Pull-ups are one of the simplest ways to measure upper body strength relative to your size, because the resistance you’re moving is your own bodyweight.

And thanks to a series of benchmarks recommended by coach Alain Gonzalez in a recent YouTube video, you can now get a very clear picture of how your strength stacks up against other people your age, and what you should be aiming for.

‘Are you strong for your age? And I’m not talking about just being fit, healthy, or even stronger than the average guy,’ he says in the video. ‘I’m talking about being legitimately strong. Because there’s a big difference between being in good shape and being able to put up numbers that are genuinely impressive for your age.

‘This test will help you find out exactly where you stand – and I’ve set the bar intentionally high.’

Only strict reps count here.

‘Start from a dead hang with your arms fully extended. Pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar. Then lower yourself under control back to the starting position,’ Gonzalez says.

• In your 40s: 15 reps
• In your 50s: 12 reps
• In your 60s: 8 reps
• In your 70s: 4-5 reps

While Gonzalez doesn’t mention men in their 20s and 30s, it’s fair to assume the reps would be around 20 or more.

• Bodyweight: ‘One thing to keep in mind is that with pull-ups, body composition matters a good deal,’ Gonzalez says. ‘If you’re carrying more body fat, you’re having to pull additional weight that isn’t necessarily helping you produce more force. This puts you at a disadvantage compared to someone who’s the same weight but leaner.’
• Technique: Even for an experienced lifter, performing strict pull-ups without an element of a kip or swing is a tough ask. Learning how to keep a rigid body and pulling with your back minimises momentum and forces the target muscles to work harder.
• Training history: If you regularly perform pull-ups or similar movements, you’ll likely score better than someone of a similar weight and strength level who doesn’t train the area quite as much.

If you’re looking to take your pull-ups to the next level, but don’t know what to do, then there are a few techniques you can add into your training to become more adept at the movement.

• Use negative reps: Muscles are stronger in the eccentric portion of any exercise, making negative reps effective at building strength by creating more mechanical tension. To do this for pull-ups, jump to the top of the bar and slowly lower yourself under control. The supra-maximal loading forces your muscles to adapt to loads they aren’t used to.
• Focus on quality: Increase the amount of time you rest between sets to ensure your muscles are fully recovered and ready to go again. Limiting rest time promotes sloppy form because your muscles are fatigued, so spend a bit more time resting to crank out more high-quality, strict reps.
• Master the dead hang: Dead hangs force your body to generate momentum-free pulling power from the lengthened position. Plus, they help to develop grip strength and shoulder health, ensuring these areas don’t fail first when it comes to pull-ups.

If there’s one thing Kori Sampson knows, it’s how to optimise your body composition for performance. To tap into his knowledge as an elite athlete and coach, we asked him to create a 4-week plan to help you move faster, recover quicker and keep pushing when the fatigue sets in – all while improving your muscle-to-fat ratio.

Ready to build muscle, burn fat and come out the other side looking, feeling and performing better? Click here to get 14 days of free access to the plan via the Men’s Health app.

Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.

During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.

Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…

You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs or on X @ryandabbs_