Wilks Calculator (Wilks 2020 Score)
Enter your bodyweight and powerlifting total to get your Wilks 2020 score, the number that lets lifters of different sizes be compared. It also answers what a good Wilks score is for men and women.
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Formula
coefficient = 500 / (a + b·x + c·x² + d·x³ + e·x⁴ + f·x⁵), wherexis bodyweight in kg.Wilks 2020 score = total (kg) × coefficient
Wilks 2020 coefficients used:
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| a | 47.46178854 | -125.4255398 |
| b | 8.472061379 | 13.71219419 |
| c | 0.07369410346 | -0.03307250631 |
| d | -0.001395833811 | -0.001050400051 |
| e | 7.07665973070743e-6 | 9.38773881462799e-6 |
| f | -1.20804336482315e-8 | -2.3334613884954e-8 |
Pounds are converted with 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg. Bodyweights are accepted from 40 to 201 kg for men and 40 to 150 kg for women.
Worked example
A man weighing 80 kg with a 500 kg total: the polynomial gives a denominator of 732.5, so the coefficient is 500 ÷ 732.5 = 0.6826, and the score is 500 × 0.6826 = 341.31.
A woman weighing 60 kg with a 300 kg total has a coefficient of 1.0992 and scores 329.76.
When to use it
Use it to compare a total across bodyweights and sexes, to see how your score changes as you gain or lose weight, or to set a points goal. Wilks 2020 replaced the older 1994 formula and is the version used here.
Typical values (rules of thumb)
- About 250 to 300 is a solid recreational or novice level.
- 350 to 400 is good competitive lifting.
- 450 or more is very strong, and 500 or more is elite.
The coefficient is already sex-specific, so men and women use the same scale.
Common mistakes
- Using the old 1994 Wilks coefficients, which give different numbers.
- Entering a single lift instead of the total.
- Mixing units. Choose kg or lb and keep bodyweight and total in the same one.
How it differs from nearby tools
DOTS is a similar formula that many federations now prefer, with different coefficients. The one-rep max calculator estimates a single lift, and the rep max percentage calculator turns it into training weights.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Wilks score?
The Wilks score multiplies your total by a bodyweight coefficient so lifters of different sizes can be compared. This page uses the Wilks 2020 revision: coefficient = 500 ÷ (a + bx + cx² + dx³ + ex⁴ + fx⁵), with x as bodyweight in kg. A man at 80 kg has a coefficient of 0.6826, so a 500 kg total scores 341.31.
What is the difference between Wilks and Wilks 2020?
Wilks 2020 keeps the same idea but replaces the original 1990s polynomial with newly fitted coefficients based on more recent competition data, and it treats the heaviest and lightest lifters more fairly. Scores from the two versions are not interchangeable, so compare only like with like.
Should I use kg or lb?
Either. The formula works in kilograms, so pounds are converted with 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg. A 200 lb man with a 1000 lb total is 90.72 kg and 453.59 kg, which scores 288.74.
What bodyweights does the calculator accept?
40 to 201 kg for the men's coefficients and 40 to 150 kg for the women's. Beyond the upper limits the fitted polynomial stops behaving sensibly (the men's curve peaks near 204 kg and then falls, so a heavier lifter would get a better coefficient), so the page returns an error instead of a misleading score. The result is a model-based estimate for comparing lifters, not an official ranking.
What is a good Wilks score for men and women?
Wilks adjusts for sex and bodyweight, so one scale applies to both. As a rule of thumb about 300 is respectable, 400 is strong and 500 or more is elite. A 63 kg woman with a 400 kg total scores 426.21 and a 93 kg man with a 600 kg total scores 377.20.
How do you calculate your Wilks score?
Wilks = total (kg) x 500 / (a + bx + cx2 + dx3 + ex4 + fx5), where x is bodyweight in kg and the coefficients differ for men and women. At 83 kg with a 500 kg total a man scores 334.02.
How does Wilks compare with DOTS for the same lifter?
The two formulas are close but not identical. A man at 83 kg with a 500 kg total scores 334.02 Wilks 2020 and 337.54 DOTS.