A DOTS score is a powerlifting total multiplied by a coefficient based on bodyweight and the selected male or female formula. It gives you a way to compare totals across bodyweights without simply dividing the total by the lifter’s weight.
Start with your total
For a three-lift result, add the best successful squat, bench press and deadlift from the same meet. A lifter with a 220 kg squat, 140 kg bench and 240 kg deadlift has a 600 kg total. Adding three personal records set on separate days gives a hypothetical gym total, not a meet result.
The DOTS formula
Let x be bodyweight in kilograms and T be the total in kilograms. Calculate DOTS = T × 500 ÷ (a·x⁴ + b·x³ + c·x² + d·x + e). Use all coefficients from the same row below.
| Coefficient | Male formula | Female formula |
|---|---|---|
| a | −0.0000010930 | −0.0000010706 |
| b | 0.0007391293 | 0.0005158568 |
| c | −0.1918759221 | −0.1126655495 |
| d | 24.0900756 | 13.6175032 |
| e | −307.75076 | −57.96288 |
Worked example: 83 kg and a 600 kg total
With the male coefficients, a bodyweight of 83 kg gives a denominator of approximately 740.6449. The coefficient is 500 ÷ 740.6449, approximately 0.675087. Multiplying by 600 gives 405.05 DOTS after rounding to two decimal places.
This is a calculated example, not a claim about a particular athlete. If the same lifter adds 10 kg to the total without changing bodyweight, the score rises by approximately 6.75 points. At a fixed bodyweight, the relationship between total and points is linear.
Bodyweight limits matter
The published formula defines bodyweight ranges of 40–210 kg for men and 40–150 kg for women. Outside those limits, its coefficient is taken at the nearest boundary. Our calculator follows that convention and shows a message when it uses a boundary weight. The lifted total itself is not clamped.
Kilograms and pounds should give the same score
Convert both the bodyweight and the total before applying the formula. One pound is 0.45359237 kg. Converting only one input changes the result incorrectly. A small difference can remain if you round the converted inputs before entering them.
What does the number tell you?
A higher score indicates a higher bodyweight-adjusted total under this formula. It does not automatically mean a better placing: age group, equipment, testing category and event eligibility can still separate lifters. A bench-only score also should not be ranked against a squat–bench–deadlift score.
For useful progress tracking, record the date, bodyweight, total, formula and lifting conditions. Compare like with like. For a competition decision, follow its rulebook rather than choosing whichever formula gives the largest number.
Calculate your DOTS score or compare DOTS with Wilks and IPF GL.