What a DOTS score is
DOTS turns the weight you lift into a number that can be compared across bodyweights. A 60 kg lifter and a 120 kg lifter will never total the same, so the formula multiplies each result by a coefficient based on bodyweight and sex. The higher the score, the stronger the lift for the lifter's size.
The formula was written by Tim Konertz and introduced by the German federation BVDK in 2019. The name stands for Dynamic Objective Team Scoring. It arrived after the International Powerlifting Federation stopped using Wilks at the end of 2018: the BVDK runs mixed team competitions and needed one scale for men and women. USA Powerlifting's rulebook scores with DOTS points too.
The IPF itself does not use DOTS. Since 1 May 2020 it has ranked lifters with its own formula, IPF GL Points, which this calculator shows next to your DOTS score.
How DOTS is calculated
DOTS = weight lifted × 500 ÷ (a·bw4 + b·bw3 + c·bw2 + d·bw + e)
Here bw is bodyweight, and both it and the weight lifted are in kilograms. The five constants differ for men and women:
| Constant | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| a | -0.000001093 | -0.0000010706 |
| b | 0.0007391293 | 0.0005158568 |
| c | -0.1918759221 | -0.1126655495 |
| d | 24.0900756 | 13.6175032 |
| e | -307.75076 | -57.96288 |
A man weighing 83 kg has a coefficient of 0.6751, so a 520 kg total is worth 351.05 DOTS. Enter pounds and the calculator converts to kilograms first. The same coefficient works for one lift: multiply it by your best squat, bench press or deadlift instead of the total.
Bodyweight is limited to 40 to 210 kg for men and 40 to 150 kg for women. Outside that range the nearest limit is used, as OpenPowerlifting does.
What a good DOTS score is
That depends on who you compare yourself with. This table shows where totals fall among lifters who have competed, using each lifter's best full power total in the OpenPowerlifting database.
| Stronger than | Men, raw | Women, raw | Men, equipped | Women, equipped |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25% | 309.5 | 262.2 | 290.8 | 249.5 |
| 50% | 354.0 | 306.7 | 345.0 | 297.0 |
| 75% | 396.9 | 353.9 | 405.0 | 354.9 |
| 90% | 436.1 | 400.0 | 461.6 | 414.5 |
| 95% | 460.6 | 429.9 | 493.4 | 453.4 |
| 99% | 506.9 | 489.8 | 556.1 | 541.0 |
Half of the 333,182 men who have competed raw have a best total above 354.0 DOTS. One in ten is above 436.1, and one in a hundred above 506.9. These are people who trained for and entered a meet, so the middle of this table sits well above the middle of a commercial gym.
Single lifts, raw
| Lift | Men, median | Men, top 10% | Women, median | Women, top 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squat | 126.0 | 161.0 | 111.9 | 150.5 |
| Bench press | 85.2 | 110.6 | 61.0 | 85.1 |
| Deadlift | 144.7 | 177.4 | 133.6 | 172.5 |
DOTS, Wilks and IPF GL
| Formula | Where it stands | Raw and equipped |
|---|---|---|
| DOTS | Introduced by the BVDK in 2019. Used by USA Powerlifting. | One formula for both |
| Wilks | The IPF's formula until the end of 2018. | One formula for both |
| IPF GL | The IPF's formula since 1 May 2020. | Separate parameters for each, and for the total and the bench press |
DOTS and Wilks both land in the hundreds for a three-lift total, and for nine in ten competition totals they are within 8 points of each other. IPF GL points run on a smaller scale: a 1,035 kg equipped total at 92.04 kg, lifted at the IPF's 2019 world championships, scores 112.85.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good DOTS score?
It depends on who you compare yourself with. Among men who have competed raw, half have a best total above 354.0 DOTS, one in ten is above 436.1 and one in a hundred is above 506.9. For women competing raw the same marks are 306.7, 400.0 and 489.8.
Does the IPF use DOTS?
No. The International Powerlifting Federation has ranked lifters with its own formula, IPF GL Points, since 1 May 2020. DOTS came from the German federation BVDK in 2019, and USA Powerlifting's rulebook scores with DOTS points.
Is DOTS different for raw and equipped lifting?
No. The formula only uses sex, bodyweight and the weight lifted, so the score is the same either way. Equipment changes who you are ranked against on this page, and it changes your IPF GL points, which have separate parameters for classic and equipped lifting.
Can I calculate DOTS in pounds?
Yes. Choose lb and enter your bodyweight and lifts in pounds. The formula is defined in kilograms, so the calculator converts first, and the score comes out the same as it would in kilograms.
Can I get a DOTS score for a single lift?
Yes. The coefficient depends only on bodyweight and sex, so it can be multiplied by one squat, bench press or deadlift instead of a total. OpenPowerlifting scores bench-only meets this way.
Where do the rankings come from?
From the OpenPowerlifting database of competition results, which is public domain. Each lifter is counted once, at their best result. Totals come from full power meets, and raw includes lifting in knee wraps. The table was built from results up to October 2026.
Log the lifts behind the score
FortisTrack is a free workout tracker for iPhone and the web. Log your sets, follow each lift on a graph, and get an AI analysis of your training.
More tools: 1RM calculator and plate calculator.