Why Women Can Easily Complete The Viral 'Broomstick Challenge' — But Men Fail Every Time
Men simply cannot get it right.
meloandsky, thebookoutfamily / TikTok When comparing the physiological differences between men and women, men tend to have more muscle and bone mass, and their percentage of body fat is lower.
But despite all of the physical advantages, there is one simple trick that men have a hard time doing, while women can complete it with ease.
What is the broomstick challenge?
In 2022, the broomstick challenge went viral, and people across the internet laughed hysterically as men tried to complete the seemingly simple task.
TikTokers Trevor and Kayla Bookout demonstrated how it is done in a video they posted.
The challenge must include a man and woman who will compete against one another to see who can successfully do it.
First, the woman holds the broomstick in front of her, placing it between her extended arms horizontally. Her hands are spaced far enough apart that she can step between them with ease.
The woman will then bend forward, lowering the broomstick to about ankle height (or as low as she can). Then, she will step between her arms with one foot, followed by the other. The broom will now be behind her ankles.
From there, she will raise it behind her until it reaches the small of her back.
In the video, Kayla was able to complete the task easily. But when Trevor tried, it was the picture of awkwardness. He couldn’t seem to grasp the concept of raising his foot and stepping over the bar.
And he was not the only man that failed the challenge. TikTok couple Melo and Sky also shared a video of them completing the challenge.
Again, for Sky, the task was a breeze, but Melo appeared super clumsy and fell into his dog’s kennel, then to the floor before waving the white flag.
Why are women better at the broom challenge than men?
You might be asking yourself what gives with the men who can't complete the broomstick challenge. Why do they have such a tough time stepping over a broomstick?
There is actually a logical explanation for their inability to do it and it is all about gravity.
Men have a higher center of gravity.
For women, our center of mass is in our lower hips. For men, theirs is higher up in the chest area.
According to research by Theoretical Biology and Medical Modelling, womens' centers of gravity are 8-15% lower those of men. This is especially useful during pregnancy when women need to stay upright despite their extended bellies.
So, when a woman bends at the hips, she is perfectly balanced with her center of gravity perfectly aligned over her feet. As for men, when they bend over, their center of gravity, their upper torso, pulls them forward, as demonstrated by Melo.
This places them off balance and they try to compensate by digging their heels into the floor.
That is the reason their feet seem to weigh a ton and are difficult to lift. The men are depending on their planted soles to stabilize them.
Men tend to have larger feet.
Another factor is the difference in shoe size.
Women typically have smaller feet than men. This means that, when extending the broom, women don’t have to move it as far away from their bodies.
Men, on the other hand, need to push the broomstick out further to account for the length of their feet, making them even more unstable.
As seen with Melo and Sky, Melo's inability to raise his foot over the broom gave new meaning to "tripping over your own feet."
So, for the ladies out there who want to show their guy that women can be stronger than men, consider the broomstick challenge an excellent way to do that.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.