Unit
Gender
Body Weight
Squat
Bench
Deadlift


Why do we need a formula?

Sometimes you want to know where you stack up among other powerlifters. Am I strong for my weight and height? Could I become a professional weightlifter? This is where the Wilks Calculation comes in. For years, many casual lifters have been comparing their strength based on how much they bench, which birthed a common question of strength – “How much do you bench, bro?” The prevalence of this cultural phenomenon can be seen in Good Will Hunting where Matt Damon asks Robin William’s character how much he benches. However, one must admit that measuring the absolute amount of weight, whether in lbs or kgs, does not create a level playing field. After all, 130 lbs woman benching 2 plates is more impressive than 200 lbs gym bros repping out 2 plates.

 

What is the Wilks Calculator?

The Wilks Coefficient, or Wilks Calculator is a point system that takes into account body weight and total weight lifted to come out with a standardized number that can be compared with other people’s coefficients. Although different formulas are used between men and women’s performances, generally speaking, the higher the coefficient, the better the powerlifter.

The Wilks Calculator is highly regarded in the weightlifting world and is used by the International Powerlifting Federation to evaluate lifting performances across weight classes. Due to the United States being one of the only countries that still use pounds, the Wilks Calculator only works with weight inputs in kilograms. However, our calculator conveniently calculates pounds into kilograms for you so just toggle which measurement system you’re using before inputting.

This system has been in use for the last two decades and is seen as extremely accurate coming as close as a quarter pound of precision. Feel free to include fractional decimals in your inputs into our calculator for an extremely exact output.

The popularity of using the Wilks calculator to measure strength among people of different weight classes has gained momentum in the world of powerlifting. However, one criticism is that the calculator does not account for a person’s height. After all, a 6ft 3in weighing 180 lbs is not the same as a 5ft 10in weighing 180lbs. Regardless, Wilks calculator allows you to eliminate the guessing in measuring strength between 2 individuals. In addition, your Wilks score is calculated based on your 1 repetition maximum (1RM) effort weight. If you have never tested your 1RM, you can use our 1RM calculator to find out your strength. If you want to lose weight safely, find out how many calories you are burning using our TDEE calculator

 

How do we calculate the Wilks score?

Also, if you’d like to do the calculations yourself to find your Wilks Coefficient, the formula is written below! You can also find the corresponding variables you’ll need to use divided for men and women. Again, please note all weights should be input as kilograms. Once you calculate the Wilks coefficient where x is your bodyweight in kilograms, you need to multiply the total weight lifted in kgs by the Wilks coefficient.
Formula for Wilks Calculator

Men

Women

a

-216.0475144 594.31747775582

b

16.2606339 -27.23842536447

c

-0.002388645

0.82112226871

d -0.00113732

-0.00930733913

e 7.01863E-06

4.731582E-05

f -1.291E-08

-9.054E-08