I've read that the average man should be able to do 8 pull-ups. I'm dubious of this metric, so I thought I would bring the question to a place where average people hang out.
OT: Pull-ups
- Thread starter aNUstart_rivals388644
- Start date
I remember you got the Presidential Fitness Award or whatever it was if you could do 7 pull-ups in elementary school (along with the other requirements).
And I think a better question to pose is who can bench 400 pounds but can't do 8 strict pull-ups from a dead hang?
That was always one of my strong suits, and I ruled the peg board as a result. But yes, even at 52, I can rip off 8 pullups.
I've got a bad back, so it would be tough to get 8 overhand pull ups. Underhand wouldn't be a problem.
I saw the title of this thread and just figured it was about which brand you recommend wearing (since there are some old *** dudes on this board after all). 
What I found out today...guys lie more about the amount of pull ups they can do over how many girls they have banged.
Last edited:
Not you, but the dudes that did the survey. I don't know what "average guy" means, but there is no way the average guy is, on average, doing 8 real pull ups. That just isn't accurate. I see guys at my gym, that are there all the time and they can't do 8 pull ups.
Perhaps due to a database snafu, the survey only went to gymnasts and rock climbers?
Hahaha! No ****!
And professional pull uppers.
I wonder what the "average man" put down for how many pushups he could do in a row...probably 453.
8 seems low for an "average". I suppose a person's weight has a lot to do with it. And age. I'm 62 and weigh 195...can do at least 12 or 14. Underhand or overhand?
Maybe it is just me but when I think of "an average guy" I think of someone that doesn't really go to the gym.
I am guessing most average guys can't do 3 overhand pull ups in a row.
Have you seen the average guy lately?
5'10 225 and fat as hell
He has no chance to do 8 pullups unless there is a beer or pizza at the end of the pull - even then I doubt it.
I think underhand is generally called a chin-up and overhand a pull-up. Don't ask me why.
I live at the gym. Even the muscle heads have trouble doing 10 pull ups. As everyone knows there are many varieties of pull ups. if an "average" man is doing a strict straight up and down pull up without momentum i would guess the average is 2-3. i'm speaking of men 40 and over. The "average" male over 40 is overweight and hasn't even attempted a pull up in 20 years. There is no way even 10% of them could do 8 pull-ups. If you take a subset of men who go to the gym and workout you might increase that to 25-50%. Im a weak dude but i do very strict pull-ups once a week for 20 years and i can do 8 without starting to cheat.
So far this poll has supported what I've long believed - most on this board are way above average (or at least think they are).
I lift at the gym three times a week. All free weights. I can barely do 8 ‘chin ups’ (underhanded pull-ups) at the end of the work out.
I am in my mid 30’s and there is no way I could do 8 pull ups before I started lifting heavy a couple years ago.
I am in my mid 30’s and there is no way I could do 8 pull ups before I started lifting heavy a couple years ago.
Couldn't do a single one about 4-5 years ago. I go about 180 lbs and over 50 YO now. Started lifting regularly then - not hard however (never really lifted consistently in my life before) After a few years, I made it to up 10-11 for two sets, but 3rd set usually fell off to 6 or 7. Those are the easy ones with palms facing me (can't remember if that's called reverse grip or not). My shoulder hurts too bad trying to do it the other way. And I don't go to straight elbows, stop on way down with a little bend. Don't want to tear a bicep trying to start from straight arms. Then got away from it for a while over the summer/ fall. Trying to get back at it again, and have dropped all the way back to just 3 or 4 at a time after less than 6 months away. Ah well. I'll get back there by summer hopefully.
Not sure what you're reading, but the "average guy" (median) in the USA is obese and can't hang from a bar, let alone, do 8 pull-ups. Potentially the same source that calculates that the average penis is 8 inches long. Of course, the average guy on this board does 8 pull-ups with his 8-inch penis, but we're obviously elite in every way.
I was just never good at them. I’m not going to sit here and get personal about my athletic/weight lifting accomplishments, but I put much more than the average amount of time and effort into it during part of my life. I was never good at pull ups while I was good at other things. I have a lot of experience observing weight rooms as well.
There is no way 8 is the average for adult men. Maybe 8 could be average if one did not have to go past 90 degrees/all the way back down, but even then Im doubting it.
There is no way 8 is the average for adult men. Maybe 8 could be average if one did not have to go past 90 degrees/all the way back down, but even then Im doubting it.
When I think of my family, co-workers and dudes I know, I'd say of the male population- maybe 10% could do ONE pullup. And most of those would be in their late teens or early 20s.
In my mid 30s, I worked for about 6 months on pullups (couldn't do any to start). I was probably right around 8 or so after 6 months of working on them.
In my mid 30s, I worked for about 6 months on pullups (couldn't do any to start). I was probably right around 8 or so after 6 months of working on them.
i pulled up my beer to my face at least dozen times tonight when i got home sitting on my fat a$$.
It's a really tough muscle group for most people to strengthen. No idea why. When I was going hard-core on p90x, I could do 80 or 90 push-ups, bench just short of 300, do curls like nobody's business, but pull-ups were always a challenge to get over 6.
I thought that only single-handed pullups counted. That's how I interpreted my "can now" response.
The two-handed version is for wussies. Wussy as defined by Mike Damone.
Last edited: