How many pull-ups is good?
Unlike push-ups, pull-ups have hardly any official norm tables by age. Entry tests of military conscripts give good reference points, because a lot of young people get tested. One caveat: Norway selects conscripts for fitness, and only about 15% of an age group end up serving. So the numbers are likely above the average for all young adults [1].
What over 100,000 tests show
Between 2006 and 2020, more than 105,000 Norwegian conscripts aged 17 to 29 were tested, with an average age of 19. Overhand pull-ups were counted from a straight-arm hang until the chin cleared the bar, until fatigue [1]. The 2020 results:
- Men averaged 8.0 pull-ups, with a spread (standard deviation) of 5.1 [1]
- 8% of men and 72% of women couldn't do a single pull-up [1]
- Men's results improved clearly between 2006 and 2020 — the study partly attributes this to a change in selection [1]
Benchmarks
The average and spread let you derive a rough rating. It's a guide compared with young conscripts, not an official norm. Because they're selected for fitness, the bar is on the high side — and numbers usually go down with age and body weight.
| Pull-ups in a row | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | beginner (8% in the study) | common (72% in the study) |
| 1–4 | below average | good |
| 5–12 | conscript average (mean 8) | very good |
| 13–17 | well above average | excellent |
| 18 or more | excellent | outstanding |
The study gives no average for women, only the share who couldn't do one [1]. The women's column is therefore a cautious rating based on that share.
How to count correctly
- Starting position. Overhand grip a little wider than shoulder-width, arms fully straight, feet off the ground.
- Pull up. Until your chin is over the bar [1].
- Lower. Back to straight arms — only then does the next rep count.
- No swinging. No kipping, no kicking. Reps with momentum don't count in most tests.
Pull-up or chin-up?
In a chin-up your palms face you. In a study measuring muscle activity, the biceps and chest worked harder in the chin-up than in the overhand pull-up, while the latissimus was the most active muscle in both [2]. That's why many people can do a few more chin-ups. So always compare your numbers using the same grip.
What affects your result
- Body weight: you pull your entire weight — lighter people have an advantage
- Grip width: a very wide grip shortens the range but is often harder
- Daily form: test rested and warmed up, always under similar conditions
- Clean reps: half pull-ups make any comparison meaningless
What a good number means for you
Your own progress matters more than comparing yourself with others. If you can do 3 pull-ups today and 8 in three months, you've improved a lot — no matter where you are in the table. Test every four to six weeks and write the number down. Even one extra pull-up is measurable progress.
How to improve your number
If you can't do a pull-up yet, start with hangs, rows and slow negatives. If you can already do a few, collect lots of clean reps in small sets 2–3 times a week instead of taking every set to failure. Retest after six weeks. In our experience, pull-ups improve well with regular training.
Why women often do fewer
On average, women have less upper-body muscle mass relative to their body weight. In the pull-up, where you pull your entire weight, that matters a lot. But it doesn't mean pull-ups are out of reach for women: with focused training, many women get their first and then several pull-ups. In the study, too, women's pull-up results improved between 2006 and 2020 [1].
Pull-ups at 30, 40, 50
The data in this guide come from young adults aged 17 to 29 [1]. With age, muscle strength and often shoulder mobility decline, and many people carry more body weight. As a rule of thumb, a 45-year-old with 6 clean pull-ups is therefore strong for their age group — though the study has no data for that age. Compare yourself mainly with yourself — and remember that regular strength training works at any age.
Checklist for your test at home
- Bar mounted securely and high enough that your feet are off the ground while hanging
- Test rested, not right after another workout
- Warm up: shoulder circles, a short hang, two easy pull-ups or negatives
- Have someone count or let the camera film — counting in your head, you easily lose track
- Write down the result with the date and grip, so your next test is comparable
FAQ
How many pull-ups do young conscripts do?
Young Norwegian conscripts — selected for fitness — averaged 8 pull-ups in a row; 8% of the men couldn't do one [1]. In the general population the average is probably lower.
How many pull-ups is good for a woman?
Even one: in the same study, 72% of women couldn't do a single pull-up [1]. As a rule of thumb, five or more is a very strong result.
Are 10 pull-ups good?
Yes. For young conscripts, 10 is above the average of about 8 [1]. For women, 10 is an outstanding result in our experience.
Do chin-ups count the same as pull-ups?
Not quite: the biceps help more in the chin-up [2], so many people can do more. Always compare the same grip.
Sources
- Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports: Temporal changes in physical fitness in Norwegian male and female military conscripts between 2006 and 2020 (Aandstad, 2023)
- Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Surface electromyographic activation patterns and elbow joint motion during a pull-up, chin-up, or perfect-pullup rotational exercise (Youdas et al., 2010)