Wilks Calculator (Original Wilks Formula)

Wilks calculator

Short answer

Wilks points compare powerlifters of different body weights by multiplying the weight lifted by a coefficient, 500 ÷ a fifth-degree polynomial of body weight, with separate constants for men and women. A man weighing 73.05 kg with a 908 kg total has a coefficient of 0.7260 and scores 659.21 Wilks points, matching the IPF's published results for that lifter.

Last reviewed 28 October 20263 published sourcesNot medical advice

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Wilks coefficients by body weight
Body weight	Men	Women
52 kg	0.9813	1.2466
60 kg	0.8529	1.1149
70 kg	0.7494	0.9948
80 kg	0.6827	0.9150
90 kg	0.6384	0.8641
100 kg	0.6086	0.8326
120 kg	0.5749	0.7997

Body weight

Men

Women

52 kg

0.9813

1.2466

60 kg

0.8529

1.1149

70 kg

0.7494

0.9948

80 kg

0.6827

0.9150

90 kg

0.6384

0.8641

100 kg

0.6086

0.8326

120 kg

0.5749

0.7997

The formula and its constants

The coefficient is 500 ÷ (a + b·x + c·x² + d·x³ + e·x⁴ + f·x⁵), with x the lifter's body mass in kg. For men a = −216.0475144, b = 16.2606339, c = −0.002388645, d = −0.00113732, e = 7.01863 × 10⁻⁶ and f = −1.291 × 10⁻⁸; for women a = 594.31747775582, b = −27.23842536447, c = 0.82112226871, d = −0.00930733913, e = 4.731582 × 10⁻⁵ and f = −9.054 × 10⁻⁸ (Kikuchi et al., 2021).

The IPF's 2018 proposal to replace Wilks lists the Wilks results of the 2017 IPF World Open Men's Championships; at 73.05 kg and 908 kg it shows 659.21 points, the same as this calculator (IPF: Wilks replacement proposal).

Vanderburgh and Batterham tested the formula on 30 men and 27 women, world record holders and top IPF finishers. They found no body-weight bias for the bench press and the total, a favourable bias toward middle-weight women in the squat, and an unfavourable bias toward heavier lifters in the deadlift (Vanderburgh & Batterham, 1999).

Other scores

IPF competitions now use IPF GL points; Olympic weightlifters use the Sinclair calculator. Estimate each lift's max with the one rep max calculator.

Common questions

How is the Wilks score calculated?

Wilks coefficient = 500 ÷ (a + b·x + c·x² + d·x³ + e·x⁴ + f·x⁵), where x is body weight in kg and a–f differ for men and women. Multiply the coefficient by your total or lift in kg.

Is Wilks still used?

The IPF moved away from Wilks after a 2018 proposal argued it favoured some body weights, and now uses IPF GL points. Many other federations and gyms still quote Wilks, so check which score a meet uses.

Is the Wilks formula fair across body weights?

A 1999 validation in elite lifters found no body-weight bias for the bench press and the total, but a bias toward middle-weight women in the squat and against heavier lifters in the deadlift.

Sources

Figures on this page were checked against these publications on 28 October 2026.

Kikuchi N, Moreland E, Homma H, Semenova EA, Saito M, Larin AK, Kobatake N, Yusupov RA, Okamoto T, Nakazato K, Williams AG, Generozov EV, Ahmetov II. Genes and weightlifting performance. Genes (Basel). 2021;13(1):25. doi.org/10.3390/genes13010025

Marksteiner J. IPF Points: Proposed Replacement for Wilks Coefficients. International Powerlifting Federation; 2018. www.powerlifting.sport/fileadmin/ipf/data/ipf-formula/IPF_Points_Proposal.pdf

Vanderburgh PM, Batterham AM. Validation of the Wilks powerlifting formula. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 1999;31(12):1869–1875. doi.org/10.1097/00005768-199912000-00027

Wilks calculator