DOTS (an acronym built from its co-creators’ names) is the scoring formula most non-IPF federations use today to compare lifters across bodyweights. Here’s what’s actually happening behind the number.
The formula
DOTS uses a 4th-degree polynomial of your bodyweight to produce a “denominator,” then divides your total by it:
DOTS = Total × 500 ÷ (A + B×BW + C×BW² + D×BW³ + E×BW&sup4;)
The coefficients A through E differ for men and women, since strength-to-bodyweight relationships differ by sex across the population the formula was fitted to. Bodyweight is clamped to a valid range (roughly 40–210kg for men, 40–150kg for women) — outside that range the formula’s assumptions stop holding, so calculators (including ours) cap the input at the boundary.
Worked example
Take a male lifter at 83kg bodyweight with a 600kg total. Plugging in the men’s coefficients and working through the polynomial gives a denominator around 1481, so:
DOTS = 600 × 500 ÷ 1481 ≈ 405
That lands solidly in the “Advanced” tier on most DOTS classification charts (roughly 400–450 for that band), which tracks with what you’d expect from a competitive but non-elite raw total at that bodyweight.
Why the polynomial, and why it changes with bodyweight
Raw strength doesn’t scale linearly with bodyweight — a lifter twice as heavy isn’t reliably twice as strong, because muscle cross-sectional area (which drives force output) scales differently than body mass as size increases. The polynomial exists to correct for that non-linear relationship so a 60kg lifter and a 140kg lifter can be compared on the same scale.
Common mistakes when calculating by hand
- Using the wrong sign on a coefficient — several of DOTS’s coefficients are negative, and a sign error produces a wildly wrong result
- Forgetting to clamp bodyweight at the formula’s valid range for very light or very heavy lifters
- Mixing kg and lb inputs — DOTS coefficients are defined in kilograms; convert first if you’re working in pounds
Skip the arithmetic and get an instant, verified result on our DOTS Calculator.
How bodyweight changes your DOTS score
To see the bodyweight adjustment in action, here is the DOTS score for the same 500 kg total at different bodyweights (men’s coefficients):
| Bodyweight | Total | DOTS score |
|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 500 kg | 422.0 |
| 75 kg | 500 kg | 358.7 |
| 90 kg | 500 kg | 323.3 |
| 105 kg | 500 kg | 301.5 |
| 120 kg | 500 kg | 287.2 |
The drop is steepest at lighter bodyweights and flattens out as bodyweight rises. That is the polynomial at work: each extra kilogram of bodyweight is “worth” less additional strength for a heavier lifter than for a lighter one, so the formula discounts heavier lifters more gently as they get bigger.
Step-by-step: calculating DOTS in a spreadsheet
- Put bodyweight in kilograms in cell A2 and your total in kilograms in B2. Convert pounds by dividing by 2.2046.
- Enter the five coefficients (A to E) for your sex in cells D2 to H2.
- Calculate the denominator:
=D2 + E2*A2 + F2*A2^2 + G2*A2^3 + H2*A2^4 - Calculate DOTS:
=B2*500/denominator - Check your result against our DOTS calculator. If it is off by more than a fraction of a point, a coefficient has probably been rounded too aggressively.
What is a good DOTS score?
As a rough guide for raw lifters: under 300 is typical for newer lifters, 300–400 covers most regular local competitors, 400–450 is a strong, competitive total, and scores above 500 are found among national and international medallists. Use these bands loosely — they vary by federation, sex, and whether the lifting is equipped. Our strength standards guide covers other ways to judge your level.
Frequently asked questions
Does DOTS use kilograms or pounds?
The coefficients are built for kilograms. Always convert bodyweight and total to kilograms before calculating, even if your meet used pounds.
Can I compare DOTS scores between men and women?
DOTS uses separate coefficients for men and women so that scores land on a similar scale, which is why many meets award one overall best lifter using DOTS. It is still an approximation, not a perfect equaliser.
How is DOTS different from Wilks and IPF GL?
All three adjust for bodyweight, but they use different curves and data sets, and GL uses a different scale entirely. See DOTS vs Wilks vs IPF GL for a full comparison.