Worked examples, in Strength Training
DOTS Score Examples
Raw totals tell you how much someone lifted; DOTS tells you how impressive that lift is relative to bodyweight. The polynomial coefficient normalizes strength across weight classes, making cross-athlete comparisons meaningful. These examples show how the score plays out across different athlete profiles and competitive contexts.
4 examples. Published Mar 12, 2026. Updated Oct 5, 2026. By AI Fit Hub.
Worked examples
See the inputs and outcome together
Each scenario keeps the starting point, the outcome, and the actual lesson in one place so the page reads like a decision notebook, not a data dump.
- 1
Baseline lifter
An 83 kg male powerlifter posts a 500 kg three-lift total.
DOTS comes out at 337.5 and Wilks2 at 400.8, putting this lifter in the Novice band.
Sex
Male
Bodyweight Kg
83
Total Kg
500
Wilks2 reads about 19% higher only because its scale is 600 points, not 500; on the same scale the two land within a point of each other at this bodyweight. DOTS is the more widely used standard outside the IPF, so use it as the primary number when comparing meets.
- 2
Bigger total, same weight
The same 83 kg lifter raises the total to 600 kg.
DOTS jumps to 405.1, moving the lifter from Novice into the Intermediate band.
Sex
Male
Bodyweight Kg
83
Total Kg
600
At a fixed bodyweight the score tracks the total almost linearly, which is the point: it rewards lifting more, not weighing less. A 100 kg total gain is worth nearly 70 DOTS points here.
- 3
Heavier lifter, same total
A 105 kg lifter posts the same 600 kg total as example two.
DOTS drops to 361.9 despite the identical total, landing back in the Novice band.
Sex
Male
Bodyweight Kg
105
Total Kg
600
The coefficient penalises higher bodyweight, since heavier lifters are expected to lift more in absolute terms. The same 600 kg is worth over 40 fewer points at 105 kg than at 83 kg.
- 4
Female lifter
A 63 kg female lifter with a 350 kg total runs the score.
DOTS is 376.4, in the Intermediate band on the female coefficient.
Sex
Female
Bodyweight Kg
63
Total Kg
350
The female formula uses its own coefficients and band cutoffs, which is what lets a 350 kg total rank competitively against male totals. Always set the sex correctly, since the wrong setting makes cross-comparison meaningless.
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Sources
- IPF — Evaluation of Wilks, Wilks-2, DOTS, IPF and GoodLift formulas (2020) , International Powerlifting Federation (IPF)
- Validation of the Wilks powerlifting formula , Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (1999) — Vanderburgh & Batterham
Keep the topic connected
- Formula DOTS Score Formula
DOTS = total_kg × (500 / (a + b·bw + c·bw² + d·bw³ + e·bw⁴)). Sex-specific polynomial coefficients.
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