Why Wilks was revised

What the Wilks coefficient does

Wilks answers a single question: how strong is a total relative to bodyweight? A lighter lifter and a heavier lifter cannot be compared on raw kilograms alone, so Wilks multiplies a total by a coefficient derived from the lifter’s bodyweight. The coefficient is the value of a fifth-order polynomial:

x

the lifter’s bodyweight in kilograms

total_kg

the competition total (squat + bench + deadlift), in kilograms

a … f

six published constants; a separate set is used for men and for women

coefficient

the bodyweight-based multiplier applied to the total

We deliberately do not reproduce the full constant values here (per our methodology §4.0); the exact figures live in the published coefficient set our calculator implements. What matters for this article is the shape: a smooth curve fitted so that a “typical” strong total maps to a similar score regardless of bodyweight.

Why was Wilks revised?

The original Wilks coefficients were fitted to competition data from the 1980s and 1990s. As the sport grew and record totals climbed — unevenly across bodyweight classes and between the men’s and women’s fields — a common argument was that the original curve had drifted out of balance, appearing to advantage some bodyweights and disadvantage others.

To address this, a revised coefficient set (often referred to informally as “Wilks 2”) was produced. It refits the same polynomial form to a newer and larger body of results, with the stated aim of re-balancing scores more evenly across bodyweight and sex. We keep this claim measured: the revision changes the constants, not the mathematics, and reasonable people still debate how well any single formula can equalise across every class.

The practical consequence

Here is the point that trips people up. Because the revision changes the constants a through f, a revised coefficient for a given bodyweight is a different number from the original coefficient for that same bodyweight. So the resulting scores sit on two different scales.

A Wilks score is only comparable to another score computed with the same version. Putting an original-Wilks number next to a revised-Wilks number and declaring one lifter stronger is meaningless — you are comparing readings from two different rulers. This is exactly why our calculator exposes a version selector and prints which set produced each result, so a number never travels without its label.

Where Wilks sits now vs DOTS and IPF GL

Wilks is no longer the only game in town. DOTS is another bodyweight-adjustment formula that some federations and communities prefer, and the International Powerlifting Federation moved its official scoring to IPF GL points. Each system uses its own coefficients and its own reference population, so — just like the two Wilks versions — a DOTS number, an IPF GL number and either Wilks number are all on separate scales.

If you want the side-by-side breakdown, see Wilks vs DOTS vs IPF GL points, and for the system the IPF now uses officially, read IPF GL points explained.

Know which set a number came from

Frequently asked questions

Related tools and reading

Sources

• Published Wilks coefficient sets (original and revised) — the constants for the fifth-order bodyweight polynomial used to compute each version. Checked 24 Aug 2026.
• International Powerlifting Federation, IPF documentation — on the move to IPF GL points as official scoring. Checked 24 Aug 2026.