Best Lifter: Formulas, Calculation, and Application in Strength Sports

How is best lifter calculated?

Determining the "best lifter" in strength sports involves the use of specialized normalization formulas, such as Wilks, IPF GL Points, or Dots, which adjust a lifter's total weight lifted based on their body mass, allowing for fair comparison across different weight classes.

The Challenge of Comparing Strength

In strength sports like powerlifting and weightlifting, athletes compete across various bodyweight categories. While a heavier lifter might naturally lift more absolute weight than a lighter lifter, this doesn't inherently mean they are "stronger" relative to their own body size. The fundamental challenge in identifying an overall "best lifter" from a competition encompassing multiple weight classes is how to standardize performance to account for these physiological differences. Without a common metric, comparing a 60kg athlete who lifts 400kg total to a 120kg athlete who lifts 800kg total becomes an apples-to-oranges comparison.

The Purpose of Normalization Formulas

Normalization formulas were developed precisely to address this challenge. Their primary purpose is to create an equitable playing field by converting a lifter's total weight lifted into a "points" score. This score reflects their strength relative to their body weight, allowing for a standardized comparison across all competitors, regardless of their specific weight class. This system rewards both absolute strength and relative strength, ensuring that smaller, lighter athletes have a fair chance to be recognized as the "best overall" lifter, even if their absolute totals are lower than those of heavier competitors.

Key Formulas for "Best Lifter"

Several formulas have been developed and adopted by various federations and organizations. The most prominent include:

• The Wilks Formula: Historically, the Wilks Formula (often referred to simply as "Wilks") was the most widely recognized and used formula for calculating "best lifter" in powerlifting. Developed by Robert Wilks, it uses a coefficient based on a lifter's body weight to multiply their total lifted weight, yielding a "Wilks score." The formula is designed to approximate the relative strength of lifters across different body mass ranges, with the idea that heavier lifters, while lifting more in absolute terms, do not necessarily lift as much relative to their body weight as lighter lifters.
• The IPF GL Points Formula (Goodlift): In 2019, the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) officially replaced the Wilks Formula with the "IPF GL Points" formula, also known as "Goodlift points." This change was made to create a more accurate and updated coefficient system based on a larger, more recent dataset of lifter performances. The IPF GL Points formula aims to provide a more precise representation of relative strength across the broad spectrum of body weights, addressing some of the perceived biases or inaccuracies of the older Wilks formula. It functions similarly by applying a bodyweight-dependent coefficient to the lifter's total.
• The Dots Formula: While less universally adopted than Wilks or IPF GL Points, the Dots Formula (Dynamic Objective Total Score) is another normalization coefficient used by some federations, particularly in the United States. Like its counterparts, Dots provides a way to compare lifters across different weight classes based on their total lifted weight relative to their body mass.

How These Formulas Work (General Principle)

While the specific mathematical coefficients differ between formulas, their underlying principle is similar:

1. Input Data: The formula takes two primary inputs: the lifter's total weight lifted (the sum of their best successful lifts in squat, bench press, and deadlift) and their body weight at the time of weigh-in.
2. Coefficient Application: A specific mathematical coefficient is generated based on the lifter's body weight. This coefficient is not linear; it's often a polynomial function designed to reflect the physiological realities of strength scaling with body mass. Generally, lighter lifters receive a higher coefficient (meaning their total is multiplied by a larger number) because lifting a high percentage of one's body weight is considered more impressive. Conversely, heavier lifters receive a lower coefficient.
3. Score Calculation: The lifter's total weight lifted is then multiplied by their unique bodyweight-dependent coefficient. The resulting number is their "points" score (e.g., Wilks score, IPF GL Points score).
4. Ranking: The lifter with the highest points score across all weight classes is declared the "best overall lifter" for the competition.

Application in Strength Sports

These normalization formulas are almost exclusively used in powerlifting competitions to determine overall champions beyond individual weight class winners. They are less common in Olympic weightlifting, where the focus is often more on individual world records and class-specific titles, though similar concepts might be used for specific "pound-for-pound" discussions. The "best lifter" award is a prestigious recognition that celebrates not just raw strength but also efficient strength relative to one's physical build.

Limitations and Criticisms

Despite their utility, normalization formulas are not without their criticisms:

• Imperfection of Coefficients: No formula can perfectly capture the complex interplay between body mass, leverage, muscle cross-sectional area, and strength across the entire spectrum of human body weights. Some argue that certain weight classes may be unfairly advantaged or disadvantaged by a particular formula.
• Changes Over Time: As lifter performance evolves and more data becomes available, formulas may need to be updated (as seen with IPF's shift from Wilks to GL Points) to remain accurate and fair.
• Focus on Relative Strength: While rewarding relative strength, some purists argue that the ultimate measure of strength should simply be the absolute weight lifted, regardless of body size. However, this view typically holds for within-class competition, not for overall "best lifter" across classes.
• Manipulation Potential: In rare cases, lifters might attempt to strategically manipulate their body weight to hit a "sweet spot" within a formula's curve, though this is difficult to do effectively and ethically.

Conclusion

The calculation of "best lifter" is a sophisticated attempt to standardize strength comparisons across diverse body types in powerlifting. By employing formulas like Wilks, IPF GL Points, or Dots, competition organizers can identify the most impressive performance relative to body mass, crowning an overall champion who truly exemplifies strength efficiency. While these formulas are not perfect, they represent the most equitable and widely accepted method for celebrating the pound-for-pound strongest athlete in a multi-weight class competition.