Powerlifting score calculator

target score planner work backwards from a goal

Pick a formula and a target score. LiftGauge computes the competition total that reaches it at the sex and bodyweight entered above — no need to enter them twice.

method notes

DOTS source: Konertz / BVDK 2019. IPF GL source: the official 2020 classic/raw SBD constants. Equipped and bench-only IPF GL use different constants and are not calculated here. All three rows are exposed because the same raw total ranks differently in each.

how to use it

1. Pick sex — pick male (M) or female (F). The coefficient tables differ by sex.
2. Enter lifts or total — use squat + bench + deadlift to see the contribution of each lift, or switch to a known meet total. Choose kg or lb; LiftGauge converts internally before applying each coefficient.
3. Read all three coefficients — DOTS (active row), Wilks 2020, and IPF GoodLift are computed in parallel. DOTS is the de-facto raw-open standard on OpenPowerlifting and US raw federations; the IPF GoodLift row uses its classic/raw SBD constants; Wilks 2020 is shown for parity with older scoreboards.

What is a good DOTS score? anchored on real meet data

There's no single cut-off, but real meet data gives a reproducible age-curve anchor. Across 441,789 exact-age raw full-power observations in the OpenPowerlifting public dataset (CC0 source dump dated 2026-05-16; latest included meet 2026-05-10), LiftGauge first computes raw age-bin medians and then a centered three-age mean. That published smoothed curve peaks at age 28 for male entries and age 23 for female entries — about 387 and 342 DOTS respectively. Approximate n.5 ages, Wraps, DQ and DD are excluded. These are smoothed equivalents of age-bin medians, not row-wise DOTS percentiles or scores for a representative person. For your actual percentile against a like-for-like cohort, use the rankings calculator.

There is no universal “regional”, “national”, or “elite” DOTS cut-off. For one reproducible conversion, the male 83 kg-class, age 30, raw total thresholds are 582.5, 650 and 732 kg at p50, p75 and p95. Scored at exactly 83.0 kg bodyweight, those totals equal DOTS 393.2, 438.8 and 494.2. They are DOTS equivalents of total-percentile anchors, not row-wise DOTS quantiles for everyone in the class. Use the matched-cohort total calculator for your own cell, or Strength Age for the smoothed DOTS-by-age curve.

frequently asked

What is DOTS, and how does it relate to Wilks and IPF GoodLift?

DOTS is a strength-comparison coefficient by Konertz / BVDK (2019). It is the de-facto raw-open standard on OpenPowerlifting and on US raw federations such as USPA — but it is not an IPF formula. The IPF's own scoring family has been IPF GoodLift (IPF GL Points) since 2020, when its formula review retired Wilks for systematically under-scoring heavier lifters (IPF formula evaluation, 2020). LiftGauge compares DOTS, Wilks 2020, and the classic/raw SBD GoodLift variant.

DOTS vs Wilks vs IPF GoodLift — which should I use?

Use DOTS for general raw-open comparison — it is the de-facto standard on OpenPowerlifting and US raw federations. Use Wilks 2020 (the revised coefficients, not the original Wilks) when comparing against meet results that still use the Wilks scoreboard. The IPF GoodLift row here is for classic/raw SBD totals at IPF-affiliated meets; equipped and bench-only events use separate constants that this calculator does not expose.

What is a good DOTS score?

There is no fixed cut-off. In one transparent conversion, the male 83 kg-class, age 30, raw total thresholds are 582.5, 650 and 732 kg at p50, p75 and p95; scored at exactly 83.0 kg bodyweight, they equal DOTS 393.2, 438.8 and 494.2. These are DOTS equivalents of total-percentile anchors, not row-wise DOTS quantiles for everyone in the class. See /rankings for your matched total percentile and Strength Age for the smoothed age curve.

Do these scores work for equipped lifters?

No. This calculator is for classic/raw SBD comparison. DOTS and Wilks 2020 are calibrated on raw data, and the displayed IPF GoodLift row also uses classic/raw SBD constants. Equipped GoodLift requires a separate official coefficient set and is not calculated here.

Why use bodyweight coefficients at all?

Because total kg alone is dominated by mass — a 120 kg lifter will out-total a 60 kg lifter even at equal relative strength. Coefficients adjust for the well-documented sub-linear scaling of strength against mass (Lietzke 1956; Vanderburgh 1999) so lifters across weight classes compare on a single number.

How is IPF GoodLift different from Wilks 2020?

IPF GoodLift uses a sex-, equipment-, and event-specific exponential model fitted to IPF competition data; this page uses its classic/raw SBD constants. Wilks 2020 uses a sex-specific fifth-degree bodyweight polynomial and a different score scale. Compare only the row that matches the ruleset behind the result.

How do I find the total needed to hit a target DOTS, Wilks, or IPF GL score?

Use the target score planner further up this page: pick a formula and a target score, and it computes the competition total that reaches it at the sex and bodyweight you already entered. Because each formula scores in direct proportion to the total at a fixed bodyweight, this is the exact inverse of the forward calculation above it, not an approximation — and it applies the same bodyweight domain rules (for example, IPF GL is undefined below 35 kg bodyweight).