How Many Pull-Ups Should You Be Able To Do?

Pull-ups are a good indicator of an individual’s strength and fitness levels, but they’re a challenging exercise for many people. If you’re trying to get your first pull-up or increase the number of pull-ups you can do, it can help to know how many pull-ups are considered strong so you have a number to aim for.

So how many pull-ups are considered strong?

There are no definitive guidelines.

If you are a beginner with no training experience, you will likely be unable to do a single pull-up.

However, fit and active men should be able to do at least 4 to 8 pull-ups in one set. Fit and active women should be able to do at least 1 to 3 pull-ups in one set.

Any number above 8 for men and 3 for women is very good.

You are in the highest percentile if you can do 12 to 15 pull-ups or more with good form.

These numbers may seem impossible to reach. But if you’re willing to put in the work and train pull-ups consistently, you can get your first pull-up or increase the number of pull-ups you can do sooner than you think.

In this article, I’ll discuss:

What muscles pull-ups work
How much of your body weight Do You Lift During a pull-up?
How long does it take An average person to do a pull-up?
Is Just Doing Pull-ups Enough For A Workout?
How many pull-ups should you do To Have A Good workout?
A sample workout program to help you get better at pull-ups

Looking for a program that can help you get stronger for pull-ups? Check out Speediance. It can help you add strength and muscle mass to your upper back while continuing to train the rest of your body, too. Download the Speediance app today and try workouts for free!

Let’s get started.

What Muscles Do Pull-Ups Work?

Pull-ups are a highly effective compound exercise that targets multiple muscle groups. Here’s a breakdown of the primary muscles worked during a pull-up:

Latissimus Dorsi: Often referred to as the "lats," these are the large muscles of the back that help pull the arms down and back. They are the primary muscles targeted during a pull-up.
Rhomboids: Located between the shoulder blades, the rhomboids assist in retracting the shoulder blades and stabilizing the scapulae during the pull-up.
Trapezius: This muscle, which extends down the back of the neck and upper spine, helps with shoulder blade movement and stabilization.
Biceps Brachii: The biceps, located in the upper arm, are heavily engaged during pull-ups to help flex the elbow and lift the body.
Brachialis: Situated underneath the biceps, the brachialis contributes to elbow flexion and works alongside the biceps during the pull-up.
Infraspinatus and Teres Major: These muscles, part of the rotator cuff, help stabilize the shoulder joint and assist in the movement.
Pectoralis Major: Although not the primary target, the chest muscles (pectorals) assist in the pull-up by contributing to the movement of the shoulder joint.
Core Muscles: The abdominal muscles, including the rectus abdominis and obliques, play a crucial role in stabilizing the body and maintaining proper form during the pull-up.
Forearms and Grip Muscles: The muscles of the forearms, including the flexors and extensors, are engaged to maintain grip strength on the bar.

How much of your body weight Do You Lift During a pull-up?

During a pull-up, you lift a significant portion of your body weight. Typically, you lift around 70-90% of your body weight, depending on your technique and body composition.

Therefore, doing pull-ups will be much more challenging if you are overweight.

How long does it take An average person to do a pull-up?

If you lack upper body strength, your first pull-up may require 3-6 months of dedicated training. This means building strength in your back, shoulders (deltoids), arms, and core through specific hand exercises and progressive overload.

If you are of average fitness but have done some basic training for upper body strength, you may eventually be able to do your first pull-up in 1-3 months if you suddenly focus on it.

If you are overweight, it may take longer.

Is Just Doing Pull-ups Enough For A Workout?

Yes, pull-ups are one of the best exercises to help work your upper body and back muscles but they should not be your sole focus.

A full-body workout should be able to hit all the major muscle groups.

Those are a bit different though and it really depends what you want to do.

To Create a Balanced Workout:

Lower Body Workouts: Squats, lunges and deadlifts are great exercises for legs/glutes.

Integrate In-Sets Core Work: Do core exercises in sets along with pull-ups for example planks, leg raises or Russian twists.

Cardio, Cardio, Cardio — what you cannot ignore: Running and other similar exercises such as cycling or swimming need to happen for a healthy heart (Recent research added that strength training also have CV benefits).

Target Other Muscles : In addition to the plank, you should try and do other exercises because of muscle limits your planks' full benefits. Such as push-ups, dips, or rows for some upper-body work.

Completing a comprehensive routine -- one that emphasizes all areas of fitness including resistance training, cardiovascular exercise and flexibility work-- can benefit your overall health while avoiding imbalances or injury.

If all you want is a workout to hold onto the gains of your upper body training, well it's better than nothing.

How many pull-ups should you do To Have A Good workout?

Beginner: 3-4 sets of 3 to 8 pull-ups, if you can't do full pull-ups yet, no problem. Do assisted pull-ups or negative pull-ups instead, start here
Intermediate: 3-4 sets of 8 to 12 pull-ups, if this is an easy range, make it more challenging by doing variations or using dumbbells.
Advanced: 3-4 sets of 10 to 15 pull-ups. You can also do weighted pull-ups by adding weight using a belt or vest.

I recommend trying to improve the movement twice a week.

Sample Program to Help You Get Better at Pull-Ups

Below are two sample routines based on your current level of pull-up proficiency. I recommend doing whichever routine is best for you at least twice a week.

For Getting Your First Pull-Up

Lat pulldowns– 3 x 6-8 (heavy)
Ring rowsw/ a 3-second lower – 3 x 10
Pull-up negatives– 3 x 8-10 (try to lower to at least a 3-count; don’t just drop down from the top)
Hollow hold – 4 x 30 seconds

For Improving Your Pull-Up Endurance

Pull-ups– 2 x AMRAP
Loop band pull-ups– 2 x 8-10 (use as light of a band as possible)
Scapular pull-ups– 3 x 8-10
Hanging knee raises– 4 x 10-12

Final Words

Here are pullups, they look easy!
It's okay if you cannot do a pull-up- many people can't!
How long it will take you to complete your first proper pull-up will depend on how much you weigh, how fit you are, and maybe even more important -- the degree of awesomeness in getting better upper body strength.

Keep Reading

The Complete List Of Compound Exercises

Chest and Triceps Workout for Serious Gains by Speediance Experts

Ultimate 10-Minute Ab Workout, by a Certified Speediance Trainer