Bent-Arm Hang

The Bent-Arm Hang (also called the flexed arm hang) is the Eurofit battery measure of upper-body muscular endurance. The participant hangs from a bar with arms bent (chin above bar level) and holds for as long as possible. Data are from Tomkinson et al. (2018), a pooled analysis of 189,673 European children and adolescents from 23 countries aged 9–17.

How to Perform This Test

Equipment
  • Horizontal bar (adjustable height)
  • Stopwatch
Steps
  1. Set the bar to a height the participant can reach with feet off the ground.
  2. The participant grips the bar with an overhand grip (palms facing away), arms bent so the chin is above the bar.
  3. Start timing when the participant assumes the hold position with feet off the ground.
  4. Stop timing when the chin drops below the bar level or the participant lets go.
  5. Record time in seconds.
Scoring

Time in seconds. Higher times indicate greater upper-body muscular endurance.

Notes

The participant must not kick or swing to maintain the position. Chin must remain above bar height throughout.

Data source: Tomkinson et al. 2018 (Eurofit) (2018) · n=189.7K About this study

Bent-Arm Hang Strength

Bent-Arm Hang Norms by Age and Sex (s)

Age Sex Percentile
5th 25th 50th 75th 95th
9 Male 1.48 3.89 7.48 14.56 35.62
Female 0.98 2.66 5.14 9.91 23.4
10 Male 1.56 4.12 7.92 15.36 37.23
Female 0.97 2.66 5.15 9.96 23.6
11 Male 1.63 4.33 8.32 16.09 38.62
Female 0.96 2.66 5.16 10 23.79
12 Male 1.71 4.58 8.79 16.91 40.19
Female 0.96 2.66 5.17 10.02 23.86
13 Male 1.9 5.13 9.81 18.66 43.3
Female 0.96 2.66 5.18 10.07 24.04
14 Male 2.5 6.75 12.7 23.44 51.45
Female 0.94 2.66 5.23 10.28 24.86
15 Male 3.73 9.66 17.43 30.45 61.48
Female 0.92 2.67 5.35 10.7 26.41
16 Male 5.19 12.67 21.75 35.86 66.71
Female 0.91 2.74 5.63 11.5 29.19
17 Male 6.48 14.9 24.46 38.41 66.92
Female 0.93 2.92 6.16 12.95 33.92

What to expect by age group

Typical range (25th to 75th percentile) by age group (s)
Age MalesFemales
9 3.89 to 14.562.66 to 9.91
10 4.12 to 15.362.66 to 9.96
11 4.33 to 16.092.66 to 10
12 4.58 to 16.912.66 to 10.02
13 5.13 to 18.662.66 to 10.07
14 6.75 to 23.442.66 to 10.28
15 9.66 to 30.452.67 to 10.7
16 12.67 to 35.862.74 to 11.5
17 14.9 to 38.412.92 to 12.95

Detailed Breakdowns

Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts, tables, and ratings.

Males
91011121314151617
Females
91011121314151617
Age trend (percentiles)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the distribution so spread out for boys?

The Bent-Arm Hang has a strongly right-skewed distribution, particularly for boys at older ages — the IQR for 17-year-old boys spans 23.5 s (P25=14.9 s to P75=38.4 s). Upper-body strength varies enormously among adolescent boys, reflecting large individual differences in training habits, sports participation, and the timing and magnitude of pubertal muscle development.

Why do girls' scores barely change from age 9 to 14?

Girls' median times are essentially constant from age 9 to 14 (around 5.1–5.2 s), and P25 is identically 2.66 s across ages 9–14. This likely reflects that upper-body pulling strength does not develop spontaneously without specific training, and female puberty (increased body fat, not muscle mass) does not provide the same upper-body strength boost that testosterone provides for boys. A modest improvement appears from age 15–17, probably driven by the subset who participate in strength training.

Is P25 interpolated?

Yes. Tomkinson et al. (2018) report P10, P20, P30, P70, P80, and P90 directly. P25 is approximated as (P20+P30)/2 and P75 as (P70+P80)/2, consistent with the convention for all Eurofit metrics on this site.

Related Metrics

Eurofit Battery

This metric is part of the Eurofit, a standardised 9-test battery for children and adolescents aged 6-18.