{"id":759651,"date":"2026-02-12T14:25:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T14:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/759651\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T14:25:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T14:25:44","slug":"81-year-old-smashes-dead-hang-world-record-6-ways-to-improve-your-time-and-why-you-should","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/759651\/","title":{"rendered":"81-year-old smashes dead hang world record \u2013 6 ways to improve your time (and why you should)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this month, Bonnie Sumner set a new world record for the oldest woman to hold a dead hang<\/a>, at the age of 81, for a full 3 minutes 3 seconds.<\/p>\n

Previously, the record had been set by Californian fitness influencer Annie Judis, who’d completed a hang for 2 minutes 1 second at the age of 80 years and 244 days. <\/p>\n

It was in July 2024, after reading about the longevity and functional benefits of the dead hang, that Bonnie became interested in incorporating it into her fitness routine. On a first attempt at her local gym, Woodland Fitness in Colorado, she initially managed an impressive 21 seconds. <\/p>\n

The movement then became a regular part of her sessions with PT Eva Lawrence, whom she strength trained<\/a> with three times a week. ‘When I got 53 seconds, my hands really hurt, and I said, “This isn’t fun,”‘ Bonnie said to The New York Times<\/a>. Tenaciously, however, she held on, working up to 2:01 last February. <\/p>\n

Not long afterwards, she considered participating at a competitive level. ‘There was a picture of a man hanging from a bar in an article,’ she said to KOAA News<\/a>. ‘I wondered what the Guinness World Record was for women my age.’<\/p>\n

‘The gym owner and I looked it up,’ trainer Eve continued. ‘I knew at that point she could beat the record.’ They then began adding farmer’s carries, machine rows and bench presses<\/a> to their sessions to improve Bonnie’s upper-body and grip<\/a> strength, and to help manage pain from her arthritis. Part of the difficulty was that she also always wore her wedding ring while hanging, in memory of her husband of 60 years, Mark, who passed away in December 2023. <\/p>\n

Bonnie waited until she turned 81 on 5 Jan to make her world-record attempt. On the day itself, Eve gave her 30-second updates for the first two minutes. In practice sessions, she’d regularly reached 2:45, but held on a few agonising seconds longer until 3:03 when her calf began to cramp. <\/p>\n

‘I think this is one and done,’ said Bonnie. ‘My goal isn\u2019t to go for another record.’ However, the emphasis on movement throughout the years remains. ‘The older we get, the more we need to take care of our bodies.’<\/p>\n

6 ways to improve your dead hang<\/p>\n

Dead hangs are an excellent exercise to improve posture and pull-up ability, says PT, nutrition and mindset coach, Chloe Thomas<\/a>. ‘They can even help you develop your grip so you can hold heavy enough weights for your lower-body movements.’ Here are her top tips. <\/p>\n

1. Hang actively, not passively<\/p>\n

‘Don’t just hang. Engage your lats and core<\/a>. Think about having your shoulders gently down and keeping a long neck.’<\/p>\n

2. Split your session into sets<\/p>\n

Rather than just hanging, Thomas<\/a> advises doing one set of 10 to 20 seconds, resting for 20 to 40 seconds, and then repeating for three to five rounds. ‘It\u2019s really important for you to monitor your time and try to improve every single week, even if it\u2019s just one second, because the time under tension<\/a> is what\u2019s going to make a difference.’ Use chalk if you\u2019ve got quite sweaty hands.<\/p>\n

\"dead<\/p>\n

aldomurillo\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

3. Mix up your grip<\/p>\n

Strength and conditioning coach Andy Vincent<\/a> explains the benefits of each different type of grip and the areas they develop.<\/p>\n