How many pullups can you do?
 

Myself and some old college buddies (54-57 years old) started challenging each other with doing pullups awhile back. A couple of us that started at around 8 or 9 have made it to 13 with my personal goal of getting to 15 by this spring.

Was telling some of my younger 30-40 something co-workers about our friendly little competition and most claimed they would be lucky to do 3-5.

I have never gone to a gym and I only do situps and pushups a few times a week to stay slightly fit. I never really did pullups prior to one of my college buddies issuing the challenge. Our wives think we are acting like kids, but the competitive nature is a good thing if it gives us a reason to stay a bit more fit later in life. :)

Just curious as to how many pullups an average man can do these days and at what age. I tend to think that people are getting less physically active these days than previous generations.

Pullups have always been no bueno for me. I could probably do one really ugly one.

(But I could ride a century on my bicycle right now, I can easily drop and give you 50, I can balance on either foot - I'm 63 and I make it a point to put my socks on standing up and I walk a lot. Yesterday i got in 6 miles, so I'll accept that others will smoke me at the chinup bar)

edit. I realize that probably came off as brag, and that's probably true, but I was also trying to reassure myself that I'm still in fairly decent condition even though I can't muster strength and agility in all capacities.

Pull-ups have never been my forte. To get to five, the minimum for AOCS, I really had to focus on preparing for the test. I have not done five in a row since.

I probably could do one in a row today...emphasis on the "probably".

My son, he of chimp strength, can bang out 20 without effort.

We no longer speak:D

2, with effort and a brief rest in between. Pulling up my socks gets a little tougher every year

In basic training for the Army in the 80's, we had to do 40 pushups and 40 situps to pass the PT test (this was easy as an 18 yr old in decent shape). Those are the only two exercises I have kept up on through the years and I hope I can keep that up into my 70's at least.

You definitely have me beat on cardio.... I HATE running and would be hard pressed to jog a mile non stop. I get winded leisurely riding a mountain bike around a campground. lol

I don't claim to be in great shape, I was just curious regarding pullups as I go back and forth over whether it is worth trying to get to higher number to try and keep ahead of my buddies. :)

Overhand style or underhand? Makes a big difference for me.

Oh, hell yes it is!

It's worth focusing every ounce of time and energy to train hard and LAP your buddies at the chinup bar for your next gathering. 2nd place does 15? You do 30 and walk away from the bar like Jack Palance acting like you could do them one handed.

I know I would if I had the makings of chimp strength.

That’s a good question.
I’m the same weight and waist size as when I was 15, and have gone to the gym regularly for years.
But I never do pull-ups and feel like I probably can’t do too many.
I’ll try today or tomorrow.

We only do the underhand style.... For fitness sake, I should probably start doing both though. Every couple of weeks one of us posts a video for proof and then the rest of us try and match or beat it. I have found I can only go for max if i have not done any for a few days first. I have to time my record attempts to coincide with a few days of rest. lol

Pull-ups are tough! Doubt I could do any.

A a young man, pull ups were never a thing for me but in researching it, they are a pretty good form of exercise as they work more than just your biceps.

1 and done

It's just the case of totally different body types. You are trying to pull up a much larger body. Still, anyone who can do 20 good pull-ups at any age is really strong. I use to be able to do 10-12 really good pull-ups until I was about 50, (never did them religiously but once in a while), now I cannot do anywhere near that. I also used to be able to do handstand pushups when I was young and weighed 20 lbs. less, one armed pushups, etc. Not anymore.

I've made a commitment to getting in as good as possible shape for my age, though. I've really slipped with laziness and some illnesses that have set me back. I want to be able to ski this winter without having a heart attack! And good for you, Tim. That's a healthy competition. :)

I would offer a word of caution. I was watching some youtube guy advising older people (like 50+) on the benefits of weight training (which I am a big fan of). This guy was over 50 himself and obviously was a gym rat. He told a story of hopping up and cranking out some pullups like he had hundreds of times before only this time, he tore a bicep muscle. His message was that "you're not 25 anymore" and you really need to take it easy.

I jumped down on the floor a few months ago to show one of my kids how to do a "proper" pushup and promptly tore/strained something in my neck/collarbone area. It took me months to get over that. And just a few short years ago (around 50 - I'm 58 now), I could easily crank out 45 "proper" pushups on demand.

There was a time that I could easily do 20 pull-ups (curious if you're doing pull ups or chin ups). There was also a time when I could climb a 30' rope using my arms (no leg assist).

For a long time I could still manage 10 pull ups. I don't know if I could manage any right now. I want to build a pull up bar in the garage to start working on that.

If you're 63 and can do 50 pushups and cycle a century, I'm giving you an official pass to brag a little. (it was mild).

I might be able to do one if I could find a bar strong enough :D

This is how we are doing them.... underhanded.

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I'm 54 and just did 5 and half overhand. That was painful. Will try underhand tomorrow. I think 10 would be easy.

Hiked up an advanced level mountain with 2 peaks in the White Mountains last Sunday. That was seriously challenging scrabbling up rock faces at the top of both peaks, a few were close to vertical for 10 feet and you had to both use your legs and pull with your arms to get up.

I love the fact that I work, many days are 8 hours of aerobics. Have had desk jobs, not for me.

I've got a buddy that was (is) a marine. I don't know how old he is, but I'm going to say at least mid 40s. He said that when he was in the marines, there were the guys that could easily pass the running, and there were the guys that could easily pass the pull-up test, and it was rare that folks could easily do both.

When I was a kid, I could have managed both. My legs and core have always been my strength (NPI) and upper body / arm strength have always been my weakness. A few years ago, I ran a 10k, and then 1.5 years later, I rode in an MS150.

Yeah the underhand is easier but the overhand does more for your shoulders and back, I think. When I was in a car accident back in college I had a lot of mid-back problems afterwards. What helped was doing wide-grip over-hand pull-ups where I'd put my head in front of the bar.

I need to get back in that habit, I could do about 10 with my hands a door's width apart.

Like this, with my head going "in front" of the bar. I didn't look like this though :D :D :D

https://musqle.com/Media/Default/Exe...s/BIG59294.jpg

Overhand hurts my shoulder ... bad, so I don't even try them anymore.

Underhand hurts, but a lot less. I turned 65 a month ago and can still get 15 until the pain says stop (plus, I have to admit that I'm struggling a fair bit at that point http://forums.pelicanparts.com/suppo...leys/shake.gif). If it didn't hurt so much I'd like to think I could still get to 20, where 30+ was not a big deal when I was still in the Marine Corps.

_

I feel like getting up to 20 is a good number, then if you get the urge gradually increase. I feel like 20 would be a good round number, and 50 would be really impressive.

I can do nine. Three lots of three.

Yep, big difference. In the grand scheme of things, I think either is fine. I feel like chin-ups (underhand) is usually the easier for most folks and really focuses on bicep strength. I feel like pull-ups (overhand) are a good combination of bicep and lat/back strength.

Gravity is a beatch.

Agreed, when/if I get the bar setup, my plan is to do both.

Also, when I've done weights in the past, I have always been a proponent of doing curls overhand, underhand, and hammerfist. Different positions change the focus of muscles used and that sort of thing. I think targeting as many muscles as possible as balanced as possible is better than more focus on fewer muscles.

I just blocked up an old 48" wide basement door last weekend on the back of our house. I have not laid any block for 30+ years since my army reserve carpentry/masonry MOS days but thought it would be a piece of cake. I can't believe how sore I was the next couple days.... back, arms, wrist and legs.... pathetic. Ski season is coming so I better amp up my minimal exercise routine a bit. This getting old business sucks (56 yrs old now).



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http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1667928942.jpg

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I just did 12 overhand (palms facing away). I'm 55

Disclosure - I have a pull up bar downstairs and will do eight or nine once or twice a week.

15 at 65.... The gauntlet has been laid. :D I better get after it. :D

I think 15 at any age is way above average... At 65 I bet there are very few nationwide who could do 15. Great job Norm K!

Great job Kurt!

What sort of bar do you have/use, and is it sturdy/stable?

I'm 55 and can do 5-9 but can never quite do 10 or more anymore. You'd think I could do more since I have a bar in my garage right where I'm normally working. Last night before I called it a day on some Cayman suspension work, I reached up and did 5. That was all I could do :rolleyes:

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David, you've given me an idea; I'll attach a come-along right above my chin-up bar!

Around 20 depending on grip and speed. I have a very slender frame and low weight.

It's just a simple telescoping bar that fits between a doorway. It's never fallen down.
I think you can find them at Dick's sporting goods.

When I was a teenager my record was 50 with two arms, and 1 with one arm. I was a rock climber at the time and weighed very little. There was a climber back then named John Gill who could do a one-finger pullup. I'm 63 now, and don't know how many I can do with a bar. I've been doing them on a hang-board, just on finger tips. I can only do about 5 to 9, depending on how I'm feeling. I've taken up rock climbing again and would like to get up to 20.

I'm 79...won't even try. Might hurt myself.

I was in pretty good shape at 60 as I served in the AF reserve until then and did the fitness test every six months. I had to work out and diet most of the time to pass. Did 45 push ups and sit-ups (each in a minute) to pass the test...plus had to run a pretty quick 1 1/2 miles (quick for me at 59). My biggest problem was once we did the pushups, I started cramping up and it make the sit-ups and running hard.

I could only do a handful of pullups though. I think I did 15 when I tested in Officer's Training School in my mid 30s...and that was pretty good for me. Probably 3 or 4 now...but don't know for sure.

Like others here, it seems that now I keep hurting myself when working out or simply doing manual labor. One of my arms hurts really bad when I do pushups now...must have pulled something. I had just gotten over throwing my back out and taking it easy for a few months. Getting old sucks.

Rock climbers are a completely different breed of cat, male and female. When I was running rivers I ran with a lot of folks who did river guiding in the summers and guided climbs in the Fall and Spring.

Completely different body type from me. They tried to teach me how, as they quaintly put it, "rock hop", but even then, in phenomenal shape, 6'4" 185, I'm getting sewing machine leg, vertigo, finger cramps and sore shoulders and my feet may not have left the ground.

Can't be good at everything.