How many pull ups are a lot?

[eworden78]

I've always been pretty natural at pull ups. When I was in college, and still wrestling I maxed out just over 30. My form probably wasn't perfect.

I've been really training them hard again for fun, and am up to around 25 with "pretty good" form. Could probably do over 20 full lockouts right now.

I'm doing the 50 push up challenge, and I'm kind of stagnated and plateaued pretty bad.

 

[AtlSteel]

641

 

[JRT6]

I can do about 20 dead hang pullups but not even one hand over hand arms only rope climb. When I'm reaching with my left arm and my right arm is holding I'm ok it's the other way around I can't do any.

 

[peregrine]

I do ~ 100 a day, there's pull-up bars EVERYWHERE here so I'll jump on and do a set on all of them during my walk to and from work.

It doesn't seem like a lot because it's broken up throughout the day but I've always thought 20 in 1 set is pretty damn good.

Why are there so many?

 

[peregrine]

I am going with a generic guideline
3to7 average
10to15 good
15to20 real good
21+ elite

I should point out that the op is 5'9" @150lbs so being able to do 20 is pretty common, but is still good.

 

[Kerr Smash]

Ive been training for about 4 years. At 6ft 190 I can do 15 strict on a good day, and I have rly long arms. One of my bros is 5'6 and can do more than 20.

 

[hearthstone25]

Everyone says they can do pull/chin ups until you find out theyre talking about quarter/half reps. I found this out recently when I brought my door pull/chin up hanger bar to work. Seems like the average guy, Im taking statistics from my job, can't even do one pull/chin up from a deadhang. Im gona say if you can do them in the double digits then youll be looked at like a God from average humans.

 

[Canada23]

Isn't 25 pull ups a perfect score with most militaries?

 

[ironwolf]

Why are there so many?

I don't know man, there's just these places with like pull up bars, dip bars and random other stuff like these things that are sort of like an elliptical machine.

Sort of like those things that local government parks and rec people put up in parks in the USA but they are everywhere. In fact, in my apartment complex alone there's at least 4 separate spots like that.

On campus they are outside of every dorm and in the public square in the middle.

Some of them are pretty cool, I have a few favorite ones to go to and some actually have like regulars that go there every day, you can get to know them and watch some of the guys do some pretty cool stuff.

 

[Slippery Kantus]

Well if you can get yourself to not worry about the numbers you can try my method which in time produces amazing results. The theory: less is more with added resistance. What does that mean in English? Weighted Pull-Ups.

Get your hands on a belt, attach it to weights, and do them 2days a week consistently and increase the weight by 5lbs every 3rd week.

Start at 5lbs, and do 3x3 with 1 minute rests. I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but as the weight increases so does the difficulty, and in time 3x3 will be that more challenging, and after you get up to 50lbs attached, one day when you are fresh just jump on the bar and see how many you can do un-weighted. You will surprise yourself as long as you follow the previously suggested consistently.

There is more to this and what I do but for this topic that should cover it.

Thanks for the post!

 

[snowpiercer]

I was in the Marines. Max score is 20 pullups.

The record in boot camp when I was in was 76 or 79, something insane like that.

Just wondering, I'm able to do 19, 20 in a row, just wanted to know if that's a good or average number, thanks!

 

[JRT6]

I got my first hand over hand rope climb today with two pulls with my right (which like I said is not a problem) and one with my left. I then promptly fell off the rope.

 

[Spoonman7]

All depends, I am 6 foot 6 and 20, I did 20 in a row once, which is decent for a guy my size, but smaller guys could likely do much more. the more you do, the more you will be bale to do later on.

 

[KILL KILL]

I'm pretty sure, I've been out for a little while now. They added an obstacle course on top of the 3 mile run, crunches, and pullups. They might have changed it again. The strongest guys who were physical beasts of the unit usually maxed around 25 pullups. Those guys were the ones who were workhorses. The average strong guy was getting around 15-18.

Unless you have some need for crazy back endurance like a gymnast or climber(even that's mostly legs if you do it right), doing 30+ pullups is insane.

Yeah, the additional stuff is called the Combat Fitness Test (CFT). I was the Procter for my company.

It's a bit more realistic than a 3 mile run and some pull ups.

- 800 meter run in boots
- Obstacle course thingy with a buddy carry and dummy grenade throw that will take points off your final time for accuracy.
- ammo can thrusters.

 

[KILL KILL]

I was in the Marines. Max score is 20 pullups.

The record in boot camp when I was in was 76 or 79, something insane like that.

If you went to Lejeune, I heard it was 79 or 80. How crazy is that?

 

[RogerRabbit]

Everyone says they can do pull/chin ups until you find out theyre talking about quarter/half reps. I found this out recently when I brought my door pull/chin up hanger bar to work. Seems like the average guy, Im taking statistics from my job, can't even do one pull/chin up from a deadhang. Im gona say if you can do them in the double digits then youll be looked at like a God from average humans.

Seriously, this. I'm a big fan of pull-ups, and have gotten into the whole calisthenics movement. And despite being able to do several muscle-ups, I can only do about 17 pull-ups with very good form at my current bodyweight. At my peak, when I weighed 15lbs less, I was able to do 21 with good form.

When people say they can bang out anything over 20 pull-ups with ease I immediately become suspicious. 20+ pull-ups is not easy. Hell, 10+ with strict dead-hang form for your average person (even weekly gym-goer) will be difficult. I have seen excellent pull-up technique and I have seen great pull-up numbers, and 20+ is extremely rare even for most athletes.

 

[KILL KILL]

Seriously, this. I'm a big fan of pull-ups, and have gotten into the whole calisthenics movement. And despite being able to do several muscle-ups, I can only do about 17 pull-ups with very good form at my current bodyweight. At my peak, when I weighed 15lbs less, I was able to do 21 with good form.

When people say they can bang out anything over 20 pull-ups with ease I immediately become suspicious. 20+ pull-ups is not easy. Hell, 10+ with strict dead-hang form for your average person (even weekly gym-goer) will be difficult. I have seen excellent pull-up technique and I have seen great pull-up numbers, and 20+ is extremely rare even for most athletes.

at my best, I was able to crank out 25 at 6'1 220, but could never do a single muscle up...ever. So consider yourself lucky.

I saw a video on Flow Wrestling several years ago where Jake Herbert talked about shooting for 10,000 pull ups by the time Worlds came around. Here's the original video. When I did the math, it came out to like 200 pull ups a day. I thought it was absurd for someone to try and do that.

My buddy wrestled at Northwestern and said Jake Herbert (who wrestled at 184) would routinely crank out 50 pull ups. So, 200 would only take a few sets a day. Fuck that guy.

 

[RafailNadull]

Whether some feat is good or "a lot" always depends on what population you compare yourself to. 20 strict form pullups is below the average for pro gymnasts, but will be rare for almost any other population. Including that that consists of regular gym goers that regularly do pullups and have worked out at least a year.

 

[Lord Commander Palis]

Interesting a lot people acting like 20 deadhang is an average or okay number. I've been consistently lifting for about a decade now and I have almost never seen guys knock out 20 pull ups in general, much less dead hangs. Not to say it's not impossible but especially for heavier longer guys your not going well over 20 deadhang unless your focusing a lot of time working on that lift.

lol agreed.

people are comedy over the internet. dudes thinking they can do American Ninja or w/e like it's nothing.

 

[Stargazer Rex]

lol agreed.

people are comedy over the internet. dudes thinking they can do American Ninja or w/e like it's nothing.

When I was first attempted as many pull up as I could when I was 17 I did 16 or 17. I'm nothing special so I can believe that a lot of people can do 20 pullups. The most I ended up doing was 21 and I rarely worked on pull ups.