Kehity

Max hang test: measure your finger strength

A 10-second max hang on a 20 mm edge is the closest thing climbing has to a standard strength test. Compare it with the grades you climb to find out whether fingers are your limiter.

Get ready
10
Hang 1/3

Find your 10-second max on a 20 mm edge

Warm up for 15 minutes with easy climbing and progressively harder hangs. Then 3 attempts of 10 s, adding weight each time. Record the heaviest you held for the full 10 seconds.

Sets
3

Who it's for

Anyone who has hangboarded before. Test when fresh, not after a hard climbing day.

How to do it

  1. Warm up for 15–20 minutes: easy climbing, then hangs at increasing loads.
  2. Use a 20 mm edge, half crimp, both hands.
  3. Hang 10 seconds at a load you're sure you can hold. Rest 3 minutes.
  4. Add weight and repeat. Stop when you can no longer hold the full 10 seconds — usually 3 attempts.
  5. Your result is the heaviest load you held for the full 10 seconds, as % of bodyweight.

How to progress

Retest every 6–8 weeks, on the same edge, at the same time of day. Your result is only comparable with yourself — and with the grade correlations as a rough guide.

Questions

What is a good max hang for 7a?

Climbers sending 7a routes often hang around 120% of bodyweight for 10 seconds on 20 mm; strong 7a boulderers around 130%. Technique can make up for a lot.

I don't have a 20 mm edge. Can I still test?

Yes — Kehity's calculator adjusts smaller or bigger edges to a 20 mm estimate, roughly 2.5% per millimetre.

Is finger strength really your limiter?

Kehity compares your max hang with the grades you send, the styles you avoid and how often you try climbs at your limit.

Find my limiter — free