How to Do the Flexed-Arm Hang for the Marine Corps PFT

During the Marine Corps physical fitness test—-the PFT—-female Marines are required to complete the flexed-arm hang instead of the pull-up 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; however, it can be mastered with practice.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Pull-up bar
• Assistant to help you mount the bar and time the exercise

1. 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.
2. Know that when the timer starts, scoring begins. You must hold your position—-arms flexed, chin above the bar—-for as long as you can; remember, 15 seconds minimum and 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.
3. Male Marines often believe the flexed-arm hang is less difficult than the pull-up exercise--until they finally attempt it. The exercise taxes muscles in an unfamiliar manner and successfully completing the flexed-arm hang—-especially to the level of obtaining 100 points—-requires a concerted physical and mental effort.
4. Training for the flexed-arm hang requires deliberate muscle building for the biceps, lateral, abdominal and even quadriceps (leg) muscles depending on the individual. Spot training these muscles can be accomplished at the gym; however, the flexed-arm hang challenges the mind nearly as much as the muscles. As a result, besides simple muscle training, you must practice the exercise itself in order to become accustomed to and reject your mind’s desire to quit.
5. A proven training regimen for the flexed-arm hang consists of doing the exercise in three sets:
   Set 1: Mount the bar and hang for as long as possible, even if it exceeds the maximum 70 seconds. You’ll need someone to time your performance.
   Set 2: Mount the bar again and hang at least half as long as you did during the first set. For example, if you were able to hang for one minute during the first set, you should hang for at least 30 seconds in the second set.
   Set 3: In the final set, hang for at least half the time of the second set.

Tips & Warnings

• Practicing the exercise rather than just strengthening the muscles involved will help you attain a higher score. Not only will your muscles be accustomed to the fatigue, your hand strength will improve and you’ll learn to ignore alarmist mental warnings.
• Depending on how the PFT is being conducted, those who have difficulty with the flexed-arm hang should complete that event before the abdominal crunch test.
• When learning to do this exercise, make certain you have an assistant. Not only will s/he be able to help you mount the bar and time your performance, you’ll be confident that someone is nearby in the event that you exhaust your muscles prematurely.
• The Marine Corps PFT is not weather dependent. Be prepared to perform this exercise under any conditions including precipitation.