Wilks & DOTS calculator.
Turn a lifted total into a bodyweight-adjusted strength score so lifters of different sizes can be compared fairly. Enter bodyweight, sex and the total (or a single lift) and get both the classic Wilks score and the newer DOTS score side by side. Works in kilograms or pounds.
score a total
3-lift total or a single lift - the maths is the same.
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The current standard - use this one first.
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The classic formula, kept for older records.
the short answer
Wilks and DOTS both turn a lifted total into a bodyweight-adjusted score: score = total (kg) x 500 / P(bodyweight in kg), where P is a polynomial fitted separately for men and women. Wilks uses a 5th-degree polynomial from the 1990s; DOTS uses a 4th-degree polynomial refit on modern data that corrects Wilks's known bias at very light and very heavy bodyweights. Same total, same bodyweight, two scores - DOTS is the one most federations use today.
The exact polynomials this calculator uses.
Both scores share the same shape: score = total x 500 / P(x), where x is bodyweight in kilograms and P is the polynomial below. Pounds are converted internally at 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg before the formula runs. These are the standard published coefficients used by meet software and open results databases.
DOTS (4th-degree)
P(x) = a + bx + cx² + dx³ + ex⁴
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| a | -307.75076 | -57.96288 |
| b | 24.0900756 | 13.6175032 |
| c | -0.1918759221 | -0.1126655495 |
| d | 0.0007391293 | 0.0005158568 |
| e | -0.000001093 | -0.0000010706 |
Wilks (5th-degree, classic)
P(x) = a + bx + cx² + dx³ + ex⁴ + fx⁵
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| a | -216.0475144 | 594.31747775582 |
| b | 16.2606339 | -27.23842536447 |
| c | -0.002388645 | 0.82112226871 |
| d | -0.00113732 | -0.00930733913 |
| e | 0.00000701863 | 0.00004731582 |
| f | -0.00000001291 | -0.00000009054 |
Why two formulas? Wilks served for decades, but analysis of large results databases showed it drifted at the extremes: it was generous to very heavy men and unfair to very light and very heavy women. DOTS ("Dynamic Objective Team Scoring") refit the curve on modern raw-lifting data and fixed that bias, which is why most federations and open databases adopted it as the default around 2019-2020. Wilks is still worth showing because years of records, gym leaderboards and old meet results are stated in it.
The formulas are fitted on adult bodyweights - roughly 40 to 210 kg for men and 40 to 155 kg for women. Outside that range this calculator clamps bodyweight to the nearest fitted bound and tells you, rather than extrapolating a polynomial into territory it was never fitted for.
One number that makes a whole squad comparable.
Raw totals lie to a coach. A 100 kg client adding 10 kg to their deadlift and a 60 kg client adding 10 kg are not the same event, and a leaderboard of raw totals just ranks bodyweight. DOTS fixes both problems at once: score every client on the same scale, and the squad leaderboard suddenly rewards relative progress - which is what keeps the lighter lifters engaged instead of parked at the bottom.
The second job is tracking one client across a weight change. During a cut, a falling total can hide the fact that relative strength is holding or even climbing - a stable DOTS score is the evidence a coach shows the client to keep them from panicking. Same in reverse on a bulk: if bodyweight climbs and DOTS falls, the extra mass is not buying strength and the program needs a look. Pair the score with an estimated max from the one rep max calculator and you can score clients from ordinary training sets, no max-out day required.
Where this stops scaling is the admin. Running one client through a calculator is fine; re-scoring twenty clients every time bodyweights and top sets update is an evening lost. Inside Coachway, coaches set strength targets and track lifts per client in the workout builder, with bodyweight check-ins living in the same profile - so benchmarking the squad is a glance at existing data, not a spreadsheet session. Handle everything around one client from one tab, not six.
Benchmark every client without rebuilding the spreadsheet each week.
No charge today - cancel in 2 clicks.Frequently asked questions.
What is a Wilks score and what is it for?
The Wilks score multiplies the weight you lifted by a coefficient based on your bodyweight and sex, so lifters of different sizes can be compared fairly. A 60 kg lifter totalling 400 kg and a 120 kg lifter totalling 700 kg can both land near the same Wilks score - the formula normalises the total to relative strength.
What is the difference between Wilks and DOTS?
Both convert a lifted total into a bodyweight-adjusted score, but DOTS is the newer formula. Wilks uses a 5th-degree polynomial fitted in the 1990s and was shown to drift at the extremes - it flattered very heavy men and was harsh on very light and very heavy women. DOTS refit the curve as a 4th-degree polynomial on modern data, correcting that bias, which is why many federations moved to it around 2019-2020.
Is a Wilks or DOTS score calculated in kg or lb?
The formulas are defined in kilograms - bodyweight and total both go in as kg. This calculator accepts pounds too and converts internally (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg), so the score comes out the same whichever unit you type in. The score itself has no unit.
What is a good DOTS score?
As a rough guide for the squat, bench and deadlift total: around 300 is a solid intermediate lifter, 400 is strong and competitive at local meets, and 500+ is elite territory. Because DOTS normalises for bodyweight, those bands mean the same thing for a 55 kg lifter and a 110 kg lifter.
Can I use Wilks or DOTS for a single lift instead of a total?
Yes. The formula simply multiplies whatever weight you enter by the bodyweight coefficient, so you can score a full 3-lift total or a single squat, bench or deadlift. Just compare like with like - a single-lift score is only meaningful against other single-lift scores for the same movement.
Why do coaches track DOTS instead of raw totals?
A raw total cannot tell a coach whether a client who gained 5 kg of bodyweight and 10 kg on their total actually got relatively stronger. DOTS answers that in one number, so it works for benchmarking a squad of different-sized lifters against each other and for tracking a single client through a bulk, a cut or a weight-class change.
Wilks and DOTS are comparison tools, not measures of health or ability, and the polynomials are fitted on adult competitive lifters. This tool is general fitness information, not medical advice.
Keep building the plan: estimate lifts with the one rep max calculator, then cover the nutrition side with the macro calculator and TDEE calculator, and read our guide to software for strength and conditioning coaches.
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Coachway is built on knowledge from working with 150 online coaches over 6+ years. Set strength targets, track lifts and bodyweight per client, and handle everything around one client from one tab, not six.
