# Wilks Calculator | Forge > **Quick Answer:** The Forge Wilks Calculator scores your powerlifting total with the original Wilks formula and the 2020 IPF update, side by side. Enter your sex, bodyweight, and total (or squat, bench, and deadlift) and get both scores. Free and ungated, in kg and lb. Example: a 90 kg lifter with a 600 kg total scores about 383 on the original scale and about 460 on the 2020 scale. **dateModified:** 2026-08-09 --- ## Key Facts - **What it does:** Converts a powerlifting total into a pound-for-pound score you can compare across bodyweights - **Two versions:** The original 1990s coefficients and the 2020 IPF update, shown together - **Formula:** Total in kg x 500 (original) or x 600 (2020), divided by a fifth-degree polynomial of bodyweight in kg, with published coefficients for each sex - **Modes:** Enter a total directly, or enter squat, bench, and deadlift separately - **Rough bands (original scale):** Typical gym lifter under 300, competitive local lifter in the low 300s, national level above 400 - **Valid range:** Bodyweights outside roughly 40 to 205 kg extrapolate the fitted curve and can misbehave - **Units:** kg and lb (pounds convert at 1 kg = 2.20462 lb before any math runs) - **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 both scores. Use the 2020 number for anything current; the original helps when you compare against old meet results and forum posts. Compare within one version at a time. The two scales do not mix. --- ## How the Math Works The original Wilks score equals total in kg times 500, divided by a fifth-degree polynomial of bodyweight in kg using the published coefficients for each sex. The 2020 revision keeps the same shape, swaps in newly fit coefficients, and multiplies by 600. Pounds convert at 1 kg = 2.20462 lb before any math runs. The original coefficients were fit on 1990s meet data. The IPF commissioned the 2020 update on modern competition results because it treats extremely light and heavy bodyweights more fairly. Bodyweights outside roughly 40 to 205 kg extrapolate the fitted curve, and scores there can misbehave. A Wilks score compares totals at one point in time. It says nothing about what you will lift next year. For a newer alternative fit on a larger dataset, our DOTS calculator runs the same inputs. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is a Wilks score? A Wilks score converts your powerlifting total into a number you can compare across bodyweights. A 70 kg lifter and a 120 kg lifter post very different totals, and raw numbers say little about who is stronger for their size. The formula scales your total by a bodyweight-based coefficient so both lifters land on the same scale. ### Why are there two Wilks formulas? The original coefficients were published in the 1990s using the meet data available at the time. The IPF commissioned an update fit on modern competition results, and the 2020 version replaced the original because it treats extremely light and heavy bodyweights more fairly. This calculator shows both so you can compare against older posts and meet recaps. ### Which score should I use? Use the 2020 score for anything current. That is the version the IPF adopted. The original still floats around old forum threads and archived results, so it helps to know both numbers when you read them. ### Can I run it for a single lift? You can enter only a bench press or only a deadlift and the math will run. The score was designed around full power totals, though, and single-lift scores are harder to interpret because so few published comparisons exist. ### What is a good Wilks score? Rough guides for the original formula put a typical gym lifter under 300, a competitive local lifter in the low 300s, and national-level lifters above 400. The 2020 version sits on a different scale, so compare within one version at a time. Drug testing, equipment, and age all shift what a good score looks like, so treat the bands as loose orientation. ### How does Wilks compare to DOTS? Both convert a total into a pound-for-pound score. DOTS is newer, draws on a larger modern dataset, and many federations outside the IPF have adopted it. Our DOTS calculator runs the same inputs if you want both numbers. --- ## Forge Tracks the Lifts Behind the Score Forge is an AI personal trainer for iOS and Android. It builds an adaptive strength plan, logs every set, and sets the next target as your total moves. 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/wilks-calculator*