How DOTS vs Wilks vs GL Calculator works
Methodology for the DOTS vs Wilks vs GL Calculator: formulas, coefficients, data sources, assumptions, and known limitations.
Scope
Runs the DOTS, Wilks-2020, and IPF GL Points formulas against the same total and surfaces the one that favors the lifter's bodyweight most.
This is a comparison display, not a truth claim about which coefficient set is correct.
Formula
Each formula follows the same structure: score = total_kg x scale / polynomial(bodyweight). The polynomials and scale constants are sex-specific and federation-specific.
Coefficients
| Parameter | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| DOTS scale | 500 | |
| Wilks-2020 scale | 600 | |
| IPF GL scale | 100 | |
| Polynomial degree | 4 | All three formulas use degree-4 polynomials of bodyweight. |
Data sources
- IPF Technical Rulebook — DOTS and GL Points.
- Wilks-2020 coefficient refit. — Published alongside the IPF's transition from DOTS back to GL Points for world-ranking purposes.
Assumptions
- All three formulas receive identical total_kg and bodyweight_kg inputs.
- Sex is used to select the correct coefficient row; there is no separate youth or master adjustment in the underlying formulas.
Approximation range
Output scores sit on different scales: DOTS and Wilks-2020 usually land in 300–600 for elite lifters, while IPF GL Points tops out near 100.
Rankings between the three can diverge by several percent for lifters at the light and heavy extremes of their weight class.
Limitations
- Comparing scores across formulas is an apples-to-oranges exercise; the 'best' score is the one your federation uses.
- Each polynomial carries the same caveats as its underlying DOTS/Wilks/GL fit range.
Reproducibility
See individual reproducibility notes on /methodology/dots-score-calculator/ — the combined tool runs the same arithmetic three times with different coefficient rows.
Change log
- 2026-04-24: methodology page first published.
Related tools
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- One-Rep Max Calculator — Estimate one-rep max with Epley, Brzycki, and Lombardi formulas.
- Strength Standards Calculator — Rank your lifts from Beginner to Elite based on bodyweight ratios.
- DOTS & Wilks Score Calculator — Compare powerlifting strength across weight classes with IPF DOTS and Wilks-2020 coefficients.