Chair challenge – which women CAN do but men CAN’T – goes viral on Tik Tok

FROM parking to lifting heavier weights - many will try to argue that men come out on top.

But a viral challenge doing the rounds on Tik Tok throws those ideas of superiority into doubt.

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A trick now dubbed the 'chair challenge' involves standing three feet away from a wall.

You then have to bend over with your head against the wall.

But the real challenge comes when you try to stand up holding the chair at the same time.

Sound simple? Give it a try.

Dozens of videos on social media have shown while seeming easy, only women can actually do the challenge.

Men, on the other hand, struggle to stand upright again while holding the chair.

And, in almost all cases the various failures prompt hilarity from the wives, girlfriends, partners, sisters and friends who reign victorious.

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How to do the chair challenge

First things first, how do you actually take on the challenge? Don't forget to get your phone out to record, what's about to ensue...

1. Stand up against the wall and take three footsteps back
2. Place a chair in front of you, up against the wall
3. Bend over the chair, creating a 90-degree angle with your body
4. Place your head against the wall
5. Lift the chair up to your chest, keeping your head against the wall
6. Now comes the real challenge... try to stand up straight, lifting the chair with you

Why can't men do the challenge?

Scientists have come up with a couple of theories, in a bid to explain why blokes really struggle to complete the chair challenge.

One school of thought blames it on our centre of gravity, or mass - the point where a person's total weight is concentrated.

Meanwhile others argue the size of our feet is really the key to the challenge.

When it comes to men and women, it's generally thought we have different centres of gravity.

For men it's their chest, while for women it's in their waist-to-hip area.

Speaking about the challenge, US scientist Jeremy Johnson says: "Interestingly enough, many girls can successfully complete this challenge, while most boys cannot.

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"Why? Again, it’s all about the centre of mass.

"The centre of mass for most girls is lower to the hips, while the centre of mass in boys is much higher.

"Therefore, for most girls, the centre of mass while bent over the chair is above their feet, while the centre of mass for most boys is above the chair."

But, Professor Brian Ford at Cambridge University,  says most men's failure to complete the challenge has more to do with the size of their feet.

He told The Sun Online: "It is true that women have a lower centre of gravity than men, by several centimetres.

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"But that has no bearing on this crafty little trick.

"Men have longer feet than women. Two paces back for a man would be some 60cm, for a woman it's more like 50cm.

"So to begin with, the man is forced further away from the wall.

"The man's larger feet mean he is farther away from the wall than the woman, and is thus leaning forward.

"The woman's legs are closer to the wall, and are thus leaning back."

Prof Ford said this puts women at an advantage in the challenge.

Whatever the science says... give it a try and enjoy the results.