EPIC Lift Capacity Standard Reference (ELC Norms)

Introduction

In 1996, a paper by Leonard N. Matheson titled “Relationships Among Age, Body Weight, Resting Heart Rate, and Performance in a New Test of Lift Capacity,” which described an interrogation of the national database for the EPIC Lift Capacity test (ELC), was published in the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. This study measured the relative contributions of age, gender, body weight, and resting heart rate to lift capacity in 531 healthy employed males and females. The objectives of this study were to measure the contributions to lift capacity that are made by these variables and to develop an appropriate means to express the results of a new test of lift capacity. A formal training program was developed and administered to 110 health care professionals. Subsequently, each trained evaluator performed five tests on healthy volunteers. The effect of the independent variables were studied through the use of multiple regression and analysis of variance procedures. Results indicate that age, resting heart rate and body weight are significant predictors of performance, with the last variable being the most important. A method to normalize lift capacity is presented in which the maximum acceptable weight lifted is divided by the evaluee’s body weight to derive relative acceptable weight, a variable which is normally distributed. Those who use measures of lift capacity to describe performance must consider the effect of these variables in order to make valid interpretations of lift capacity test performance.

This publication presents normative data that were not able to be included in the original publication. Review this reference for information about methods, procedures, and subjects: Matheson L. Relationships among age, body weight, resting heart rate, and performance in a new test of lift capacity. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 1996;6(4): 225–237.

Normative Tables

Important Note: These normative standards are intended only for use by ELC evaluators certified by EPIC. It is to these professionals that this work is respectfully dedicated. Copying, reprinting, reproducing, transmitting or in any way storing this information without the express written permission of the copyright holder is strictly prohibited and will result in sanctions.

Normative Table 1.
Percentile rankings for RAW (relative acceptable weight) on the ELC Sub-Test #1. Maximum acceptable weight lifted, divided by the evaluee’s body mass.
Percentile Male
18–29
Yrs.		 Male
30–39
Yrs.		 Male
40–60
Yrs.		 Female
18–29
Yrs.		 Female
30–39
Yrs.		 Female
40–60
Yrs.
95th .555 .517 .505 .527 .478 .409
90th .541 .512 .494 .512 .465 .391
85th .527 .507 .483 .487 .452 .373
80th .514 .502 .473 .463 .439 .354
75th .500 .497 .462 .438 .426 .336
70th .495 .490 .447 .425 .406 .317
65th .490 .483 .431 .412 .386 .298
60th .484 .475 .416 .399 .366 .280
55th .479 .468 .400 .386 .346 .261
50th .474 .461 .385 .373 .326 .242
45th .459 .438 .365 .359 .310 .237
40th .444 .415 .345 .345 .293 .232
35th .460 .393 .326 .331 .277 .228
30th .415 .370 .306 .317 .260 .223
25th .400 .347 .286 .303 .244 .218
20th .378 .323 .270 .281 .223 .197
15th .355 .298 .254 .260 .203 .177
10th .333 .274 .238 .238 .182 .156
5th .311 .250 .222 .216 .161 .137
Normative Table 2.
Percentile rankings for RAW (relative acceptable weight) on the ELC Sub-Test #2. Maximum acceptable weight lifted, divided by the evaluee’s body mass.
Percentile Male
18–29
Yrs.		 Male
30–39
Yrs.		 Male
40–60
Yrs.		 Female
18–29
Yrs.		 Female
30–39
Yrs.		 Female
40–60
Yrs.
95th .617 .571 .595 .609 .580 .534
90th .605 .567 .578 .595 .565 .505
85th .593 .563 .561 .581 .550 .476
80th .582 .560 .543 .566 .534 .448
75th .570 .556 .526 .552 .519 .419
70th .564 .547 .512 .538 .499 .400
65th .558 .538 .498 .523 .478 .381
60th .553 .530 .484 .509 .458 .361
55th .547 .521 .470 .494 .437 .342
50th .541 .512 .456 .480 .417 .323
45th .533 .499 .434 .461 .398 .308
40th .525 .486 .412 .442 .379 .292
35th .516 .473 .391 .423 .361 .277
30th .508 .460 .369 .404 .342 .261
25th .500 .447 .347 .385 .323 .246
20th .467 .410 .319 .361 .293 .229
15th .433 .373 .290 .338 .263 .211
10th .400 .336 .262 .314 .233 .194
5th .367 .309 .234 .290 .203 .177
Normative Table 3.
Percentile rankings for RAW (relative acceptable weight) on the ELC Sub-Test #3. Maximum acceptable weight lifted, divided by the evaluee’s body mass.
Percentile Male
18–29
Yrs.		 Male
30–39
Yrs.		 Male
40–60
Yrs.		 Female
18–29
Yrs.		 Female
30–39
Yrs.		 Female
40–60
Yrs.
95th .563 .541 .514 .513 .450 .412
90th .550 .531 .500 .494 .435 .390
85th .537 .521 .486 .475 .420 .368
80th .525 .510 .471 .457 .405 .345
75th .512 .500 .457 .438 .390 .323
70th .506 .494 .442 .421 .377 .310
65th .500 .488 .428 .404 .364 .296
60th .493 .481 .413 .388 .352 .283
55th .487 .475 .399 .371 .339 .269
50th .481 .469 .384 .354 .326 .256
45th .472 .447 .374 .342 .312 .236
40th .463 .425 .364 .331 .298 .216
35th .454 .402 .353 .319 .283 .195
30th .445 .380 .343 .308 .269 .175
25th .436 .358 .333 .296 .255 .155
20th .408 .327 .302 .277 .243 .152
15th .379 .297 .272 .257 .231 .148
10th .351 .266 .241 .238 .219 .145
5th .323 .235 .210 .219 .207 .142
Normative Table 4.
Percentile rankings for RAW (relative acceptable weight) on the ELC Sub-Test #4. Maximum acceptable weight lifted, divided by the evaluee’s body mass.
Percentile Male
18–29
Yrs.		 Male
30–39
Yrs.		 Male
40–60
Yrs.		 Female
18–29
Yrs.		 Female
30–39
Yrs.		 Female
40–60
Yrs.
95th .453 .423 .428 .417 .406 .352
90th .444 .418 .418 .403 .390 .331
85th .435 .413 .408 .389 .374 .310
80th .426 .408 .399 .375 .357 .288
75th .417 .403 .389 .361 .341 .267
70th .411 .396 .369 .347 .329 .258
65th .404 .389 .349 .333 .317 .249
60th .398 .383 .328 .320 .306 .240
55th .391 .376 .308 .306 .294 .231
50th .385 .369 .288 .292 .282 .222
45th .375 .357 .281 .280 .269 .207
40th .364 .345 .275 .268 .256 .193
35th .354 .332 .268 .257 .242 .178
30th .343 .320 .292 .245 .229 .164
25th .333 .308 .255 .233 .216 .149
20th .310 .271 .225 .219 .195 .127
15th .287 .235 .194 .206 .175 .106
10th .264 .198 .164 .192 .154 .084
5th .241 .161 .134 .174 .133 .062
Normative Table 5.
Percentile rankings for RAW (relative acceptable weight) on the ELC Sub-Test #5. Maximum acceptable weight lifted, divided by the evaluee’s body mass.
Percentile Male
18–29
Yrs.		 Male
30–39
Yrs.		 Male
40–60
Yrs.		 Female
18–29
Yrs.		 Female
30–39
Yrs.		 Female
40–60
Yrs.
95th .517 .503 .478 .503 .495 .412
90th .506 .492 .469 .488 .480 .400
85th .495 .481 .460 .473 .465 .378
80th .483 .470 .450 .459 .451 .355
75th .472 .459 .441 .444 .436 .333
70th .465 .453 .419 .431 .417 .322
65th .458 .446 .398 .418 .398 .311
60th .452 .440 .376 .404 .379 .301
55th .445 .433 .355 .391 .360 .290
50th .438 .427 .333 .378 .341 .279
45th .426 .403 .321 .363 .324 .261
40th .414 .379 .309 .348 .308 .242
35th .402 .355 .296 .333 .291 .224
30th .390 .331 .284 .318 .275 .205
25th .378 .307 .272 .303 .258 .187
20th .356 .270 .240 .279 .232 .177
15th .335 .233 .207 .255 .206 .167
10th .313 .196 .175 .231 .180 .157
5th .289 .159 .143 .207 .154 .147
Normative Table 6.
Percentile rankings for RAW (relative acceptable weight) on the ELC Sub-Test #6. Maximum acceptable weight lifted, divided by the evaluee’s body mass.
Percentile Male
18–29
Yrs.		 Male
30–39
Yrs.		 Male
40–60
Yrs.		 Female
18–29
Yrs.		 Female
30–39
Yrs.		 Female
40–60
Yrs.
95th .450 .428 .426 .389 .401 .339
90th .440 .421 .412 .378 .384 .323
85th .430 .414 .398 .367 .361 .307
80th .420 .407 .385 .356 .337 .290
75th .410 .400 .371 .345 .314 .274
70th .404 .392 .354 .333 .303 .263
65th .397 .384 .337 .322 .292 .252
60th .391 .375 .320 .310 .281 .241
55th .384 .367 .303 .299 .270 .230
50th .378 .359 .286 .287 .259 .219
45th .363 .341 .272 .274 .243 .206
40th .347 .323 .258 .262 .227 .193
35th .332 .305 .244 .249 .212 .181
30th .316 .287 .230 .237 .196 .168
25th .301 .269 .216 .224 .180 .155
20th .288 .228 .197 .205 .159 .151
15th .276 .188 .177 .187 .139 .147
10th .263 .147 .158 .168 .118 .143
5th .250 .106 .139 .149 .097 .140