Wilks Calculator — Compare Your Powerlifting Total
Enter your bench, squat, deadlift, and bodyweight. We compute your Wilks score, percentile within your bodyweight class, and a starter program tuned to your numbers — all in under 10 seconds, no signup required.
About this calculator
The Wilks coefficient was developed by Robert Wilks of Powerlifting Australia in 1995 to compare lifters across bodyweight classes. The 2020 update (Wilks-2) recalibrates the coefficients against a larger meet-database. Our calculator supports both versions; toggle between Wilks-1996, Wilks-2020, DOTS, and IPF GL in the result card to see how your total ranks under each system.
The percentile bands come from Symmetric Strength — large-sample data segmented by sex and bodyweight class. The starter program preview is built by the same engine that runs inside the app for paid users; your Wilks score determines the template (novice / intermediate / advanced) and the inputs determine starting weights.
Frequently asked
What is a Wilks score?+
Wilks is a coefficient-based score that normalizes a powerlifting total (bench + squat + deadlift) across bodyweight. A 1400-lb total at 165 lb bodyweight earns a similar Wilks to a 1700-lb total at 220 lb, so lifters in different weight classes can compare apples to apples.
Is the original Wilks (1996) or Wilks-2 (2020) more accurate?+
Wilks-2 (2020) is the updated coefficient set based on a larger and more recent dataset. Many federations still report the original 1996 Wilks for historical comparison. Our calculator toggles between both — most modern open-meet contexts use Wilks-2.
What's a good Wilks score?+
Roughly: under 250 is novice, 300-350 is intermediate, 400+ is advanced, 450+ is elite, 500+ is world-class. These thresholds are bodyweight-dependent and vary by sex; our percentile lookup gives you a precise rank.
Wilks vs DOTS — which should I use?+
DOTS is the modern replacement most federations now use for cross-class scoring. Wilks is still common for historical comparison and casual use. If you compete in IPF/USAPL meets, the federation will give you both — use whichever is in your meet contract.
How is the percentile calculated?+
We bucket your Wilks score against published Symmetric Strength bands per bodyweight class and sex. The bands are derived from large-sample meet data; the percentile is the band your score falls into (Beginner / Novice / Intermediate / Advanced / Elite).
Does the calculator work for women?+
Yes. Toggle the Sex selector to Female. The Wilks coefficient table has separate columns for male and female lifters; our percentile bands are sex-segregated too.
Can I save my Wilks result?+
Yes — clicking Save below the result generates a program tuned to your lifts and routes you to sign-up. Your numbers persist as the seed for your first onboarding turn, so your tracked 1RMs and starting weights are set from day one.