Does the formula account for age?: No. Wilks adjusts for body weight and sex only. Age factors such as McCulloch, Glossbrenner and Reshel apply a further multiplier for masters and junior lifters, and some federations combine one of them with Wilks for those categories. This tool applies no age adjustment at all.

Sources & Methodology

Reports the 2020 Wilks revision (Wilks 2) as the primary score: coefficient = 600 ÷ (a + b·BW + c·BW² + d·BW³ + e·BW⁴ + f·BW⁵) with sex-specific constants, multiplied by the total lifted in kilograms. The classic 1994 Wilks score is reported alongside, using the original constants and a 500 numerator. The two are not interchangeable: the larger numerator alone puts 2020 scores roughly a fifth above 1994 ones for the same lifter. Earlier versions of this tool computed the 1994 coefficients while labelling the result as the 2020 revision.

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Wilks Score Calculator

What this tool does

Export Report

How the Wilks Score Calculator works

The formula, and the two versions of it

Why the revision happened

Why body-weight scaling is hard

Where this method is most accurate

What this tool does not do

Disclaimer

Questions

Sources & Methodology

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