Powerlifting score
DOTS Calculator
Compare your powerlifting total to lifters of any bodyweight. Enter your bodyweight and your squat + bench + deadlift total.
By Tyler Talaga, RN · Updated
What is a DOTS score?
DOTS turns a powerlifting total into a single number adjusted for bodyweight, so a 132 lb lifter and a 275 lb lifter can be ranked on the same list. It was introduced in 2019 as a modern alternative to the Wilks score and is the default ranking on OpenPowerlifting.
How is DOTS calculated?
Your total in kilograms is multiplied by a coefficient that depends on your bodyweight (BW, in kg):
DOTS = total × 500 ÷ (a + b·BW + c·BW² + d·BW³ + e·BW⁴)
| Coefficient | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| a | −307.75076 | −57.96288 |
| b | 24.0900756 | 13.6175032 |
| c | −0.1918759221 | −0.1126655495 |
| d | 0.0007391293 | 0.0005158568 |
| e | −1.093 × 10⁻⁶ | −1.0706 × 10⁻⁶ |
Bodyweight is capped at 40–210 kg for men and 40–150 kg for women, the range the formula was fitted on.
Worked example: a man weighing 83 kg (183 lb) with a 600 kg (1,323 lb) total scores 405.1 DOTS. The same total is 400.5 Wilks.
What is a good DOTS score?
It depends on who you compare yourself to. These rough bands are the ones the calculator's badge uses:
| DOTS | Level |
|---|---|
| 500+ | Elite / International |
| 400–499 | Competitive at National Level |
| 350–399 | Advanced |
| 300–349 | Intermediate |
| 200–299 | Novice |
| 0–199 | Beginner |
Neither DOTS nor Wilks adjusts for age. If you compete as a masters lifter, compare yourself within your age class rather than against open results.
DOTS vs Wilks: which should you use?
Use DOTS for current comparisons. It was fitted to recent results and behaves more consistently at the very light and very heavy ends. Use Wilks when you want to compare against older meet results and records, which were scored with it for decades.
Sources
- OpenPowerlifting. DOTS coefficients (opl-data, crates/coefficients/src/dots.rs). gitlab.com/openpowerlifting/opl-data