Wilks vs DOTS vs IPF GL points
Three published systems dominate powerlifting scoring: Wilks, DOTS and IPF GL points. They all answer the same question — how strong is this total relative to bodyweight? — but with different formulas and different official standing. Here is how they compare, with the exact formulas.
Open the IPF GL Points calculatorThe IPF GL Points & DOTS Calculator shows IPF GL and DOTS together, and the Wilks Calculator gives Wilks — run your total through both and you have every number on this page.
The same lifter, three scores
Take one real lift — an 83 kg male with a 650 kg classic (raw) total — and run it through all three systems. You get three completely different numbers:
| System | Score | Scale it lives on |
|---|---|---|
| Wilks | 433.9 | ~300 fair · 400 strong · 500 elite |
| DOTS | 438.8 | Similar magnitude to Wilks, not identical |
| IPF GL | 90.0 | ~100 = a winning international total |
Wilks and DOTS land near each other (434 vs 439) because both rescale a total against a 500-point anchor; IPF GL sits near 90 because it is anchored to 100. The single most common mistake in powerlifting scoring is treating these as one comparable number. They are three separate rulers. This page shows how each ruler is built, and — the part no other comparison covers — which one quietly rewards your bodyweight.
The three systems at a glance
| System | Curve | Introduced | Official standing | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilks | 5th-degree polynomial | 1994 | IPF metric 1997–2018 | Gyms, record books, older results |
| DOTS | 4th-degree polynomial | 2019 | Never the IPF metric | USPA, WRPF and other non-IPF feds |
| IPF GL | Exponential decay | 2019 | Official IPF metric since 2019 | IPF and IPF-affiliated meets |
The formulas behind each
Every system starts from the same idea: divide (or scale) your total by a factor derived from your bodyweight, so a lighter lifter and a heavier lifter can be compared. What differs is the shape of that factor.
Wilks is a fifth-degree polynomial, DOTS a fourth-degree polynomial refitted on a newer, larger dataset, and IPF GL a fundamentally different exponential curve. Each publishes its own constants split by sex (and, for IPF GL, by raw vs equipped lifting). Because the curves and the fitted constants differ, feeding one bodyweight into all three returns three unrelated numbers — which is exactly what you saw above.
Which system flatters your bodyweight?
This is the question every comparison skips. Hold the total fixed at 600 kg and change only the lifter's bodyweight. All three systems reward the lighter lifter — that is the whole point — but they do not agree on how much, and the disagreement is systematic:
| Bodyweight (male, 600 kg total) | Wilks | DOTS | IPF GL | Wilks − DOTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg (lightweight) | 511.7 | 506.4 | 98.4 | +5.3 |
| 75 kg | 427.5 | 430.5 | 87.5 | −3.0 |
| 90 kg (middleweight) | 383.0 | 388.0 | 79.8 | −5.0 |
| 110 kg | 353.1 | 355.4 | 72.5 | −2.3 |
| 130 kg (superheavy) | 339.4 | 336.0 | 67.4 | +3.4 |
Look at the last column. Wilks scores the lightest and heaviest lifters higher than DOTS (positive at 60 kg and 130 kg), while DOTS is more generous through the middleweights (negative from 75–110 kg). Both DOTS and IPF GL were fitted on newer, larger datasets than the original Wilks curve, and this is where they diverge from it most. The practical upshot is simple: if you are a 60 kg or 130 kg lifter, Wilks reads highest for you; if you sit around 90 kg, DOTS gives you a few points Wilks would not. Same lift, different ruler, real difference in where you rank.
Why the IPF dropped Wilks in 2019
The IPF replaced Wilks with GL points in 2019 (formalised in the 2020 IPF Technical Rules) because the Wilks curve, fitted to data gathered decades earlier, was judged to no longer score fairly across all weight classes as the sport's population and equipment changed. IPF GL was refitted against modern, drug-tested IPF results and publishes separate A, B and C constants per sex and equipment class. The male raw (Classic) constants are:
| Division (male) | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic (Raw) | 1199.72839 | 1025.18162 | 0.00921 |
| Equipped | 1236.25191 | 1443.35294 | 0.01644 |
Worked through for the 83 kg / 650 kg lifter above: the denominator is
1199.72839 − 1025.18162 × e^(−0.00921 × 83) = 1199.72839 − 477.31 = 722.42, so
650 × 100 / 722.42 = 90.0 GL points. Wilks and DOTS did not disappear when the IPF moved
on — non-IPF federations and everyday lifters still use them, which is why all three coexist today.
Which one should you use?
Let the context decide, not the biggest number. If you compete in the IPF or want to measure yourself against IPF results, use IPF GL. If your federation or training community runs on Wilks or DOTS (USPA and WRPF lean DOTS), match them. For tracking your own progress over a training block, any single system works — the trend matters more than the label, so pick one and stay on it. For the Wilks side in depth, see how is a Wilks score calculated; for where your number sits, what is a good Wilks score.
Can you convert between them?
Not with a fixed multiplier, and this trips up more people than any other part of the topic. Because each system is a separate curve fitted to a different dataset, the gap between, say, a Wilks and a DOTS score changes with bodyweight — it was +5.3 at 60 kg and −5.0 at 90 kg in the table above. No single conversion factor can track a gap that flips sign. The only reliable way to hold all three is to recompute each from the same total and bodyweight, which is what the IPF GL & DOTS calculator and the Wilks calculator do.
Where all three fall short
None of the three knows whether the lifts behind your total were judged to depth, whether the meet was drug-tested, or how you would fare on a different day. They also assume the published curve fits your bodyweight well, which is weakest at the far ends of the range. Treat any of these scores as one lens on relative strength — useful for ranking a field on the day, blunt as a verdict on an individual athlete.
Frequently asked questions
Does the IPF use DOTS or Wilks?
Neither, since 2019. The IPF scores its meets with its own IPF GL Points formula. DOTS and Wilks live mainly in non-IPF federations (USPA, WRPF) and in everyday gym comparison.
Which scoring system is the most accurate?
None is "accurate" in an absolute sense — each is a statistical fit to a population. IPF GL is the most current (refitted on modern drug-tested data and flatter across weight classes). Wilks slightly over-rewards the lightest and heaviest lifters; DOTS is more even through the middleweights. The right one is whichever your community actually uses.
Is IPF GL just a newer Wilks?
No. Wilks is a 5th-degree polynomial; IPF GL is an exponential-decay model with different published constants. It replaced Wilks as the official IPF metric in 2019, but it is a different formula, not a re-tuning of the same one.
How does DOTS differ from Wilks?
DOTS uses a 4th-degree polynomial refitted on a newer, larger dataset; Wilks uses a 5th-degree polynomial. Both scale total against 500, but the denominators differ, so the scores differ — and, as the table shows, which one is higher depends on your bodyweight.
Can I convert a Wilks score to IPF GL points?
Not by a simple factor. They are separate fitted systems on different scales, so the only reliable way to get both is to compute each from the same total and bodyweight.
Related tools and reading
IPF GL Points & DOTS Calculator
Compute official IPF GL points with a side-by-side DOTS comparison in kg or lb.
ReadHow is a Wilks score calculated?
The Wilks formula, the male constants and a worked 83 kg example.
Sources
- International Powerlifting Federation — the governing body that adopted the IPF GL Points formula as its official metric in 2019 (IPF Technical Rules, 2020 revision), with the published A/B/C coefficients. Checked 24 Aug 2026.
- Wilks coefficient reference — Robert Wilks' original 1994 formula and the men's 5th-degree polynomial coefficients used in this article's calculations. Checked 24 Aug 2026.
- OpenPowerlifting — scoring formulas FAQ — documents the DOTS, Wilks and IPF GL formulas and coefficients as applied across federations. Checked 24 Aug 2026.
- Cross-system scores in the tables were computed by ScoreIndexer by applying each published formula to the same total and bodyweight. Figures are rounded for display.