A 650 kg total is more weight than a 600 kg total. But if the 600 kg lifter weighs 83 kg and the 650 kg lifter weighs 105 kg, who's stronger for their size? Points formulas answer that. Each one turns a total and a bodyweight into a single score, so lifters of different sizes can be compared.
Three lifters, three formulas
Classic (raw) totals from a full meet, worked out with our free calculator:
| Lifter | Bodyweight | Total | Dots | IPF GL | Wilks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Man | 83 kg | 600 kg | 405.05 | 83.06 | 400.50 |
| Man | 105 kg | 650 kg | 392.01 | 80.25 | 388.41 |
| Woman | 63 kg | 350 kg | 376.43 | 76.57 | 375.89 |
All three formulas agree here: the 83 kg lifter's 600 kg is the stronger total for their size, even though it's 50 kg less weight.
Dots
Dots multiplies your total by 500 and divides it by a curve fitted to bodyweight, with one curve for men and another for women. Higher is better. Because it only needs your sex, bodyweight and total, it's an easy way to compare yourself with lifters of any size.
IPF GL (Goodlift) points
The IPF ranks lifters with its own formula, IPF GL points. Unlike Dots, it also depends on your equipment (classic or equipped) and the event (a full meet or bench only). Its scores sit on a much smaller scale: around 80 for the totals above, where Dots gives around 400. Use GL when you're comparing yourself with IPF results.
Wilks
Wilks is the older formula, and plenty of lifters still know their Wilks score. OpenPowerlifting still lists it. For most lifters it lands close to Dots, as the table shows.
Which one should you use?
For best lifter at a meet, the one your federation uses. To compare yourself with other lifters in general, Dots is the simplest, since it needs only your sex, bodyweight and total.
Work out yours. The points calculator on our Gym Tools page gives your Dots, IPF GL and Wilks from your bodyweight and total, and its numbers match OpenPowerlifting's. With a free account, your lifter card also shows how your total ranks among OpenPowerlifting meet results.