Forget Arm Wrestling: Challenge Yourself with These Unusual Strength Tests

Strength is a critical fitness component. Strong muscles generate more force, are generally bigger, and look more impressive than weak, soft muscles. And who doesn’t want a jacked physique?

However, the benefits of being strong go far beyond mere aesthetics. Strength is considered by many to be a reliable indicator of health and longevity (1). In short, strong, muscular people tend to live longer than their weaker, skinnier counterparts.

But what is the best way to test your strength? After all, saying you are strong is one thing, but proving it is another.

One way to demonstrate your strength is by testing your one-rep maximum (1RM) for the bench press, squat, and deadlift. However, you need to be a very proficient lifter to perform these exercises safely. You’ll also need barbells, weight plates, power racks, and spotters, which are not always available.

Arm wrestling is another popular test of strength. But this popular sport can be hard on your joints, and injuries are pretty common. Also, winning an arm-wrestling match often depends on technique rather than strength.

The good news is that there are plenty of other ways to test your strength.

I’m a 30-year veteran personal trainer, and in this article, I reveal some of my favorite ways to test your strength that aren’t arm wrestling.

Dead Hang Challenge

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and for many people, that weak link is their grip. Whether you are doing deadlifts, pull-ups, curls, or rows, your performance is directly linked to the strength of your hands and forearms.

Additionally, grip strength is one of the most reliable biomarkers for health, especially in older people (2). That’s because a solid grip usually means that the rest of your muscles are strong, too.

While you can use a device called a handgrip dynamometer to measure your grip, a more fun way is the dead hang challenge. This test is as simple as it is brutal and will reveal which of your friends has the most enduring grip.

How to Do It:

1. Find a pull-up bar that is wide enough for two or more competitors.
2. Get all the participants to hold the bar using an overhand, shoulder-width grip.
3. On the command, “go,” everyone must lift their feet off the floor and hang with their arms straight.
4. The winner is the person who hangs the longest.
5. Feeling strong? Try doing this exercise single-handed!

Last Man Standing Push-up Challenge

So, you think you’re good at push-ups? Here’s your chance to prove it! This challenge is a push-up ladder where participants try to do just one more rep than their opponent. Ladders start easy but gradually get harder, pushing you all the way to failure. The winner will not only be the strongest person but the one who is least willing to quit!

How to Do It:

1. Both participants adopt the high plank position, i.e., arms and legs straight, core braced.
2. Do one push-up while your opponent remains stationary.
3. Next, they do one push-up while you hold the high plank position.
4. For the next round, do two push-ups, and they must do the same.
5. Continue adding a rep until one of you is unable to continue.
6. The winner is the last man (or woman) standing.

Here’s a video demonstration of this challenge:

Finger Wrestling

Finger wrestling, or “Fingerhakeln” in German, is a traditional sport from the Alpine regions of Germany and Austria. It’s a test of finger, forearm, and arm strength often seen at folk festivals, such as Oktoberfest and other regional fairs. This is a popular barroom test of strength that, in parts of Germany, is as commonplace as conventional arm wrestling.

How to Do It:

1. Sit facing your opponent across a sturdy table.
2. Both competitors grip a rope or leather loop with their middle fingers.
3. On the command “go,” pull as hard as you can with one arm. You can use your other arm and even your legs for bracing, but you must remain seated.
4. The winner is the person who pulls their opponent over the table. Letting go of the loop means you have lost the bout.

Leg Wrestling

Also known as Indian leg wrestling, this traditional sport will test your posterior chain strength. Body weight is also a factor in this challenge, so avoid taking on anyone who is significantly heavier than you. Make sure you warm up your hamstrings and lower back before attempting this strength challenge.

How to Do It:

1. Lie on your back with your legs straight. Your opponent should lie on the floor next to you, facing the opposite way.
2. Link elbows and line up your shoulders and hips.
3. On the command “go,” lift your innermost legs and hook one behind the other.
4. Try to push your opponent’s foot down to the floor while preventing them from doing the same to you.

Stick Wrestling

This simple challenge will test your hand, forearm, arm, shoulder, and core strength. All you need is a suitable stick and a partner to battle against. But be warned: like arm wrestling, your strategy is as important as muscle power, and a smart plan could help you defeat much bigger, stronger opponents.

How to Do It:

1. Stand face-to-face with your partner.
2. Hold a stick between you, such as a broomstick, tree branch, baseball bat, fitness-type adjustable barbell, etc. Use an overhand or mixed grip preferred. For fairness, both participants should use the same grip.
3. On the command “go,” each participant attempts to wrestle the stick from their opponent’s grip. You can push, pull, or twist the stick, but no striking.
4. The loser is the person who lets go of the stick with both hands.

Back Wrestling

I was introduced to back wrestling in the British Royal Marines. It was used as a core strengthening exercise during troop circuit training workouts. We held the matches in a round-robin style, with the losers having to run laps of the training field. Needless to say, the longer your winning streak, the fewer laps you had to run, so motivation to win was high!

How to Do It:

1. Sit on the floor back-to-back with your opponent.
2. Interlock your arms and spread your feet for balance.
3. On the command “go,” lean sideways and try to press your opponent’s right shoulder to the floor as they attempt to do the same thing to you.
4. Provided you both know your left from your right, you should be leaning in opposite directions!
5. Use your legs as much as necessary to stay stable, but you must keep your butt on the ground.
6. Continue until there is an outright winner by touchdown or one of you yields.
7. Repeat on the opposite side, i.e., trying to press your partner’s left shoulder down to the floor.

Brick Lifting Challenge

This is a great strength test for builders and anyone else who works in construction. Why not challenge your colleagues to a strength test, with the loser buying the post-work beers? It goes without saying that you should do this challenge during your lunch break and not when you’re supposed to be working!

How to Do It:

1. Place a couple of regular household bricks on a table.
2. Clamp the bricks between your palms.
3. Press your hands together and lift the bricks off the table.
4. Put them back down.
5. Add another brick and repeat.
6. Continue until you are unable to complete your lift. Your last successful lift is your final score.

https://youtube.com/shorts/GPhTAJ13PVA?si=u8wSOEu1P6ZNa_ii 

Mas Wrestling

Mas wrestling is an ancient test of strength with roots in Norway, Finland, Alaska, and the Inuit regions of Canada. It’s a variation of the classic “tug or war,” but using a stout stick instead of a rope. Mas wrestling is a recognized international sport, but it’s also a great way to test your strength in a more casual setting.

How to Do It:

1. Sit on the floor facing your opponent. Place your feet on a plank of wood or, more simply, press the soles of your feet together. Bend your legs as much as you like while keeping your butt on the floor.
2. Extend your arms and hold a stick between you using an overhand or mixed grip.
3. On the command “go,” lean back and attempt to pull your opponent across the board or line between your feet.
4. You can also do this challenge by holding one another’s hands or wrists.

Chair Lift Challenge

The chair lift challenge looks easy but is actually incredibly hard. I’ve seen a lot of big guys attempt it, only to find that the chair won’t budge or just tips over. You’ll need a powerful grip and strong core to beat this test, and often, it’s the smaller, lighter guys who are more successful. I suggest you practice this one at home before challenging your buddies!

How to Do It:

1. Using a regular dining chair, squat or kneel down and grab the bottom of one leg with your forearm resting on the ground. Grip it tightly.
2. Next, simply lift the chair and stand up without using your other hand and while keeping the chair upright.
3. Make this challenge easier by starting with the chair on a raised platform. You can also do it with a stool.
4. Can’t do it? Don’t worry – you are not alone. Stronger forearms will definitely help!

Closing Thoughts

Get two lifters together, and invariably, one will ask the other, “Hey – how much do you bench?” Others prefer to compare their strength more directly with arm wrestling. But what if you aren’t a good bench presser, or arm wrestling hurts your elbows?

Should you meekly turn down the challenge? No way!

The good news is that there are plenty of alternative ways to test and prove your strength, and I’ve listed nine popular choices in this article.

Each one tests a different type of strength, and most require very little skill or equipment. That said, if you want to do your best, it’s always worth practicing these challenges beforehand so you know how to do them correctly.

So, the next time you are challenged to arm wrestle, why not suggest an alternative? While not as well known, these lesser-known challenges are also legitimate tests of strength.

References:

1. García-Hermoso A, Cavero-Redondo I, Ramírez-Vélez R, Ruiz JR, Ortega FB, Lee DC, Martínez-Vizcaíno V. Muscular Strength as a Predictor of All-Cause Mortality in an Apparently Healthy Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Data From Approximately 2 Million Men and Women. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2018 Oct;99(10):2100-2113.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2018.01.008. Epub 2018 Feb 7. PMID: 29425700.
2. Bohannon RW. Grip Strength: An Indispensable Biomarker For Older Adults. Clin Interv Aging. 2019 Oct 1;14:1681-1691. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S194543. PMID: 31631989; PMCID: PMC6778477.

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