§ 01
Functional Independence Tests
Clinical fitness assessment

Arm Curl Test (30 seconds)

Measure upper body strength endurance for older adults.

Equipment

Chair, dumbbell (men: 8 lb / 3.6 kg, women: 5 lb / 2.3 kg), stopwatch.

The protocol
  1. 01Client sits in a chair with back straight, feet flat on the floor.
  2. 02Holds the dumbbell in the dominant hand, arm fully extended at the side.
  3. 03On "Go", curl the weight through the full range of motion — from full extension to full flexion.
  4. 04Lower back to full extension before beginning the next rep.
  5. 05Count complete curls in 30 seconds.
What to watch for
  • Using momentum or swinging the body.
  • Not achieving full extension or flexion.
  • Using the wrong weight for the client's gender.
  • Elbow moving away from the body (should stay close to the side).
Normative scoring

Age 60-64: M 16-22, F 13-19 reps. Age 65-69: M 15-21, F 12-18. Age 70-74: M 14-21, F 12-17. Age 75-79: M 13-19, F 11-17. Age 80-84: M 13-19, F 10-16.

Run it with GainPT

Run this test with branded client reports.

GainPT scores Arm Curl Test (30 seconds) against published normative data and turns it into a clean, GainPT-branded PDF your client keeps. All 47 clinical tests, unlimited retests — free to start, no card required.