What is a good Pull Ups?
For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Pull Ups is about 13 reps. Advanced starts around 23 reps. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.
Competition results, gym submissions, and reader logs stay labeled separately so the ranking source is clear.
A solid (Intermediate) Pull Ups for a 180 lb male is about 13 reps. Use the calculator below to convert your own Pull Ups into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 23 reps.
FitnessVolt strength standards, with source populations labeled separately
How strong is your Pull Ups? Compare your max reps against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.
How Many Pull Ups Should You Be Able to Do?
A fit adult man at about 180 lb should be able to do around 13 Pull Ups in one set, which is an Intermediate result. An advanced lifter does 23+, and an elite lifter reaches 32 or more.
Pull Ups rep targets for a 180 lb man, by training level:
Men vs women: a 180 lb man should do about 13 Pull Ups at an Intermediate level, while a 140 lb woman should do about 6.
By age: at an Intermediate level a 30 year old does about 14 Pull Ups, dropping to about 9 by age 50. See the By Age tab for every band.
What counts as a good number? Anything at or above the Intermediate target puts you past the beginner and novice bands for your bodyweight. Beginners often start with fewer than one and build up; clearing the Advanced number is a strong target for trained gym lifters.
FitnessVolt strength standards, with gym and competition datasets labeled separately
How Strong Is Your Pull Ups?
That clears the median for this bodyweight and gives you a useful benchmark for the next tier.
Illustrative: a normal-distribution model anchored to the real Beginner to Elite percentile thresholds for your bodyweight. The marker shows where your rep count falls, not a measured frequency count.
Reader Data Is Still Building
We do not have enough reader-submitted Pull Ups entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:
Baseline figures for a 180 lb male at Intermediate level, from the standards table. This is not reader-submitted data. So far readers have logged a lift here.
How Much Should You Pull Ups?
Use this table to find the standard closest to your bodyweight. The tiers are standards, not claims about reader submissions.
How a male lifter's expected 1RM scales with bodyweight at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.
| BW (lbs) | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 | < 1 | 5 | 15 | 27 | 40 |
| 120 | < 1 | 6 | 15 | 26 | 39 |
| 130 | < 1 | 6 | 15 | 26 | 38 |
| 140 | < 1 | 6 | 15 | 25 | 37 |
| 150 | < 1 | 6 | 14 | 25 | 36 |
| 160 | < 1 | 6 | 14 | 24 | 34 |
| 170 | < 1 | 6 | 14 | 23 | 33 |
| 180 | < 1 | 6 | 13 | 23 | 32 |
| 190 | < 1 | 6 | 13 | 22 | 31 |
| 200 | < 1 | 6 | 13 | 21 | 30 |
| 210 | < 1 | 6 | 12 | 21 | 29 |
| 220 | < 1 | 6 | 12 | 20 | 28 |
| 230 | < 1 | 5 | 11 | 19 | 27 |
| 240 | < 1 | 5 | 11 | 19 | 27 |
| 250 | < 1 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 26 |
| 260 | < 1 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 25 |
| 270 | < 1 | 4 | 10 | 17 | 24 |
| 280 | < 1 | 4 | 10 | 16 | 23 |
| 290 | < 1 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 23 |
| 300 | < 1 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 22 |
| 310 | < 1 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 21 |
| 90 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 14 | 25 |
| 100 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 14 | 24 |
| 110 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 14 | 24 |
| 120 | < 1 | < 1 | 7 | 14 | 23 |
| 130 | < 1 | < 1 | 7 | 14 | 22 |
| 140 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 13 | 21 |
| 150 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 13 | 21 |
| 160 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 12 | 20 |
| 170 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 12 | 19 |
| 180 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 11 | 18 |
| 190 | < 1 | < 1 | 5 | 11 | 17 |
| 200 | < 1 | < 1 | 5 | 10 | 17 |
| 210 | < 1 | < 1 | 5 | 10 | 16 |
| 220 | < 1 | < 1 | 4 | 9 | 15 |
| 230 | < 1 | < 1 | 4 | 9 | 15 |
| 240 | < 1 | < 1 | 4 | 9 | 14 |
| 250 | < 1 | < 1 | 3 | 8 | 13 |
| 260 | < 1 | < 1 | 3 | 8 | 13 |
Is Your Pull Ups Good?
A quick read on what counts as a good Pull Ups at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.
Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Pull Ups is about 13 reps. Advanced lifters hit 23 reps, and Elite is 32 reps.
Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Pull Ups is about 6 reps. Advanced lifters hit 13 reps, and Elite is 21 reps.
Pull Ups Rep Targets by Bodyweight and Age
Men: a 180 lb male should do about 13 reps at an Intermediate level.
Women: a 140 lb female should do about 6 reps at an Intermediate level.
By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter does about 14 reps, and a 220 lb lifter does about 12 reps at an Intermediate level. Find your exact bodyweight in the table above.
By age (men): at an Intermediate level a 30 year old male does about 14 reps, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 9 reps. See the By Age tab for every age band.
FitnessVolt strength standards, with source populations labeled separately
How Does Age Affect Pull Ups Strength?
How Pull Ups standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.
How a male lifter's expected 1RM changes with age at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | < 1 | < 1 | 8 | 17 | 27 |
| 20 | < 1 | 4 | 13 | 24 | 36 |
| 25 | < 1 | 5 | 14 | 25 | 37 |
| 30 | < 1 | 5 | 14 | 25 | 37 |
| 35 | < 1 | 5 | 14 | 25 | 37 |
| 40 | < 1 | 5 | 14 | 25 | 37 |
| 45 | < 1 | 3 | 12 | 22 | 34 |
| 50 | < 1 | 1 | 9 | 19 | 30 |
| 55 | < 1 | < 1 | 7 | 16 | 26 |
| 60 | < 1 | < 1 | 4 | 12 | 21 |
| 65 | < 1 | < 1 | 1 | 8 | 16 |
| 70 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 5 | 11 |
| 75 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 80 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 4 |
| 85 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 |
| 90 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 |
| 15 | < 1 | < 1 | 1 | 9 | 17 |
| 20 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 14 | 24 |
| 25 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 15 | 26 |
| 30 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 15 | 26 |
| 35 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 15 | 26 |
| 40 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 15 | 26 |
| 45 | < 1 | < 1 | 5 | 13 | 23 |
| 50 | < 1 | < 1 | 3 | 10 | 19 |
| 55 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 8 | 16 |
| 60 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 5 | 12 |
| 65 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 2 | 9 |
| 70 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 5 |
| 75 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 1 |
| 80 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 |
| 85 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 |
| 90 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 |
What Do Pull Ups Strength Standards Mean?
Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the movement on the Pull Ups, building the shoulder stability and pressing coordination needed to handle heavier loads safely.
Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can press with a consistent path and controlled tempo on the Pull Ups. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.
Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Pull Ups technique is efficient under heavy loads. You use programmed variations, understand how to manage pressing fatigue, and can grind through the mid-range sticking point.
Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have optimized your Pull Ups setup for maximal force production - arch, leg drive, and grip width are dialed in. You train with periodized intensity blocks and accessory work targeting weak points.
Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Pull Ups is at a competitive standard. You have refined every aspect of the lift through years of structured peaking and can produce maximal force with technical precision.
How to Progress Your Pull Ups
Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Pull Ups to the next level.
- Train the Pull Ups 2-3x per week to build pressing strength and shoulder stability.
- Use linear progression: add 2.5-5 lbs per session.
- Practice controlled eccentrics (3-second lowering) to build tendon strength.
- Keep working sets at RPE 6-7 to accumulate quality volume.
- Add a pressing variation (close-grip, incline, or paused) for weak-point development.
- Increase frequency to 2-3 sessions per week with varied rep ranges.
- Program most sets at RPE 7-8 with one heavy session including RPE 9 work.
- Build tricep and shoulder accessory volume to support the Pull Ups.
- Run 4-6 week blocks with planned volume and intensity progression.
- Use RPE 8-9 for competition-style sets, RPE 7 for volume backoffs.
- Target your sticking point with specific accessory work (board press, pin press, bands).
- Manage total weekly pressing volume (12-20 sets) across all push movements.
- Peak with structured 8-12 week cycles targeting a competition or max attempt.
- Refine your setup: arch, leg drive, grip width, and bar path for maximal efficiency.
- Use the RPE chart for precise percentage work during peaking phases.
- Test your Pull Ups under competition-style commands and judging.
How to Perform Pull Ups
- Start by hanging from a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you (overhand grip) and hands shoulder-width apart.
- Engage your core and pull your shoulder blades down and back.
- Begin the movement by pulling your body upward, focusing on driving your elbows down towards your hips.
- Continue to pull until your chin is above the bar.
- Pause briefly at the top, then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position with control.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tips for Pull Ups
- Ensure a full range of motion by fully extending your arms at the bottom.
- Avoid swinging or using momentum; keep the movement controlled.
- If you're a beginner, use resistance bands for assistance or perform negative pull-ups.
- Engage your core throughout the exercise to maintain stability.
- Warm up your shoulders and wrists before starting to prevent injury.
Where Do These Pull Ups Standards Come From?
FitnessVolt keeps each data population labeled. Competition percentiles use verified raw meet results where available. Gym percentile tabs use self-reported Symmetric Strength data. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.
Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026
Is Your Pull Ups Good for Your Weight?
Use this page to compare your Pull Ups against clearly labeled standards and percentile datasets. Here is the cleanest way to read it:
- Start with Standards to find the tier closest to your bodyweight.
- Use Gym Percentiles when you want self-reported gym comparisons.
- Use Competition for verified meet-result percentiles where the lift supports it.
- Use By Age when age-segmented gym data is available.
If you do not know your 1RM, use the one rep max calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can Pull Ups 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.
The important rule: do not mix the tabs. Standards, gym percentiles, competition percentiles, and reader logs answer different questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
