Are you looking for benchmarking numbers for pull-ups? Then keep reading! Because today, I will be sharing 10 of my favorite pull-up statistics for 2022.
My research and number crunching has revealed:
- Male and female pull up world records.
- Pull up standards between adults and teenagers
- Percentage of Americans who can do pull ups.
- Number of pull ups the average American can do.
- Average American pull up 1 rep max.
- What the public considers to be a respectable pull up number.
- Pull up requirements for the US Army.
- Pull up vs lat pull down muscle activation comparison.
All the statistics have been researched. And some numbers have been crunched by using different sources.
Let’s go!
- 1. World Record Number Of Continuous Pull Ups.
- 2. World Record Number Of Pull Ups For A Given Time Period.
- 3. Pull Up Standards Between Youths And Adults
- 4. What Percentage Of American Adults Can Do A Pull-Up?
- 5. What's The Ideal Bodyweight For Pull Ups?
- 6. How Many Pull Ups Can An Average American Do?
- 7. What's The Heaviest Pull Up An Average American Can Do?
- 8. How Many Pull Ups Do The Public Consider To Be Respectable?
- 9. Pull Up Requirements For US Military.
- 10. Pull Up Vs Lat Pull Down Muscle Activation.
- Recap: Recommended Gear For Pull-Ups At Home
- Conclusion
1. World Record Number Of Continuous Pull Ups.
Jan Kareš holds the male record for the highest number of continuous pull-ups completed in a set. He did 238 pull-ups in 2017. Irina Rudometkina holds the female record. She completed 48 pull-ups in 2014.
| Competition | Current Male Holder | Current Female Holder |
|---|---|---|
| Number Of Continuous Pull Ups | Jan Kareš 2017 (238 Pull Ups) | Irina Rudometkina 2014 (48 Pull Ups) |
Jan, from the Czech Republic, completed his 238 pull ups in the space of 34 minutes.
The event took place in Hergetova Cihelna, Czech Republic. And his training began at the age of 16, where he would do pull ups for 4 hours every other day.
When required, Jan would use one-armed dead hangs to rest the other arm.
Irina, from the USA, completed her 48 pull ups in 4 minutes and 13 seconds. She actually performed 51 pull ups, but only 48 qualified.
The event took place at River City High School, California.
She took a different strategy to Jan, and maintained a 2-arm dead hang to rest her arms when required.
Irina managed to complete an impressive 23 continuous pull ups before taking her first rest.
Jan (a 47 year old) and Irina (a teenager) both show that age doesn’t matter when it comes to breaking world-record pull ups!
2. World Record Number Of Pull Ups For A Given Time Period.
Here are the world records for the most number of pull ups completed within 1 minute, 3 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 6 hours, and 24 hours:
| Most Pull Ups In: | Current Male Holder | Current Female Holder |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Minute | Vitaly Kulikov 2018 (52 Pull Ups) | Alicia Weber 2011 (39 Pull Ups) |
| 3 Minutes | Joonas Mäkipelto 2020 (111 Pull Ups) | Alicia Weber 2011 (74 Pull Ups) |
| 30 Minutes | Jan Kareš 2020 (707 Pull Ups) | Alicia Weber 2011 (419 Pull Ups) |
| 1 Hour | Jan Kareš 2019 (1198 Pull Ups) | Eva Clarke 2016 (725 Pull Ups) |
| 6 Hours | Jan Kareš 2018 (3885 Pull Ups) | Lenka Strolená 2018 (2005 Pull Ups) |
| 24 Hours | Brandon Tucker 2019 (7715 Pull Ups) | Eva Clarke 2016 (3737 Pull Ups) |
Most Pull Ups Completed In 1 Minute:
The male record for the most pull ups completed in 1 minute belongs to Vitaly Kulikov, who did 52 pull ups in 2018. The female record for the most pull ups completed in 1 minute belongs to Alicia Weber, who did 39 pull ups in 2011.
Although Vitaly PETROVICH’s record is the official male world record, Vitaly KULIKOV actually completed 59 pull ups in 1 minute, in 2012.
But Kulikov’s record did not qualify because he used the wide arm variation of the pull up.
Most Pull Ups Completed In 3 Minutes:
The male record for the most pull ups in 3 minutes belongs to Joonas Mäkipelto from Finland, who did 111 pull ups in 2020. The female record for the most pull ups in 3 minutes is held by Alicia Weber from the USA, who did 74 pull ups in 2011.
Alicia has been practicing her pull ups since she was 4 years old (talk about dedication). She’s now 40 years old, and held and broken her own 3 minute pull up records since 2008!
Most Pull Ups Completed In 30 Minutes:
The male record for the most pull ups in 30 minutes belongs to Jan Kareš from The Czech Republic, who did 707 pull ups in 2020. The female record is held by Alicia Weber from the USA, who did 419 pull ups in 2011.
Most Pull Ups Completed In 1 Hour:
The male record for the most pull ups in 1 hour belongs to Jan Kareš from The Czech Republic, who did 1198 pull ups in 2019. The female record is held by Eva Clarke from the USA, who did 725 pull ups in 2016.
Eva is an ex-millitary woman, mom, and holds numerous other pull up records!
Most Pull Ups Completed In 6 Hours:
Jan Kareš holds the male record for the most pull ups completed in 6 hours, achieving 3,885 pull ups in 2018. Lenka Strolená holds the female record for the most pull ups completed in 6 hours, achieving 2,005 pull ups in 2018.
Lenka is currently the only handful of females to have attempted the most pull ups in 6 hours!
Most Pull Ups Completed In 24 Hours:
The male record for the most pull ups in 24 hours belongs to Brandon Tucker from the USA, who did 7,715 pull ups in 2019. The same female record is held by Eva Clarke from the USA, who did 3,737 pull ups in 2016.
Brandon is an ex-Army Ranger. And he had already completed 5000 pushups by the 14th hour!
Impressed? Check out my other article to improve your pull ups!
3. Pull Up Standards Between Youths And Adults
Pull up numbers should increase with age. Adult males are able to do 60% more pull ups, compared to teenaged boys aged 13 to 18 years old. Conversely, adult females are able to do 100% more pull ups, compared to teenaged girls aged 13 to 18 years old.
This data is deduced from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, which found:
- Teenagers aged 13 to 18 years old- boys averaged 3 to 8 pull ups and girls averaged 1 pull up.
- Adults aged 18 and over- men averaged 8+ pull ups and women averaged 1 to 3 pull ups.
This represents an approximate 60% increase as boys age into men and a 100% increase as girls age into women.
This comes as no surprise since muscle mass and bone density develop during puberty.
4. What Percentage Of American Adults Can Do A Pull-Up?
The pull up is considered to be a difficult exercise, and not everyone can successfully perform one. 68% of American adults can do a pull up. And of the people who can successfully perform a pull up, around 51% are male and 17% are female.
This statistic was uncovered by Calisthenics 101 when they polled 142 American men and women whether or not they could perform a pull up.
These results may not be that surprising when you consider the results of another 2000 study.
Here, the scientists used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study the muscle composition in 468 males and females.
They concluded that men have an average of 26lbs more muscle mass than women. And this equates to roughly 40% more upper body strength.
If you can’t currently do a pull-up you can get a cheap pull up tower like this Sports Royal to practice at home.
A durable set of resistance bands like the can also be used to do assisted pull ups.
5. What’s The Ideal Bodyweight For Pull Ups?
An ideal bodyweight to do pull ups does not exist because bodyweight can be comprised of muscle or fat. Someone with a high bodyweight comprised of fat is expected to be able to do fewer pull ups than someone with a similar body weight comprised of muscle.
The supporting data for this comes from the same Calthenics 101 poll (mentioned above).
Here, the authors recorded the bodyweight of the people who said they could do a pull up.
What did they find?
There was no significant correlation between weight and the number of people who said they could do a pull up.
In other words- it’s likely a myth that skinny people are more capable of doing pull ups compared to heavier people (and vice versa)!
Read my other article for tips to gain muscle as a skinny hardgainer!
6. How Many Pull Ups Can An Average American Do?
American males with an average weight of 200lbs can be expected to perform 9 pull ups with 6 to 24 months of training. American females with an average weight of 170lbs can be expected to perform 3 pull ups with 6 to 24 months of training.
There’s very little reliable data for how many pull ups the average American can perform.
That’s because a number of factors can influence how many pull ups you can do:
- Age- are you in your prime age for strength?
- Training level- are you already resistance-trained?
- Specificity of training- have you previously practiced pull ups?
But I have combined two pieces of personal research to provide an answer.
According to Healthline– the average American male weighs 200lb, and the average American female weighs 170lbs.
This information can then be used with Strength Level’s database of 57,500 pull ups which provides the average number of pull ups someone can do, based on bodyweight and training level.
When the data is combined, it suggests that after 6-24 months of training, the average 200lb American male should be able to do 9 pull ups. Similarly, the average 170lb American female should be able to do 3 pull ups.
Indeed, this is in accordance with the Candidates Fitness Association (CFA) suggestion that the average man should be able to complete 9 pull ups, and the average woman able to complete 3 pull ups.
7. What’s The Heaviest Pull Up An Average American Can Do?
The average 200lb American male is expected to perform a pull up with a maximum weight equalling their own bodyweight, plus an additional 51lb. The average 170lb American female is expected to perform a pull up with a maximum weight equalling their own bodyweight, plus an additional 2.5lb.
This data has been derived by combining Healthline’s average American bodyweight with Strength Level’s pull up 1 rep max database (see above).
A 1 rep max simply refers to the maximum amount of weight you can lift for 1 repetition.
According to Strength Level’s database, the average pull up 1 rep max for a 200lb male is:
- Novice- bodyweight + 25lb.
- Intermediate- bodyweight + 77lb.
Therefore, taking a median value, the average American male should be able to perform a pull up using his own bodyweight plus an additional 51lb.
The Strength Level database also notes that the average pull up 1 rep max for a 170lb female is:
- Novice- bodyweight minus 15lb (i.e. an assisted pull up).
- Intermediate- bodyweight + 20lb.
Therefore, taking a median value, the average American female can perform a pull up using her own bodyweight plus an additional 2.5lb.
Note: 1RM refers to 1-rep max. If you don’t know what this is you can go to my other article for a full explanation of RM’s in weight training.
8. How Many Pull Ups Do The Public Consider To Be Respectable?
For an athletic individual who is 21 years of age, the general public considers 10 to 12 to be a respectable number of pull ups completed in one go. This number is slightly higher than the average number of pull ups an American person can actually perform.
The data for this statistic comes from a Student room poll which asked:
“How many pull ups is considered good for an athletic 21 year old?”
The majority of people answered with 10-12 pull ups.
However- this statistic should be taken with a pinch of salt, due to the small sample size of 14 total responses.
If you’re trying to gain muscle and strength, then you may be interested in my other article for a complete guide to building 10 pounds of muscle.
9. Pull Up Requirements For US Military.
The US military requires male candidates to be able to perform a minimum of 3 pull ups to become a United States Marine, 6 pull ups to become an Army Ranger, and 8 pull ups to become a Navy Seal.
| US Military Branch | Minimum Number Of Pull Ups | Recommended Number Of Pull Ups |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Corps | 3 | 4+ |
| Army Rangers | 6 | 12+ |
| Navy Seals | 8 | 15 to 20 |
These are the minimum male pull up requirements for the US military.
Army ranger candidates should ideally be able to perform more than 12 pull ups in a continuous set. In contrast, Navy Seal candidates are recommended to be able to perform 15 to 20 pull ups in one go.
Female candidates for the US military are expected to perform a minimum of 1 to 4 pull ups to be accepted, and the exact number varies depending on age. However, 55% of female candidates failed to reach these benchmarks at Parris Island Training Camp.
10. Pull Up Vs Lat Pull Down Muscle Activation.
The bodyweight pull up and lat pull-down are both exercises that engage the core, bicep, latissimus dorsi, and trapezius muscles. The pull up activates these muscles by an average of 21% more than the lat pull down, making the pull up more effective at muscle engagement.
This was shown in a 2018 study.
Here, the scientists asked 41 males and females to perform 5 repetitions of the bodyweight pull up and lat pull down exercises.
The participants also had electrodes attached, allowing the target muscle activity to be measured.
| Exercise | Core Activation | Bicep Activation | Latissimus Dorsi Activation | Trapezius Activation | Average Muscle Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pull up | 1.6 | 1.52 | 1.20 | 0.91 | 1.31 |
| Lat-Pull Down | 1.00 | 1.30 | 1.19 | 0.82 | 1.08 |
They found that the bodyweight pull up produced an average target muscle activation of 1.31, whilst the lat pull down only produced an average activation of 1.08. This equates to a 21% increase.
To further increase lat activation, you can hold a dumbbell between your legs to do weighted pull-ups.
If you’re interested, you can check out my other article to find out how much weight to add to your weighted pull ups.
Recap: Recommended Gear For Pull-Ups At Home
I prefer a power tower over a doorway bar.
They’re slightly more expensive and take up more space than a doorway pull-up bar, but it’s a standalone bit of kit.
This means you don’t need to screw or attach it to your property which I found can easily damage and scratch your doors etc.
For those looking for something cheap and cheerful though, a doorway bar may be more suitable.
Conclusion
Finished!
That’s 10 pull up statistics and findings for you to take into 2022.
Some of the statistics allow you to benchmark your pull ups with the general population. Other statistics can be applied to your pull up training.
Either way, I hoped you enjoyed them!
My findings suggest that you should be proud to be able to complete 10+ pull ups as a man, and 4+ as a woman. And if you can’t hit these benchmarks, it will take you between 6 to 24 months of training to do so.
Which pull up statistic did you find most interesting?
Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions! You can find my details on the “contact us” page.
You may also be interested in the downloadable Kalibre Blueprint PDF which details exactly how I gained 40lbs of lean muscle (it’s 100% free!). It details the exact exercises and nutrition (with printable worksheets) I used to go from skinny to ripped!
Thanks for reading guys!
Peace Out,
Kal
(Biochemistry BSc, Biomedical Sciences MSc, Ex-Skinny Guy)