How it works
Heavier lifters can usually lift more, so a raw total does not tell you who performed best across weight classes. Points formulas fix that by multiplying your total by a coefficient that shrinks as bodyweight rises. The formulas differ in the data they were fitted to and the shape of the curve, which is why each gives a different number.
- DOTS was introduced by the German federation BVDK and is widely used in meets and in the OpenPowerlifting rankings. It uses one curve for men and one for women.
- IPF GL points are the International Powerlifting Federation’s formula for best lifter awards, published in 2020. They have separate settings for men and women, classic and equipped lifting, and full meets or bench only, and they sit on a smaller scale than the others.
- Wilks was the standard for decades and the IPF’s formula until 2019. Many people still quote it.
- Wilks 2020 is Robert Wilks’ own update, on a 600-point scale instead of 500, so its numbers are not comparable with the original.
The formula
DOTS = total × 500 ÷ (A + B·bw + C·bw² + D·bw³ + E·bw⁴)
Wilks = total × 500 ÷ (a + b·bw + c·bw² + d·bw³ + e·bw⁴ + f·bw⁵)
Wilks 2020 = total × 600 ÷ (fifth-degree polynomial with updated values)
IPF GL = total × 100 ÷ (A − B × e^(−C × bw))
bw = bodyweight in kg, total in kgDOTS for men uses A = −307.75076, B = 24.0900756, C = −0.1918759221, D = 0.0007391293, E = −0.000001093, with bodyweight held between 40 and 210 kg. For women: A = −57.96288, B = 13.6175032, C = −0.1126655495, D = 0.0005158568, E = −0.0000010706, between 40 and 150 kg. The values match the OpenPowerlifting project’s published code.
Worked example
A man weighing 83 kg with a 600 kg classic total.
- DOTS coefficient at 83 kg: 0.6751, so 600 × 0.6751 = 405.05 points.
- IPF GL, classic three-lift: 100 ÷ (1199.72839 − 1025.18162 × e^(−0.00921 × 83)) = 0.1384, so 83.06 points.
- Original Wilks: 400.50 points. Wilks 2020: 480.99 points.
IPF GL parameters
The IPF publishes separate A, B and C values for each category. These are the values used here.
| Category | Equipment | Event | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Classic | Three lifts | 1199.72839 | 1025.18162 | 0.00921 |
| Men | Equipped | Three lifts | 1236.25115 | 1449.21864 | 0.01644 |
| Women | Classic | Three lifts | 610.32796 | 1045.59282 | 0.03048 |
| Women | Equipped | Three lifts | 758.63878 | 949.31382 | 0.02435 |
| Men | Classic | Bench only | 320.98041 | 281.40258 | 0.01008 |
| Men | Equipped | Bench only | 381.22073 | 733.79378 | 0.02398 |
| Women | Classic | Bench only | 142.40398 | 442.52671 | 0.04724 |
| Women | Equipped | Bench only | 221.82209 | 357.00377 | 0.02937 |
Questions
Which formula should I use?
Use the one your federation uses. IPF meets rank lifters with GL points. Many other federations and the OpenPowerlifting rankings use DOTS, and some meets still use Wilks. Check your meet’s rulebook.
What is a good DOTS score?
Scores only mean something next to other lifters. Compare with people in your federation, category and equipment division, for example on OpenPowerlifting, or with your own earlier meets.
Why are IPF GL points so much smaller?
They use a different scale, with elite totals landing around 100 and above. For example, a 1035 kg equipped total at 92.04 kg bodyweight, from the 2019 IPF World Open Championships, is 112.85 GL points.
Can I compare men and women?
DOTS and Wilks use separate curves for men and women so that scores can be compared across both. That comparison is still rough, and IPF GL points are designed for ranking within a category rather than across them.
Why is my score slightly different from the meet results?
Meets use your official weigh-in bodyweight and sometimes round coefficients. Small differences in either change the second decimal place. Wilks 2020 has also been revised, and this page uses the version implemented by OpenPowerlifting.
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