GL Quick Maths
By William James · 11 October 2026
A key tool on the platform for many people trying to break a GL for the first time is Open Powerliftings GL Calculator (https://www.ipfpointscalculator.com/), hoping and praying that it will load in the crappy WiFi at the comp venue. But there are a few tips and tricks to make this easier!
The Formula
GL = Total * GL coefficient, where GL Coefficient = 100 / (A-B e^-C*Bwt)
The formula attempts to make athletes comparable at different weights, genders, and classes. Weight is handled by the e^-C*Bwt bit, and the rest by changing the coefficients A, B, and C. For a long time, people have known that a simple ratio between bodyweight and total is not a fair comparison, and is unfair to the heavier lifters, and this formula addresses that by tapering off at higher weights. Essentially, when you are heavy, a 5% change matters less than when you are light.
Something to note is that GL is “linear in total”. What this means, is that 1kg adds the same amount of GL, where you total 200kg or 900kg. Let’s use me as an example to have a look. I am a 120kg raw lifter. Plugging this in, my GL Coefficient is 0.11625 GL / kg.
Let’s compare a 400kg total to a 401kg total first. 400kg gets me 46.498 GL, and 401kg is 46.615. The difference is 0.116- the GL Coefficient. Similarly, 800kg vs 801kg gives 92.997 and 93.113 – a 0.116 difference.
Also, GL is fairly flat in bodyweight. A kg of bodyweight, rarely makes much difference to GL. Let’s imagine you are a 93-, totalling 700kg: that’s 91.6GL at 93kg, and 92.1 at 92kg. For the lighter weight categories, the jump is bigger, but in the middle-weights, a kilo of bodyweight doesn’t make much difference!
A good tip here is to find your % jump in GL per kg of bodyweight. Then if you weigh in just under your category, use this formula to estimate your GL:
GL at x kilos under = (1 + %change * x) * GL at category limit.
For example, I know my % change per kilo is 0.37% per kilo. 775kg is 90.1GL at 120kg, so at 119kg, it is (1+0.37%)*90.1GL = 90.4GL, or at 118kg, (1+2*0.37%)*90.1GL= 90.8 GL.
Here are a few tools to help you find your GL, your % change, and your GL per kilo!
Your numbers
- GL points
- 90.09
- DOTS
- 445.09
- GL coefficientGL for each kg of total
- 0.116246
- GL change per kg lighterAbout +0.33 GL at this total
- +0.37%
Weighing in under the limit
| Weigh-in | Exact GL | Quick-maths GL |
|---|---|---|
| 120 kgat the limit | 90.09 | 90.09 |
| 119 kg1 under | 90.42+0.33 | 90.42 |
| 118 kg2 under | 90.76+0.67 | 90.76 |
| 117 kg3 under | 91.10+1.01 | 91.09 |
| 116 kg4 under | 91.44+1.35 | 91.42 |
Quick-maths GL is (1 + 0.37% × kilos under) × GL at the limit. Compare the two columns to see how close it gets for your category.
Go to https://auriga.2to1.co.uk/judgement/gl-calculator to save this tool if you ever need to use it again!
Sources
- International Powerlifting Federation (2020). The IPF GL Coefficients for Relative Scoring. https://benchpresschampion.com/FORMULES/FormuleGL.pdf
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