Hong Life CalculatorsUnderstanding the Wilks score calculator — concept and principle
The Wilks score lets powerlifters of different bodyweights be compared on one scale. It multiplies your total (best squat + bench press + deadlift) by a coefficient that depends on bodyweight and sex. Meets have used it to pick the best lifter across weight classes, and lifters use it to track progress while their bodyweight changes.
How it is calculated
- Coefficient = 500 ÷ (a + b·x + c·x² + d·x³ + e·x⁴ + f·x⁵), where x is bodyweight in kg
- Wilks score = total (kg) × coefficient
Men's constants: a = −216.0475144, b = 16.2606339, c = −0.002388645, d = −0.00113732, e = 7.01863 × 10⁻⁶, f = −1.291 × 10⁻⁸. Women use a separate set (a = 594.31747775582 and so on). Total and bodyweight must be in kilograms.
The principle
Strength does not rise in proportion to bodyweight. Muscle force depends roughly on cross-sectional area, which grows more slowly than mass, so heavier lifters lift more in absolute terms but less per kilogram. Robert Wilks of Powerlifting Australia fitted a fifth-degree polynomial to records across weight classes so that the denominator follows how top totals change with bodyweight. Dividing 500 by it gives a coefficient that falls as bodyweight rises, rewarding lighter lifters for each kilogram lifted. The constant 500 simply sets the scale.
Worked example
- Inputs: male, bodyweight 83 kg, total 600 kg.
- Polynomial terms: −216.05 + 1,349.63 − 16.46 − 650.30 + 333.09 − 50.85 = 749.06.
- Coefficient = 500 ÷ 749.06 = 0.6675, shown as 0.67.
- Wilks score = 600 × 0.6675 = 400.5.
| Total lifted (kg) | Wilks score |
|---|---|
| 150 | 100.12 |
| 300 | 200.25 |
| 450 | 300.37 |
| 600 | 400.5 |
| 750 | 500.62 |
| 900 | 600.75 |
| 1,200 | 801 |
How to read the result
A higher score means a stronger performance relative to bodyweight. As a rough guide, scores around 300 are typical of experienced club lifters, around 400 is strong at national level for many federations, and above 500 is elite. For comparison, an 83 kg man totalling 600 kg scores the same as a 74 kg man with about 557 kg, because the coefficient at 74 kg is higher (about 0.72).
Common mistakes
- Entering bodyweight or total in pounds; convert to kg first.
- Comparing Wilks with DOTS or IPF GL points, which use different scales.
- Comparing equipped and raw totals as if they were equivalent.
Frequently asked questions
Why was Wilks replaced in the IPF?
Analyses of modern competition results suggested it no longer treated all weight classes equally, so the IPF developed a new formula from its own data.
Is Wilks used for women?
Yes, with a separate set of constants fitted to women's records, so men's and women's scores are not directly comparable.
Can I use Wilks for a single lift?
Yes, the same coefficient can be applied to one lift, but published benchmarks refer to the three-lift total.
Sources: Wilks R. Wilks formula, Powerlifting Australia.