Constant work on oneself to overcome the most severe resistance for one’s own weight is the goal of every athlete who wants to achieve an outstanding result worthy of becoming a record for all powerlifters. The main disciplines of this powerlifting are squats, bench press and traction using the maximum weight.
But here is the interest: athletes of different age and weight categories participate in the competitions. It is clear that it is easy to compare the similarly composed athletes and determine the best result. But how do you calculate the best indicator and the absolute record among all athletes? After all, it is logical that a person who is larger in constitution is able to cope with lifting more weight. Today, to calculate the best result among those competing in different weight categories, the Wilks coefficient is used, but this was not always the case.
In search of the right calculations
Many athletes diligently derived their formulas for calculating the maximum weight that an athlete can master in one repetition with the full range of motion in a specific strength exercise. It is by a one-time lifting of the maximum weight that the winner in powerlifting is determined. However, before it was proposed to calculate the Wilks coefficient, many errors were allowed in the calculations. But each new version of the calculation was more perfect.
So, the famous Hoffman formula was replaced by O'Carrol’s calculations, after which more perfect offers came from Lyle and Schwartz. Soon Robert Wilks suggested his vision. In his calculation, the imbalance in relation to the working and own weight of the athlete is minimized. Therefore, the Wilks coefficient in powerlifting is used as the main factor in determining the results of powerlifting competitions, in determining the best result for athletes with different weights.
Result count
As a rule, when speaking at competitions, athletes with the same weight are compared. The assessment is based on the total weight taken of all three exercises. But to determine the absolute result, the value is calculated by the formula using the Wilks coefficient.
The coefficient values for calculating the results among men:
- and equal to the value -216.0475144;
- b is equal to 16.2606339;
- with equal to -0.002388645;
- d is equal to the value of -0.00113732;
- e is equal to 7.01863E-06;
- f is equal to a value of -1.291E-08;
- x is the weight of the athlete.
The values of the coefficient for calculating the results among women:
- a is equal to 594.31747775582;
- b is equal to the value of -27.23842536447;
- c is equal to the value of 0.82112226871;
- d is equal to the value -0.00930733913;
- e is equal to 0.00004731582;
- f is equal to the value -0.00000009054;
- x is the weight of the athlete.
Strength, power and uplift
It turns out that not the lifted weight, but the ratio between the own and the lifted mass determines the best result. And this is precisely what reflects the Wilks coefficient. Calculation of the ratio by its formula guarantees accuracy of up to 0.1 kg. A greater calculation result is a greater indicator of the strength and power of an athlete, regardless of his physique.