Free powerlifting total calculator
Powerlifting Total Calculator
Add your best squat, your best one rep max bench calculator ,and your best deadlift, and you get your powerlifting total. You can also plan your meet attempts, see how each lift shares the total, find your weight class, and understand your DOTS and Wilks scores — all from the same three numbers.
- Squat + bench + deadlift total
- Attempt planner
- Weight class finder
- DOTS and Wilks explained
- kg and lb
This page calculates a total. It does not judge your lifts. A gym lift and a competition lift are not the same until the lift meets your federation’s rules for depth, pause, and lockout.
Powerlifting Calculator
Calculate your combined powerlifting total.
60 seconds
How to Use the Powerlifting Total Calculator
You need three best lifts, in the same unit. Do not mix kg and lb in one total, and do not add failed lifts. Only your best successful lift in each discipline counts.
Enter Your Three Best Lifts
Type in your best squat, bench press, and deadlift. Use competition-standard lifts if you want a competition total, or gym bests if you want a training total — but do not mix the two without saying so.
Pick Your Unit and Bodyweight
Choose kg or lb for the total. Add your bodyweight if you want a weight class and a bodyweight-adjusted score. The total itself does not need bodyweight, but the class and the score do.
Read Your Total and Shares
You get one total, plus each lift as a share of that total. If one lift is far behind the others, that lift is usually where your next kilograms will come from.
Plan Your Attempts
Use your total to set openers, second attempts, and third attempts for a meet. The attempt section below shows you a complete example, so you do not have to guess on the platform.
What Is a Powerlifting Total?
Your powerlifting total is simple: total = best squat + best bench press + best deadlift. You lift in that order — squat first, then bench press, then deadlift — and you get three attempts at each lift. Only your heaviest successful attempt in each lift counts. A missed heavier attempt does not erase a good lighter one, and a failed lift does not add anything to the total.
That last point matters on meet day. If you miss your third squat, you still keep your best good squat, and you move on to bench press with that number in your total. Your total is built from three good lifts, not from nine attempts.
A total only means something in context. You should always say whether it is raw or equipped, which federation’s rules you lifted under, and what bodyweight you lifted at. A 580 kg raw total, a 580 kg equipped total, and a 580 kg gym total are three different achievements, even though the number looks the same.
Worked Examples: Calculate a Powerlifting Total in Kg and Lb
Every example below uses the same rule: add the three best lifts, nothing else.
| Example | Squat | Bench Press | Deadlift | Total | How You Check It |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example 1 — kg | 200 kg | 140 kg | 240 kg | 580 kg | 200 + 140 + 240 = 580 |
| Example 2 — lb | 380 lb | 260 lb | 360 lb | 1,000 lb | 380 + 260 + 360 = 1,000 |
| Example 3 — goal total | 210 kg | 150 kg | 240 kg | 600 kg | 210 + 150 + 240 = 600 |
Convert a total between units the same way you convert any weight: multiply kg by 2.205 to get lb, or divide lb by 2.205 to get kg, then round to plates. A 1,000 lb total is about 453.6 kg (1,000 ÷ 2.205 = 453.5, rounded to one decimal place in most calculators as 453.6 kg when using 2.2046). The individual lifts in Example 2 convert the same way: 380 lb is about 172.4 kg, 260 lb is about 117.9 kg, and 360 lb is about 163.3 kg, and those three add to about 453.6 kg.
Do Not Mix Units in One Total
If your squat is in kg and your deadlift is in lb, convert one of them before you add. A mixed total looks impressive on paper and means nothing on the platform. Pick kg or lb at the start, convert every lift to that unit, and only then add.
Squat, Bench, and Deadlift as a Percentage of Your Total
Your total tells you how much you lift. Your lift distribution tells you where that total comes from — and where your next progress is most likely to hide.
| Lift | Example Total 580 kg | Share of Total | Typical Range for Most Lifters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squat | 200 kg | 34.5% | About 33% to 38% |
| Bench press | 140 kg | 24.1% | About 22% to 27% |
| Deadlift | 240 kg | 41.4% | About 38% to 43% |
Check the maths: 200 ÷ 580 = 34.5%, 140 ÷ 580 = 24.1%, and 240 ÷ 580 = 41.4%. Those three shares add to 100%.
Find Your Weakest Lift — and Your Limiting Lift
Your weakest lift is not always the smallest number. Bench press is almost always the smallest of the three, and that is normal. Your limiting lift is the one that falls furthest below its typical share, or the one that has stalled while the other two keep rising. If your bench share is 18% while your squat and deadlift sit in their typical ranges, bench press is probably holding your total back. If your deadlift share is 30%, your deadlift technique, grip, or back strength may need work before you add more squat volume.
When you find a limiting lift, do not abandon the other two. Keep them maintained with enough work to hold their strength, and put your extra training time into the lift that is behind. A total rises fastest when you fix the lift that is furthest behind, not when you keep pushing the lift you are already good at.
Powerlifting Attempt Calculator: Openers, Second Attempts, and Third Attempts
You get three attempts per lift, and how you choose them decides whether a good training total becomes a good meet total. A common, safe structure is: opener at about 90% of your max, second attempt at about 95%, and third attempt at about 100% or a small personal record. The table below applies that structure to the 580 kg example, rounded to the nearest 2.5 kg plate jump.
| Lift (Max) | Opener — 90% | Second Attempt — 95% | Third Attempt — 100% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squat (200 kg) | 180 kg | 190 kg | 200 kg |
| Bench press (140 kg) | 125 kg | 132.5 kg | 140 kg |
| Deadlift (240 kg) | 215 kg | 227.5 kg | 240 kg |
| Meet total | 520 kg | 550 kg | 580 kg |
Check the totals: 180 + 125 + 215 = 520 kg, 190 + 132.5 + 227.5 = 550 kg, and 200 + 140 + 240 = 580 kg. Bench press rounding explains the small steps: 140 × 90 ÷ 100 = 126 kg, rounded down to 125 kg, and 140 × 95 ÷ 100 = 133 kg, rounded to 132.5 kg. Deadlift rounding works the same way: 240 × 90 ÷ 100 = 216 kg, rounded to 215 kg, and 240 × 95 ÷ 100 = 228 kg, rounded to 227.5 kg.
Conservative, Moderate, and Aggressive Openers
| Opener Style | Opener Range | When You Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | About 88% to 90% of your max | Your first meet, a lift you are unsure about, or a day when you feel flat. You bank a good lift early. |
| Moderate | About 90% to 92% of your max | A normal meet with a max you have hit recently in training. This is the usual choice. |
| Aggressive | About 92% to 94% of your max | You need a big total to qualify or place, and you have hit the opener weight for a triple recently. The risk is a missed opener and a shaky meet. |
Your opener should be a weight you can lift for a triple on a bad day, not a weight you once hit for a single on a perfect day. If you miss your opener, you can repeat the same weight or go up — you cannot go down to an easier weight after a failed attempt in the usual rules, and if you do not submit your next attempt in time, most federations give you a 2.5 kg increase on a good lift, or the same weight again after a failed lift. Always check your federation’s rulebook, because the exact deadline and default can differ.
Your third attempt is the only one where you should chase a record, and in deadlift it is also the attempt where most federations let you change your mind more than once, as long as the bar has not been loaded heavier than your new choice. Plan your third attempts before the meet, but be ready to change them based on how the day is going — a total built on three good lifts beats a total built on three missed records.
DOTS Score
DOTS score adjusts your total for bodyweight, so a lighter lifter and a heavier lifter can be compared more fairly. You multiply your total by a DOTS coefficient, and that coefficient depends on your bodyweight and your sex, and it falls as bodyweight rises. A higher DOTS score means a stronger total for your bodyweight, not a bigger raw total.
Wilks Score
Wilks score does the same job in an older way. It also multiplies your total by a bodyweight coefficient, and federations updated its coefficients over time — the 2020 Wilks coefficients are the version most people mean today. Some federations use DOTS, some use Wilks, and some use neither for official best-lifter awards, so check which score your meet actually uses.
Which One Should You Quote?
Quote the score your federation uses, and always quote it with your total and bodyweight. A DOTS score without a total, or a Wilks score without a bodyweight, cannot be checked. Neither score changes your total — your total is still squat plus bench plus deadlift.
DOTS Score and Wilks Score: What They Mean for Your Total
A raw total favours heavier lifters, because a bigger body can usually move more weight. That is fair if you only compete inside one weight class, but it is not fair if you want to compare lifters across classes, or to pick a best lifter at a meet. Bodyweight-adjusted scores exist to fix that problem, and they do it by shrinking the advantage of extra bodyweight.
Do not use a DOTS or Wilks score calculate as a training target on its own. You raise your score in two ways: you lift more, or you weigh less — and weighing less by cutting weight before a meet does not make you stronger. Use the score to compare yourself fairly across classes and across time, and use your total, your lift shares, and your technique to decide what to train next.
Powerlifting Weight Classes: IPF Classes for Men and Women
Powerlifting is contested in bodyweight classes, and the class you lift in is the lightest class whose limit is at or above your weigh-in bodyweight. If you weigh 90 kg, you lift in the 93 kg class in the IPF system. If you weigh exactly 83.0 kg, you lift in the 83 kg class. If you weigh 83.1 kg, you move up to the 93 kg class. The boundary is strict, so weigh yourself on a reliable scale before you enter.
| Men (kg) | Women (kg) | How You Read It |
|---|---|---|
| 59 | 47 | Up to and including that weight. |
| 66 | 52 | Up to and including that weight. |
| 74 | 57 | Up to and including that weight. |
| 83 | 63 | Up to and including that weight. |
| 93 | 69 | Up to and including that weight. |
| 105 | 76 | Up to and including that weight. |
| 120 | 84 | Up to and including that weight. |
| 120+ | 84+ | No upper limit. |
The table above is the IPF open (adult) system, which is also used by IPF affiliates such as Powerlifting America, CPU, and British Powerlifting. Sub-junior and junior lifters get one extra, lighter class: up to 53 kg for men and up to 43 kg for women. Masters lifters — typically age 40 and above, split into further age groups — generally use the same eight open classes. Always check the current rulebook for your meet, because federations update classes and age divisions from time to time.
IPF Classes Versus Other Federations
Other federations do not all use the IPF list. USPA, WRPF, and several other federations use a traditional set of classes, so the same bodyweight can put you in a different class in a different federation. For example, a 91 kg man is a 93 kg lifter in the IPF system and a 100 kg lifter in the USPA system. That is why the keyword “what powerlifting weight class am I” has no single answer until you name your federation, your sex, and your weigh-in bodyweight.
How to Choose Your Weight Class
For your first meet, compete at your normal walking weight. Do not cut weight to chase a lighter class until you have competed at least once and you know how your body handles a cut. If you sit close to a boundary — say you walk around at 84 kg and the class limit is 83 kg — you have three honest choices: lose a small amount slowly and hold it, compete in the 93 kg class and focus on getting stronger, or wait until your normal weight sits comfortably inside a class. Chasing a class by a large, fast cut usually costs you more strength than the lighter class gives you back.
Weigh-In Rules, Weight Cutting, and Age Divisions
Weigh-in timing changes everything about weight cutting. In the IPF system, you usually weigh in 2 hours before your session starts, in a weigh-in window of about 90 minutes. That leaves you very little time to rehydrate and refuel, so a large water cut is a bad idea. Other federations use a 24-hour weigh-in, which gives you a full day to recover — and that is why you hear about much larger cuts in those federations. Do not copy a 24-hour cut into a 2-hour meet.
At weigh-in you will also give your openers — your first attempt in each lift. You can usually change an opener up to a few minutes before your flight starts, but after that the opener is locked in. If you miss your weigh-in window, or you do not make weight for the class you entered, check with the meet organisers: in many IPF-affiliated meets you may be allowed to lift as a guest, but you will not place in a class you did not make weight for.
Should Beginners Cut Weight for Powerlifting?
No, not for your first meets. A beginner’s total rises fastest from training, technique, and eating enough to recover — not from weighing less on one morning. Cut weight only when you are close to a class, you have time to do it slowly, and you understand how your body reacts. Never do a large water cut alone, and never cut weight for a meet if you are unwell, very young, or new to the sport. If you are unsure, compete at your walking weight and spend that energy on your lifts.
Age Divisions in Powerlifting
Powerlifting also splits lifters by age, so you compete against people at a similar stage of life. Sub-junior lifters are typically 14 to 18, junior lifters are typically 19 to 23, open lifters are adults, and masters lifters are typically 40 and above, split into further masters age groups. Your weight class and your age division together decide who you actually compete against, and both are set by your federation’s current rules.
What Is a Good Powerlifting Total?
There is no single good total, because a total only makes sense next to your bodyweight, your sex, your age division, and whether you lift raw or equipped. A 500 kg total at 74 kg bodyweight is a different achievement from a 500 kg total at 120 kg bodyweight, and a raw total should never be compared directly with an equipped total.
A useful way to judge your own total is to divide it by your bodyweight. As a rough, illustrative guide for raw male lifters — not an official classification — a total around 3 times bodyweight is a solid beginner level, around 4 times is intermediate, around 5 times is advanced, and around 6 times and above is elite territory. Women, masters lifters, and different federations will sit at different points on that scale, and equipped lifting sits higher again. Use the ratio to track your own progress, not to rank yourself against a stranger on the internet.
The honest test of a good total is simpler: is it higher than your last total, with lifts that would pass in competition? If yes, you are progressing. If your total has stalled for months, look at your lift distribution first, then at your technique, then at your training volume — in that order.
How to Build to a 600 kg Total — and to a 1,000 lb Total
| Goal Total | Squat | Bench Press | Deadlift | How the Goal Breaks Down |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600 kg | 210 kg | 150 kg | 240 kg | Squat 35%, bench 25%, deadlift 40% of the total. |
| 1,000 lb (about 453.6 kg) | 380 lb | 260 lb | 360 lb | Squat 38%, bench 26%, deadlift 36% of the total. |
A goal total is not a training plan, but it gives your training a shape. Start from your current total, find your limiting lift from the distribution section, and build a plan around that lift first. Add small, regular jumps — 2.5 kg on upper-body lifts and 5 kg on lower-body lifts are common steps — and retest your total every 8 to 12 weeks. If you try to jump straight from a 400 kg total to a 600 kg total in one block, you will stall or get hurt. A goal total works when it is the next step, not the final dream.
Train the Limiting Lift First
Put your extra sets, your best technique work, and your freshest energy into the lift that is furthest behind. Keep the other lifts ticking over with enough volume to hold them, but do not let your strongest lift eat all your training time.
Build the Total, Not Just One Lift
A total needs all three lifts on the same day, in order, after a weigh-in, with competition commands. Practise that order in training sometimes — squat, bench, then deadlift — so meet day does not feel like a new sport.
Recover Like It Counts
A total is built between sessions as much as in them. Sleep, food, and a plan you can actually repeat for months matter more than one heroic session. If your total stalls, check recovery before you add more volume.
How to Increase Your Powerlifting Total
You increase a total by raising your weakest link, by improving technique so more of your gym strength counts in competition, and by staying healthy enough to train consistently. Technique alone can add kilograms without any new muscle: a squat that finally hits depth, a bench press with a legal pause, and a deadlift with a clean lockout are all lifts that count, while a heavier gym lift that would fail in competition adds nothing to a meet total.
Common Mistakes That Shrink a Total on Paper — or on the Platform
- Adding failed lifts. Only your best good lift in each discipline counts. A missed 250 kg deadlift does not add 250 kg to anything.
- Mixing kg and lb. Convert every lift to one unit before you add, or your total is meaningless.
- Counting gym lifts as meet lifts. A high squat, a bounced bench press, and a hitched deadlift may not pass. Train to competition standard for the lifts you want to count.
- Comparing raw and equipped totals. A suit and a bench shirt add kilograms. Compare raw with raw, and equipped with equipped.
- Chasing a weight class instead of strength. A lighter class with a weaker total is not progress. Get stronger first, then choose a class you can hold.
- Opening too heavy. A missed opener puts your whole meet under pressure. Open with a weight you can triple, and build from there.
A Short Safety Note
Do not test a true max, or cut a large amount of weight, without a plan and without people around you who know what to do if something goes wrong. Use a spotter and safety bars for heavy squats and bench presses, learn how to bail safely, and stop a set when your form breaks down. If you feel unwell during a weight cut, stop the cut and seek help — no total is worth a hospital visit.
Track Your Total So You Can Actually Improve It
Write down the three lifts, the unit, your bodyweight, and whether the lifts were raw or equipped, gym or competition. A total without those four notes is hard to compare next month.
| Date | Squat | Bench Press | Deadlift | Total | Bodyweight / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 200 kg | 140 kg | 240 kg | 580 kg | 83 kg class, raw, competition standard. |
| — | 190 kg | 132.5 kg | 227.5 kg | 550 kg | Second-attempt total from the meet example above. |
| — | 210 kg | 150 kg | 240 kg | 600 kg | Goal total — squat and bench still to build. |
Troubleshooting: When Your Total Does Not Add Up
| Problem | Likely Cause | What You Do |
|---|---|---|
| Total looks too high | Failed lifts added, or kg and lb mixed | Add only best good lifts, in one unit, and re-add. |
| Total looks too low for your gym strength | Gym lifts would not pass in competition | Train depth, pause, and lockout to competition standard, then retest. |
| One lift drags the total down | That lift is your limiting lift | Put extra technique and volume into that lift, and hold the other two. |
| DOTS or Wilks looks wrong | Wrong bodyweight, or the wrong score for your federation | Check bodyweight and unit, and check which score your meet actually uses. |
580 kg
is squat 200 kg + bench 140 kg + deadlift 240 kg.
9
attempts build one total: 3 squats, 3 bench presses, 3 deadlifts.
3
good lifts count: your best squat, bench, and deadlift only.
Powerlifting Total Calculator: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate a powerlifting total?
Add your best squat, your best bench press, and your best deadlift. Only successful lifts count, and all three lifts must be in the same unit. For example, 200 kg + 140 kg + 240 kg = 580 kg.
How do I calculate a squat, bench, and deadlift total?
Take your best good squat, your best good bench press, and your best good deadlift, and add them together. Do not add failed attempts, and do not add every attempt — only the heaviest good lift in each discipline counts.
What should my powerlifting opener be?
Your opener should be a weight you can lift for a triple on a bad day, usually about 88% to 92% of your max. A conservative opener sits near 88% to 90%, a moderate opener near 90% to 92%, and an aggressive opener near 92% to 94%. If you miss your opener, you can repeat it or go up, but you cannot go down under the usual rules.
How do I choose my powerlifting attempts?
Plan three attempts per lift before the meet: an opener you can bank, a second attempt near your max, and a third attempt at your max or a small personal record. A common structure is about 90% for the opener, about 95% for the second attempt, and about 100% for the third attempt, rounded to the nearest 2.5 kg.
What is a DOTS score?
DOTS is a bodyweight-adjusted score. You multiply your total by a DOTS coefficient that depends on your bodyweight and your sex, and the coefficient falls as bodyweight rises. A higher DOTS score means a stronger total for your bodyweight, not a bigger raw total.
How do I calculate a DOTS score?
Multiply your powerlifting total by your DOTS coefficient for your bodyweight and sex. You need your total and your weigh-in bodyweight in the same system the coefficient table uses, and you should quote the score with both numbers so it can be checked.
What is a Wilks score?
Wilks is an older bodyweight-adjusted score, and it works the same way as DOTS: you multiply your total by a coefficient based on bodyweight and sex. The 2020 Wilks coefficients are the version most people mean today, and some federations still use Wilks for best-lifter awards.
What is the difference between DOTS and Wilks?
Both adjust a total for bodyweight, but they use different coefficient tables, so the same total and bodyweight give you different DOTS and Wilks numbers. Neither score changes your total. Quote the score your federation actually uses, and always quote it with your total and bodyweight.
What is a good powerlifting total?
There is no single good total. Judge a total next to your bodyweight, your sex, your age division, and whether you lift raw or equipped. A total that beats your last total, with lifts that would pass in competition, is a good total — and a total divided by your bodyweight is a fairer comparison than a raw number on its own.
What is a good powerlifting total by bodyweight?
Divide your total by your bodyweight to compare fairly across classes. As a rough, illustrative guide for raw male lifters — not an official classification — around 3 times bodyweight is a solid beginner level, around 4 times is intermediate, around 5 times is advanced, and around 6 times and above is elite territory. Women, masters lifters, and equipped lifters sit at different points on that scale.
What powerlifting weight class am I in?
You lift in the lightest class whose limit is at or above your weigh-in bodyweight, in your federation’s system. In the IPF system, a 90 kg man lifts in the 93 kg class, and a 90 kg woman lifts in the 84+ kg class only if she weighs over 84 kg — otherwise she lifts in the 84 kg class. Always name your federation, because the same bodyweight can put you in a different class elsewhere.
How do I choose a powerlifting weight class?
For your first meet, compete at your normal walking weight. If you sit close to a boundary, you can lose a small amount slowly, compete in the heavier class and focus on getting stronger, or wait until your normal weight sits comfortably inside a class. Do not chase a lighter class with a large, fast cut.
Should beginners cut weight for powerlifting?
No, not for your first meets. A beginner’s total rises fastest from training, technique, and eating enough to recover. Cut weight only when you are close to a class, you have time to do it slowly, and you understand how your body reacts. Never do a large water cut alone.
How do I build to a 600 kg powerlifting total?
Break the goal into three lifts, for example squat 210 kg, bench press 150 kg, and deadlift 240 kg, which add to 600 kg. Find your limiting lift, build your training around it, add small regular jumps, and retest every 8 to 12 weeks. A goal total works when it is the next step, not a jump of hundreds of kilograms at once.
How do I build to a 1,000 lb powerlifting total?
Break it into three lifts, for example squat 380 lb, bench press 260 lb, and deadlift 360 lb, which add to 1,000 lb, or about 453.6 kg. Train the limiting lift first, keep the other two maintained, and add weight in small, repeatable steps instead of chasing the whole goal in one block.
How do I increase my powerlifting total?
Raise your limiting lift, improve your technique so more of your gym strength counts in competition, and stay healthy enough to train consistently. Check your lift distribution first, then your technique, then your training volume — in that order — before you add more work.
Which lift should I improve first to raise my total?
Improve the lift that falls furthest below its typical share of your total, or the lift that has stalled while the other two keep rising. Bench press is normally the smallest lift, so a small bench number on its own does not mean bench is your limiting lift — compare shares, not just kilograms.
What percentage of a powerlifting total is squat, bench, and deadlift?
In the 580 kg example on this page, squat is 34.5%, bench press is 24.1%, and deadlift is 41.4%. As a typical range for most lifters, squat sits around 33% to 38%, bench press around 22% to 27%, and deadlift around 38% to 43%, but build, levers, and technique move those shares around.
Does a powerlifting total count all attempts or only the best lifts?
Only the best lifts. You get three attempts per lift, but only your heaviest successful squat, bench press, and deadlift count toward the total. A missed heavier attempt does not erase a good lighter one.
What is the difference between a raw and an equipped powerlifting total?
A raw, or classic, total is lifted with limited equipment — usually a belt, wrist wraps, and knee sleeves in IPF classic lifting. An equipped total allows a squat suit, a bench shirt, and knee wraps, and those add kilograms. Never compare a raw total directly with an equipped total.