What % of the population can do a pull-up? (run, chin ups, weight)

[LaoTzuMindFu]

Originally Posted by subPrimeTime

Now you're dreaming haha. But it's still more realistic than the 15 pullups that Lao expects.

Yeah, 15 probably is a bit much. But only reason I said it was that in 7th and 8th grade we were expected to be able to do X amount of pushups, situps, pullups, and run a mile in a given amount of time. This was in MIDDLE SCHOOL. You would think that as we become full adults, we would be able to improve physically from where we were as 7th and 8th graders.

You can bet that my kids will be able to do this. Heck, the 16 year old already has better mile time that I do (which I am working to get my "Fastest Mile In the House" title back). It is EXTREMELY important to teach kids the importance of taking care of their health/fitness.

[usmcmotort]

Originally Posted by Gil3

I've never done less than 20 on the MC PFT. It's really mental to be honest..When you have your squad cheering you on, you fell compelled to get that chin over the bar and get the max, if not at least do your best.

Unfortunately from experience, the pullup bar tends to be the most neglected and least used piece of equipment in most gyms. This will always be a staple in my routine as long as I workout.

I agree, if it wasnt for a 23 minute run time i'd have a perfect 300...never been much of a runner but i can sprint and hump with a 50lbs pack like no other.

Semper fi brother!

[gallowsCalibrator]

Originally Posted by Finger Laker

on topic a little, the girls were not required to do a pull up, but were tested on holding the position

I remember the Flex Arm Hang test so well. Probably the easiest and funnest of the school fitness tests because I would just sit there for a few minutes.... Scratch and itch on my nose, etc. Also noting, that when I was in school, I weighed about 110lbs due to ritalin.

Today, I can knock out 1.5 pullups. ((Yes, I count the half because it's progress from 4 months ago where I could only get up about 3/4 of the way))

Amongst my friends, most can't do a pull-up, but the ones who can just pump them out like it's going out of style (which... it is... ). My current goal is 5.

[CosmicWizard]

LaoTMF wrote:

Yeah, 15 probably is a bit much. But only reason I said it was that in 7th and 8th grade we were expected to be able to do X amount of pushups, situps, pullups, and run a mile in a given amount of time. This was in MIDDLE SCHOOL. You would think that as we become full adults, we would be able to improve physically from where we were as 7th and 8th graders

Except for the running and jumping, I can do more pushups & pullups at age 62 than I could do at age 15-16. But at age 16 I could run MUCH faster and farther than I can now, and I could jump MUCH farther and higher. My best mile time was somewhere in the mid 5 minute range and I was running half marathons in just under 90 mins. At age 17, I high jumped 5-9 which was my height at the time and still is today. I was also doing standing broad jumps of more than 10 feet. My best was just over 10'6". At that young age, I had enough power in my legs to stand under a a 10 ft high basketball rim and grab it with both hands, and I could dunk a softball with a running start. Today, I can just barely touch the net on a good day. I wonder what % of the population ever jumped over a horizontal bar set at their height? I imagine that it is a MUCH lower % than those who can do even one pullup. Jumping just ain't very popular! The only jumping I see today is jumping up and down on relatively low boxes in some of the crossfit type workout routines, but no jumping for height or distance.

[dubyanumberone]

Originally Posted by Nudetypist

I agree with your numbers. Although recently for the first time, I saw a woman do an unassisted pull up. She did have to start at the top pull up position though. She then lowered herself down and pulled back up. Still impressive since I've been going to the gym for 5 years and never seen a women do one.

I never really considered pull ups as such a challenge for guys. But now that I think of it, 10-15% is probably true too. I could probably crank out 12-15 at once. 20 seems like a very tough feat to get to.

I haven't been able to do 20 pullups since before I hit puberty. Now, I'd be lucky to do 10 to 12 with good form. That's at 5'9" 185 and I do them as a part of my back routine every week. Usually do sets of 6 to 8 depending on how I feel. To give a comparison I'm at about 180 lbs when doing sets of seated rows.

Pull ups are tough.

That being said, I think that if I had to pick 5 movements and 5 movements only to use in my workouts pull ups would be in there with squats and a few others.

[dubyanumberone]

Originally Posted by Mark_22

I don't disagree that these are great athletes. Half fit is probably not the right expression, but I do think it is accurate to say they have a hole in their fitness if they are not able to do even one pull up. For the record, I think the converse is also true. The guys in the weight room who can lift enormous amounts of weight, but who couldn't complete a mile run without stopping to walk are not completely fit in my opinion - though they may be great athletes. These are the really big guys that have a lot of muscle but also have a lot of fat.

In an earlier post you indicated that you believed that there are millions of individuals who can do a few pull ups but couldn't run a mile in 12 minutes if they were being pulled by a Chevy, but I doubt this is true. Pull ups are hard. Anyone who can do a few is probably light or muscular or both. A 12:00 mile is barely running pace. The huge, lean guys in the weight room are going to be able to get through a mile in 12 minutes even if they never do any cardio training. It's the strong but fat guys that are going to have trouble. As to obese people who can do 4-5 pull ups, I have no doubt that there are some, but I have to say I've never witnessed obese people doing unassisted pull ups even once.

By the way, my hat is off to you on the completion of the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim. I think that is a remarkable accomplishment.

Yeah, half fit sort of sounds like an insult. Making that Grand Canyon run is an amazing feat and is something that I will never be able to accomplish.

Personally, I want to be able to get to the point where I can run some 10k and 1/2 marathon races and put up a decent time while still retaining my power and size. Running a sub 50 minute 10k, benching 300 and squatting 500 are the goals for this spring.

[jtltke137]

Originally Posted by Lije Baley

* in a wrestling technique book dated back sometime in the 60s, I remember reading that when a medical researcher was testing the heart-related capabilties of various college athletes, he found that it was the wrestlers that uniformly had the strongest hearts and mentioned he was surprised at slowly they beat, but also that each beat was so powerful, so it didn't need to beat as fast.

Back in the 1990s, Sports Illustrated had an issue where their cover story was about the heart. Researchers found that Rowers had the best hearts because Rowing is both an aerobic and anerobic exercise.

Originally Posted by SwedishViking

It's also an exercise that favors short skinny people.

I remember back in Wrestling practice way back when, we used to have pull-up contests. It didn't matter how strong the big boys were, they would always lose to the smaller guys.

I almost feel embarrassed that after a month of P90X I still couldn't do a pull-up. I was getting closer though.

Getting back to your question, I would say that %15-20 of 18 year-old males could do an honest pull up [all the way down and back up with knees bent] and then it falls down to less than %1 of 45 year-old males.

Pull-ups are tough.

[dalebx28]

Originally Posted by LaoTzuMindFu

I think your percentages are about right and maybe even a bit high if you factor in ALL U.S. women, which is quite unfortunate and sad really. If you were to get even a sampling of 100 women here on CD and lined them all up in front of a pullup bar probably no more than 3-5 will be able to do an actual chin over the bar pullup. Oh, but 50 will post and say that they can, 100 will post and say that it isnt necessary, but you know, thats how it is.

Man, when I was in middle school we standard physical fitness tests we all had to do and I remember pullups being one of them along with being able to run a mile in 7 minutes or less, pushups, rope climbing, etc.

When my wife was about 7-8 months pregnant, she got on the pullup bar in the garage and was able to knock out 20 or so pullups. The was about 4 years ago and me and the now 16 year old were like then We couldnt believe it.

I think there should be a general baseline of physical fitness. I think EVERYONE should be able to do 25 pushups, 15 pullups, 50 situps and run a mile in 7 minutes. This isnt world class athleticism, its just general health/fitness.

I just did 100 straight pushup. yesterday.

[caligirlz]

Originally Posted by subPrimeTime

Just curious what your thoughts are, not trying to belittle the general population, simply hypothetical. I’m talking about 1 unassisted pull-up (not kipping). Let’s say amongst the adult population 18-45 years old (gym goers and non-gym goers included). My guess is:
Men: 15-20%
Women: 1-3%
Even if you can’t come up with an actual percentage, chime in with your thoughts on the pull-up in general. I put the Women’s % so low simply because I never see women doing pull-ups, and I go to the gym 3-4 days a week, and have been for several years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it happen. So if gym-going, fit women can’t do any, then the general population is even less likely.[/font]

I don't know the percentages, but you are correct, very few people, but especially women do pull ups. The women in the advanced training program at my private weight lifting gym do them. I usually do them with the band or assistance, but I think I could do 1-2 unassisted if I hadn't done any other lift yet. It IS one of my least favorite things to do. And I don't do kipping.

Opps, my bad for responding to an 2011 post! Eeek!!

[WestCobb]

I'm surprised most people are estimating such a low percentage for men. I can do 20 pull ups, and I think most of the guys I know can do at least 10. I guess I'm military though, so I'm not interacting with the general population.