The Wilks Score is a numerical coefficient that scales a powerlifter's total (squat plus bench plus deadlift) to account for their bodyweight and sex. It exists to answer one question. If a 60 kg woman totals 400 kg and a 120 kg man totals 800 kg, who lifted more relative to their size?
The full picture
Mathematician Robin Wilks created the formula in 1994 for the International Powerlifting Federation. It uses a fifth-degree polynomial fit to elite competition results that outputs a coefficient. Your total in kilograms multiplied by this coefficient gives your Wilks score. Higher is better. Roughly speaking, an elite male at any weight class lands around 500. An elite female lands around 470.
The Wilks Score dominated powerlifting comparison for 25 years. It was used to award "best lifter" at meets, to seed flight order, and to rank lifters across weight classes in team competitions. Its longevity came from being good enough across most of the curve, rather than being perfect.
In the late 2010s, researchers noted that Wilks coefficients were calibrated against smaller and older datasets, and that they overvalued superheavy male lifters while undervaluing lightweight female lifters. The IPF responded with Wilks 2 in 2020, and independent coaches developed DOTS in 2019. The IPF then adopted GL points (Goodlift) as the official scoring system for international meets starting in 2020.
How it is calculated
Wilks = total × 500 / (a + b·BW + c·BW² + d·BW³ + e·BW⁴ + f·BW⁵), where BW is bodyweight in kg and the six coefficients (a-f) differ by sex. The denominator is a polynomial fit to elite-lifter performance versus bodyweight. Total is in kg. Pounds users convert first (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg).
Common misconceptions
- Wilks is not "absolute strength." It is strength relative to a curve of elite performance, so a 300 Wilks at 60 kg requires very different work than 300 at 120 kg.
- Wilks is not directly comparable to DOTS or IPF GL. The point scales are similar in magnitude but the underlying curves are different.
- A high Wilks does not mean you "would beat" anyone with a lower Wilks. Strength sports are tested by total at a meet, not by coefficient.
Citations
- Wilks R. (1994). Wilks Coefficient. International Powerlifting Federation technical documentation.
- Vanderburgh PM, Batterham AM. (1999). Validation of the Wilks powerlifting formula. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 31(12), 1869-1875.
- International Powerlifting Federation. (2020). Goodlift (IPF GL) scoring system documentation.