What this calculator does
The Wilks score exists because lifting strength does not scale in proportion to bodyweight. Heavier lifters lift more in absolute terms but less per kilogram, so comparing raw totals across weight classes favours the heavy. Wilks applies a coefficient that falls with bodyweight, multiplying the total to produce a comparable figure.
A 60 kg lifter totalling 500 kg scores 426.4 while a 110 kg lifter with the same total scores 294.2. The coefficient does the work: 0.8529 against 0.5885, reflecting how much harder that total is at the lighter bodyweight.
The formula
The Wilks coefficient is 500 divided by a fifth-order polynomial in bodyweight, with different coefficients for male and female lifters. The score is that coefficient multiplied by the total lifted. The polynomial is fitted to competition data rather than derived, so it is an empirical adjustment rather than a physical relationship.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Wilks coefficient | The multiplier derived from bodyweight, falling as bodyweight rises. |
| Total | The combined best squat, bench press and deadlift in a powerlifting competition. |
| Allometric scaling | The general principle that strength scales with roughly the two-thirds power of bodyweight, which coefficient systems approximate. |
| IPF GL points | A newer coefficient system that has replaced Wilks in several federations. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Bodyweight (kg) | Bodyweight in kilograms. |
| Total lifted (kg) | Total lifted in kilograms, normally the sum of the best squat, bench and deadlift. |
| Sex | Sex, which selects the coefficient set. The two polynomials are fitted separately. |
When to use it
Comparing lifters across weight classes
The purpose the system exists for, and how best-lifter awards at competitions are decided.
Tracking your own progress through a weight change
A lifter who gains bodyweight and total simultaneously can see whether the strength gain outpaced the weight gain, which the raw total cannot show.
Setting a target
A Wilks target is bodyweight-independent, so it remains meaningful across a bulk or a cut in a way an absolute total does not.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How does bodyweight change the Wilks score?
The same 500 kg total achieved at three different bodyweights.
| Bodyweight | Wilks score | Wilks coefficient | Bodyweight used |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 426.4 | 0.8529 | 60.0 kg |
| 83 kg | 333.7 | 0.6675 | 83.0 kg |
| 110 kg | 294.2 | 0.5885 | 110.0 kg |
Questions
What is a good Wilks score?
Broadly, around 300 indicates a well-trained lifter, 400 a competitive one and 500 and above is elite territory. The bands differ between male and female lifters despite the separate coefficients, and different federations and eras make direct comparison awkward.
Why do heavier lifters get a lower coefficient?
Because strength rises more slowly than bodyweight. Muscle cross-sectional area scales with roughly the two-thirds power of body mass, so a lifter twice as heavy is not twice as strong. The coefficient corrects for that so the comparison is about relative rather than absolute strength.
Has Wilks been replaced?
In several federations, yes. The IPF moved to its own GL points system, and a revised Wilks-2 formula also exists. The original Wilks remains widely used and widely understood, which is why it persists despite the alternatives.
Does Wilks work for a single lift?
It was designed for the three-lift total, but the coefficient is applied to single lifts often enough that the practice is established. The fit is less good, since the relationship between bodyweight and strength differs somewhat between the squat, bench and deadlift.
For estimating a one rep max, see the one rep max calculator. For strength relative to bodyweight more simply, see the power to weight calculator.