Here is the Sinclair formula explained in plain terms. If DOTS and Wilks are powerlifting’s answer to bodyweight comparison, Sinclair is Olympic weightlifting’s — and it works on a fundamentally different principle.
The core idea: chase the world record curve
Instead of fitting a curve to average lifter performance the way Wilks and DOTS do, Sinclair is built directly from world record totals across every bodyweight category. The formula asks: “if this lifter competed in the heaviest weight class instead, and lifted at the same relative level compared to the world record in their own class, what would their total be?”
The formula
Coefficient = 10^(A × (log₁₀(bodyweight ÷ b))²) when bodyweight is below b (the reference bodyweight); otherwise the coefficient is exactly 1.0.
A and b are published by the International Weightlifting Federation and recalculated every Olympic cycle from the current world records. Multiply your total by the coefficient to get your Sinclair Total.
Why it changes every four years
World records move. As lifters push totals higher in each bodyweight class — often unevenly across classes — the curve Sinclair is built from shifts too, so the IWF republishes new A and b constants after each Olympic cycle to keep the formula honest to current performance levels. This is a meaningful difference from Wilks or DOTS, which are fixed once published and only revised occasionally.
What this means for you
A Sinclair Total calculated with last cycle’s constants isn’t directly comparable to one calculated with the current cycle’s constants — always check which cycle’s numbers you’re using before comparing scores across years. Our Sinclair Calculator notes which cycle’s official coefficients it’s using and links back to the IWF for verification.
Sinclair vs Wilks/DOTS: not interchangeable
Because Sinclair is built from world-record data rather than a broader competitive population, and applies to the snatch + clean & jerk total rather than a powerlifting total, it isn’t a drop-in substitute for Wilks or DOTS — it’s solving the same problem for a completely different sport with a different underlying dataset.
The Sinclair formula explained step by step
- Check whether your bodyweight is above the reference bodyweight (b) for your sex in the current Olympic cycle. If it is, your Sinclair coefficient is simply 1 and your Sinclair total equals your actual total.
- If you are lighter than b, calculate X = log10(your bodyweight ÷ b).
- Calculate the coefficient: 10 raised to the power of (A × X²), where A is the published coefficient for your sex.
- Multiply your total (best snatch + best clean and jerk) by that coefficient.
Because X is squared, the coefficient grows faster the further you are below the reference bodyweight. That is why lighter weightlifters can post very high Sinclair totals relative to their actual kilos lifted.
A worked example (conceptual)
A 73 kg lifter who snatches 130 kg and clean and jerks 160 kg has a 290 kg total. Because 73 kg is well below the men’s reference bodyweight, their coefficient will be noticeably above 1, so their Sinclair total will be higher than 290. A 120 kg lifter with a 360 kg total, by contrast, may be close to or above the reference bodyweight and receive little or no adjustment. Use the Sinclair calculator to get exact figures with the current coefficients.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Sinclair for powerlifting?
It is not designed for it. Sinclair is fitted to Olympic weightlifting world records. For powerlifting totals use DOTS, Wilks or IPF GL — compared in DOTS vs Wilks vs IPF GL.
Why did my Sinclair total change when I didn’t lift more?
The coefficients are updated after each Olympic cycle using the latest world records. A new set of coefficients can move your Sinclair total even if your lifts stay the same.
Is there an age-adjusted version?
Masters weightlifting uses age factors (often called the Sinclair-Meltzer-Faber adjustment) on top of the Sinclair total to compare lifters across age groups.