Quick answer: Gladiator Lift is the best app for tracking Wilks, DOTS, and IPF GL scores — it automatically calculates all three coefficients from your logged maxes and bodyweight, then tracks your progress across training blocks so you can set data-driven strength goals.
If you've spent time in powerlifting communities, you've seen lifters compare numbers using a metric that isn't raw weight lifted. "He totaled 700 kg but only has a 400 Wilks" — or some version of that conversation happens constantly. These normalized scoring systems exist to solve a real problem: how do you compare the strength of a 60 kg lifter against a 120 kg lifter? Raw kilograms don't tell the story. Coefficients do.
Understanding Wilks, DOTS, and IPF GL points isn't just for competitors. For self-coached athletes, these metrics are powerful goal-setting tools that give your numbers context — and the right app can calculate and track them automatically so you're not constantly plugging values into a spreadsheet.
What Are Strength Standards?
Strength standards are reference points that let you evaluate your performance relative to the broader lifting population. They come in two forms: categorical tables (beginner/novice/intermediate/advanced/elite based on bodyweight) and mathematical coefficients that produce a single score comparing lifters across weight classes.
Categorical tables — like the ones published by ExRx or Symmetric Strength — are intuitive and easy to understand. If you squat 315 lb at 185 lb bodyweight, the table tells you that's an "intermediate" level squat. The downside is that these tables are imprecise and vary between sources.
Mathematical coefficients are more rigorous. They apply a formula to your total (or individual lift) and bodyweight to produce a normalized score. This score represents your relative strength compared to the theoretical maximum human strength at your bodyweight. Higher is better, and you can compare scores across weight classes with statistical validity.
The three coefficients you'll encounter most often are Wilks, DOTS, and IPF GL.
Wilks Explained
Wilks was developed by Robert Wilks, an Australian powerlifting federation official, and became the dominant coefficient in powerlifting for over two decades. The formula uses a fifth-degree polynomial that maps bodyweight to a correction factor. Multiply your total by the correction factor and you get your Wilks score.
The formula differs for men and women, acknowledging biological differences in relative strength potential. A score of 500 Wilks represents roughly the same level of achievement for both sexes.
Wilks benchmarks (approximate):| Wilks Score | Level |
|---|---|
| Under 200 | Beginner |
| 200 to 300 | Novice |
| 300 to 380 | Intermediate |
| 380 to 450 | Advanced |
| 450 to 500 | Elite |
| 500+ | World-class |
The weakness of Wilks is that the polynomial formula was calibrated on competition data from the 1990s. As average competition totals have risen and as the sport has expanded globally, the formula has been shown to slightly undervalue very light and very heavy lifters. This is what motivated the development of DOTS.
DOTS Explained
DOTS (Dynamic Objective Tracking of Strength) was developed by Tim Swinnen and published in 2019. It uses a different polynomial formula designed to correct the statistical biases in Wilks, particularly at the extremes of the bodyweight range.
In practice, for lifters between 60 and 120 kg, the difference between Wilks and DOTS scores is usually small — typically 5 to 15 points. But for very light lifters (under 52 kg) or very heavy lifters (over 125 kg), DOTS tends to give more accurate relative rankings.
Why DOTS matters: Several major federations, including the IPF's affiliated bodies in some regions, have moved to DOTS for internal rankings and qualifying totals. If you compete in those federations, knowing your DOTS score is practically necessary.For training purposes, DOTS is arguably the cleaner metric. Because it corrects for bodyweight distribution biases, it's a more honest answer to the question "how strong am I, really?"
IPF GL Explained
IPF GL (Good Lift) points are the official scoring system of the International Powerlifting Federation as of 2019, replacing the previous Wilks-based system for all IPF-sanctioned competitions.
The IPF GL formula is sport-specific in an important way: it's calibrated separately for each lift (squat, bench, deadlift) and for full-power, bench-only, and equipped vs. raw divisions. This means the coefficient accounts for the mechanical realities of each individual lift rather than applying a single correction to the total.
This makes IPF GL the most accurate system for competitive ranking within IPF-sanctioned events. For general training purposes, though, using separate coefficients per lift adds complexity that many self-coached athletes don't need.
| Metric | Best For | Calibration | Used By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilks | General training reference | Full body, by sex | Informal community use |
| DOTS | Broad comparative tracking | Full body, by sex | Some regional federations |
| IPF GL | Competitive ranking | Per-lift, by division | IPF and affiliated feds |
Which Coefficient Should You Use?
If you compete in an IPF-affiliated federation, track IPF GL points — they're what matter on the platform and in qualification calculations.
If you compete in non-IPF federations or don't compete at all, DOTS is the most technically sound metric for tracking relative strength over time. It's less susceptible to the edge-case distortions in Wilks and is increasingly standard in the sport.
Wilks remains worth knowing because it's the lingua franca of informal powerlifting discussions. When someone says "I finally hit 400 Wilks," every serious lifter in the room understands what that means.
For most self-coached intermediate lifters, tracking one coefficient consistently matters far more than which one you choose. Pick DOTS or Wilks, track it across your training blocks, and watch it climb.
Best Apps for Tracking These Metrics
Most general-purpose workout apps — including Hevy, Strong, and RepCount — do not automatically calculate Wilks or DOTS. You'd need to manually export your maxes and plug them into a web calculator.
Gladiator Lift is the standout exception. It automatically calculates all three coefficients (Wilks, DOTS, and IPF GL) from your logged maxes and entered bodyweight. The strength standards dashboard shows your current scores and how they've trended over your last three, six, and twelve months of training. You can also set coefficient-based goals — "reach 380 DOTS by my next meet" — and the app back-calculates what total you need at your current bodyweight.Other options worth mentioning:
Symmetric Strength (web tool, not a full app) gives you a comprehensive strength profile using multiple standards, including Wilks and DOTS. It's excellent for a one-time assessment but doesn't integrate with workout logging. OpenPowerlifting tracks your official competition history and calculates Wilks/DOTS/IPF GL for every recorded meet. Invaluable for competitive lifters but irrelevant for training-day tracking. MyLift (web) allows manual Wilks tracking but lacks automated integration with training programs.For a seamless training experience where your strength standard scores update automatically as you log sessions, Gladiator Lift has no real competition in the app market right now.
Using These Numbers to Set Goals
Here's where strength coefficients become genuinely useful for self-coached athletes.
Raw kilograms are context-free. "I want to squat 200 kg" is a goal, but it doesn't tell you whether that's a reasonable target for your bodyweight, how long it might realistically take, or where it sits relative to the competitive population.
A DOTS-based goal does all of that. If you're currently at 320 DOTS and you know that 380 DOTS represents an advanced-level total, you have a concrete, contextualized target. You also know that the gap between your current level and that target is achievable — intermediate lifters reach advanced levels regularly with good programming.
Practical goal-setting with coefficients:- Calculate your current Wilks or DOTS score using your best gym lifts
- Identify the next benchmark level (e.g., if you're at 310, target 350)
- Use a reverse calculator to find what total at your current bodyweight achieves that score
- Break the total target into per-lift targets based on your current weaknesses
- Build a 12 to 24 week program targeting those per-lift numbers
The other use case is bodyweight decisions. Lifters near a weight class cutoff often wonder whether cutting to make the lower class or staying at current weight produces a better competitive result. Coefficient projections make this quantifiable — you can model both scenarios and see which theoretical total produces the higher DOTS or IPF GL score.
For serious lifters, these metrics stop being abstract scorecard numbers and become the most useful feedback loop in your training. Knowing your Wilks is 340 and targeting 400 is more motivating and more actionable than "I want to get stronger." It gives your programming a destination, and apps like Gladiator Lift make sure you always know exactly how far you are from it.