How a powerlifting total is calculated
A powerlifting total adds the best valid squat, bench press and deadlift from the competition. It does not add every attempt. Read the accepted result for each lift, keep the units consistent, and add those three numbers.
Under the IPF Technical Rulebook effective March 1, 2026, version 3, a competitor has three attempts at each lift, and the best valid attempt in each contributes to the total. The fictional result sheet below shows how that works.
Work through a fictional result sheet
Imagine a result sheet contains these entries. “Valid” and “no lift” are labels supplied for this example.
| Lift | Attempt one | Attempt two | Attempt three | Result used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squat | 100 kg, valid | 110 kg, valid | 115 kg, no lift | 110 kg |
| Bench press | 60 kg, valid | 65 kg, no lift | 65 kg, valid | 65 kg |
| Deadlift | 120 kg, valid | 130 kg, valid | 135 kg, no lift | 130 kg |
The calculation is:
110 kg + 65 kg + 130 kg = 305 kg.
The attempted 115 kg squat and 135 kg deadlift are higher numbers, but they are not the results used in this example. The earlier accepted attempts supply the total.
A repeated weight also stays one lift result. Completing the third bench attempt does not cause all successful bench attempts to be added together.
Read the result labels before doing the sum
Different result displays can use colours, symbols, or signed numbers to distinguish an accepted attempt from an unsuccessful one. Find the page's legend rather than guessing what its formatting means.
Then locate the columns for best squat, best bench and best deadlift, if the display includes them. Those columns can save you from accidentally choosing the largest attempted number.
If an official result sheet supplies a total, use it. Under IPF rules, three unsuccessful attempts at any lift eliminate the lifter from the overall competition. Individual-lift awards have separate conditions in the same rule. A gym lift or estimate cannot fill the missing competition result.
Keep units consistent
Add kilograms to kilograms or pounds to pounds. Mixing the two produces a number that has no useful meaning.
When converting a completed total for a reader, retain the original unit and label the converted value as rounded where appropriate. Do not round each attempt differently and then present the resulting sum as the official figure.
Our pounds and kilograms guide explains the unit labels you may see in the gym.
A points score answers another question
A result table may show a total and a separate points score. The total is the sum of the accepted lift results. A points score uses a named calculation.
Keep the score's name with its value. A bare number in a points column is not another weight lifted, and different scoring systems should not be treated as the same field.
When sharing a result, include the source, event date, lifter, division, total and unit. That gives the reader enough context to find the original record.
You can use a gym log to follow your own training without claiming an official competition total. For that distinction, read gym PRs and competition results. For an introduction to the sport's three lifts, see squat, bench press and deadlift.
Common questions
Do all nine attempts add to the total?
No. The total uses the best valid result in each of the three lifts, not the sum of all attempts.
Is a points score the same as kilograms lifted?
No. Keep the total and its unit separate from a named points calculation.
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