Women in the Marines must complete a flexed-arm hang.
Members of the Marine Corps are required to pass the physical fitness test -- or PFT -- twice each year to prove that they are in good physical condition. Among the required exercises for men is the pullup; women in the Marines must complete the flexed-arm hang instead of the pullup exercise. Rather than testing the explosive strength of arms and lateral muscles, the flexed-arm hang assesses the endurance of those muscles, as well as the abdominal muscles. To achieve a minimum passing score in this event, Marines must hang successfully for at least 15 seconds. To obtain the maximum points -- 100 -- a Marine must hang for at least 70 seconds. The exercise is not easy, but it can be mastered with practice.
Instructions
1. Before taking the PFT, practice doing flexed-arm hangs, rather than just strengthening the muscles involved. Not only will your muscles grow accustomed to the fatigue, your hand strength will improve and you'll learn to ignore alarmist mental warnings.
2. To perform the flexed-arm hang during the test, mount the bar. Your palms can face either toward you or away from you. Under your own power or with the help of an assistant, get into a position in which your arms are flexed and your chin is above the bar. Marines often choose to pull their legs up at the hips. This is the starting position for the exercise.
3. Know that when the timer starts, scoring begins. Hold your position -- arms flexed, chin above the bar -- for as long as you can; to pass, you must hold it for a minimum of 15 seconds and as long as 70 seconds maximum. During the exercise, your arm, lateral and abdominal muscles will start to fatigue. As that happens, your arms will slowly begin to extend. Your time on the bar and your accumulation of points in the exercise will continue until your arms are fully extended or you drop from the bar. You are not required to keep your chin above the bar throughout the exercise.
Tags: flexed-arm hang, chin above, Marines must, your arms, abdominal muscles