# DOTS Calculator | Forge > **Quick Answer:** The Forge DOTS Calculator scores your powerlifting total with the DOTS formula, the modern standard for pound-for-pound comparisons across bodyweights and sexes. Enter your bodyweight and total (or squat, bench, and deadlift separately) and get your score and level. Free and ungated, in kg and lb. Example: a 90 kg lifter with a 600 kg total scores about 388, national-level territory. **dateModified:** 2026-08-09 --- ## Key Facts - **What it does:** Adjusts a powerlifting total for bodyweight and sex so lifters of different sizes can be compared - **Formula:** Total in kg x 500, divided by a fourth-degree polynomial in bodyweight, with separate coefficient sets for men and women - **Modes:** Enter a total directly, or enter squat, bench, and deadlift and let it add them up - **Score bands:** Under 300 local level, 300-350 regional, 350-400 national, 400+ elite - **Units:** kg and lb (pounds convert at 1 kg = 2.20462 lb before scoring) - **Cost:** Free. No sign-up. --- ## How to Use It 1. Pick kg or lb. 2. Pick your sex. Each sex has its own published coefficients. 3. Enter your bodyweight. 4. Enter your total, or your three lifts separately. 5. Read your DOTS score and the level band it lands in. Gym lifts work fine as long as you are honest about squat depth and the bench pause. --- ## How the Math Works DOTS multiplies your total in kilograms by 500 and divides by a fourth-degree polynomial in bodyweight, with separate coefficient sets for men and women. Pounds convert at 1 kg = 2.20462 lb before scoring. Higher means stronger pound for pound. The formula penalizes extra bodyweight, so gaining weight only helps your score when the added muscle drives your total up faster than the penalty climbs. That makes DOTS the honest test of whether a bulk is paying off in strength. The bands here are rough guides drawn from where competitive totals tend to cluster, and they shift with equipment division and federation. DOTS was built for full power totals in the squat, bench press, and deadlift, so single-lift scores carry less meaning. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is a DOTS score? A single number that adjusts your powerlifting total for bodyweight and sex, so a lightweight and a heavyweight can be compared on equal footing. Your total in kilograms gets multiplied by 500 and divided by a polynomial built from your bodyweight. Higher means stronger pound for pound. ### What DOTS score is considered good? Under 300 you are around local meet level. From 300 to 350 you would be competitive at regional meets. Between 350 and 400 you are in national territory, and past 400 you are looking at elite company. These are rough guides, since the spread shifts with the equipment division and the federation. ### Why did DOTS replace Wilks? Wilks was fit on older data and it showed. Certain bodyweights scored systematically high, and the men's and women's tables drifted out of alignment as women's lifting grew. DOTS refit the curve on a much larger modern dataset, which is why most federations moved over. ### Does gaining bodyweight change my score much? A lot. The formula penalizes extra bodyweight, so gaining weight only helps your score when the added muscle drives your total up faster than the penalty climbs. That makes DOTS the honest test of whether a bulk is paying off in strength. ### Can I score a single lift with DOTS? The math runs, but the meaning thins out. DOTS was fit on three-lift powerlifting totals, so a bench-only score compares you against full totals and reads low. Use the one-rep max or percentage tools for single lifts and save DOTS for your total. ### Do I need to compete to use this? No. Gym lifts work fine as long as you are honest about squat depth and the bench pause. Treat the score as a way to track your own progress and to see how you stack up against lifters in other weight classes. --- ## Forge Tracks the Total Behind the Score Forge is an AI personal trainer for iOS and Android. It builds an adaptive strength plan, logs every squat, bench, and deadlift, and sets the next target as your total climbs. You get 4 trainer personalities and a 24/7 trainer chat. Pricing: $19.99/month, $59.99/year, or $6.99/week. All plans include a 7-day free trial. - **App Store:** https://apps.apple.com/us/app/forge-ai-personal-trainer/id6758403402 - **Google Play:** https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tendylabs.forge - **Website:** https://forgetrainer.ai --- *https://forgetrainer.ai/tools/dots-calculator*