Arm Curl

Page updated: Evidence reviewed: What this means

The arm curl test measures upper-body strength, the number of times a person can curl a hand weight (5 lb for women, 8 lb for men) in 30 seconds. It is part of the Senior Fitness Test battery (Rikli & Jones 1999, n=7,183 US community-dwelling adults aged 60-94). Percentile curves (P5-P95) are from the Senior Fitness Test Manual, 2nd edition (2013), modelled from the same sample. Watch video demonstration

How to Perform This Test (Protocol)

Arm Curl protocol, illustrated: equipment, steps and scoring.
Equipment
  • 5 lb (2.3 kg) dumbbell for women, 8 lb (3.6 kg) for men
  • Straight-back or folding chair without arms
  • Stopwatch
Protocol Steps
  1. Sit with the back straight and feet flat on the floor, dominant side close to the edge of the seat, holding the weight down at the side in the dominant hand with a handshake grip.
  2. After a demonstration, do one or two practice repetitions without the weight to check form.
  3. On 'Go', curl the weight through the full range, turning the palm to face up as the elbow bends, then return to full extension and the handshake grip.
  4. Repeat as many times as possible in 30 seconds. The upper arm stays still throughout, and bracing the elbow against the body helps. The bend is at the elbow, not the wrist.
Scoring

Count the total number of curls in 30 seconds. A curl counts if the arm is more than halfway up when time ends. Give one test trial only.

Notes

If the test needs adapting (a lighter weight, a wrist weight, or standing), the official score is zero for comparison with the norms; record the adapted score beside it.

Data source: Rikli & Jones (SFT) (1999) · n=7.2K About this study

Reference population: Community-dwelling older adults aged 60-94 from 267 sites across 21 US states

Arm Curl Functional Fitness

Arm Curl Norms Chart by Age and Sex (reps)

Age Sex Percentile
5th 25th 50th 75th 95th
60-64 Male 11 16 19 22 27
Female 9 13 16 19 24
65-69 Male 10 15 18 21 27
Female 8 12 15 18 22
70-74 Male 9 14 17 21 26
Female 8 12 14 17 22
75-79 Male 9 13 16 19 24
Female 7 11 14 17 21
80-84 Male 9 13 16 19 23
Female 6 10 13 16 20
85-89 Male 7 11 14 17 21
Female 6 10 12 15 18
90-94 Male 6 10 12 14 18
Female 5 8 11 13 17

What to expect by age group

Among adults aged 60 to 64, the middle 50% complete 16 to 22 curls for men, with an 8 lb weight, and 13 to 19 for women, with a 5 lb weight. Between ages 60-64 and 90-94 the median falls from 19 to 12 curls for men and from 16 to 11 for women. The men's median is 1 to 3 curls higher than the women's in every bracket. Scores below 16 reps (men) or 13 reps (women) are typically below average for this age group; scores above 22 reps (men) or 19 reps (women) are above average.

Typical range (25th to 75th percentile) by age group (reps)
Age MalesFemales
60-64 16 to 2213 to 19
65-69 15 to 2112 to 18
70-74 14 to 2112 to 17
75-79 13 to 1911 to 17
80-84 13 to 1910 to 16
85-89 11 to 1710 to 15
90-94 10 to 148 to 13

Detailed Breakdowns

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

Males
60-6465-6970-7475-7980-8485-8990-94
Females
60-6465-6970-7475-7980-8485-8990-94
Age trend (percentiles)

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the arm curl test measure?

Upper-body strength. The SFT manual links it to everyday tasks such as housework, yardwork, and lifting and carrying groceries.

What is the protocol for the arm curl test?

The full step-by-step protocol is detailed in the 'How to Perform This Test (Protocol)' section above.

Why does this metric only cover ages 60-94?

The Senior Fitness Test was designed for older adults. The normative data (Rikli & Jones, n=7,183) was collected from community-dwelling adults aged 60-94. No large-scale percentile data exists for younger adults using this specific protocol.

Where do the percentile values come from?

The percentile curves come from the Senior Fitness Test Manual (Rikli & Jones 2013, 2nd ed., ISBN 978-1-4504-1118-9), which models P5 through P95 from the original sample of 7,183 community-dwelling US adults aged 60-94 (Rikli & Jones 1999, DOI). All five percentiles we display (P5, P25, P50, P75, P95) come directly from the source, so no approximation is needed.

Related Metrics

Senior Fitness Test Battery

This metric is part of the Senior Fitness Test, a validated 7-test battery for adults aged 60-94.