Pull-ups are a great exercise for 50-year-olds for many reasons.
Not only are they safe and effective, but they can help keep your joints and muscles in good shape as you get older.
If you are 50, then you might be wondering how many pull-ups you should be able to do.
And that’s exactly what we’re going to cover today.
How Many Pull-Ups Should A 50 Year Old Do? (Short Answer)
If you’re a 50-year-old man, then you should be able to do 1 – 6 pull-ups per set. Whereas if you’re a 50-year-old woman, you should be able to do 1 – 4 pull-ups per set.
This is a very rough estimate though and I’m now going to explain why.
How Many Pull-Ups Should A 50 Year Old Do? (Long Answer)
Unfortunately, there’s no quick answer to the number of pull-ups a 50-year-old can do.
There are lots of factors to consider which we’re now going to cover in more detail.
Your Strength
Some people are naturally stronger than other.
If you’re a naturally strong man, then you’ll likely be able to do more pull-ups than someone who’s naturally weaker.
Your Gender
On average, men are stronger than women.
I’m sorry if this offends you ladies, but it’s true!
So, a 50-year-old man will typically be able to do more pull-ups than a 50-year-old woman.
How Often You Do Pull-Ups
The saying “practise makes perfect” is true – especially when it comes to pull-ups.
The more often you do pull-ups, the stronger your muscles get and the more you’re able to do over time.
So, if you’re someone who practises pull-ups 3 times a week, then you should be able to do more pull-ups than someone who only does them once a week.
Your Bodyweight
During pull-ups, you lift pretty much all your total bodyweight.
So, the heavier you are, the more weight you need to move during pull-ups.
(And the harder pull-ups will be.)
If you’re a heavy 50-year-old, then you’ll likely be able to do less pull-ups than someone who’s lighter.
Your Arm Length
Pull-ups are harder for people with long arms.
This is because the longer your arms, the further you have to move your bodyweight during each rep.
So, a 50-year-old with long arms will probably be able to do less pull-ups than a 50-year-old with shorter arms.
The Tempo
Another thing to think about is how fast you do pull-ups.
The slower you do pull-ups, the harder they’ll be, and the less reps you’ll be able to do.
(Since your muscles are under tension for more time each rep.)
Whereas the faster you do pull-ups, the easier they’ll be.
The Type of Pull-Up
There are many variations of pull-ups, and some of them, like assisted pull-ups and negative pull-ups, are easier than others.
Harder types of pull-ups include wide grip pull-ups and ring pull-ups.
The easier the variation of pull-ups, the more reps you can do.
How Many Pull-Ups Should A 50 Year Old Do A Day?
As stated earlier, a 50-year-old should be able to do 1-6 pull-ups per set depending on whether they’re a man or a woman.
If you’re a man, you should be able to do 2-3 sets of 1-6 pull-ups in a day, which is a total of 2-18 pull-ups.
Whereas if you’re a woman, you should be able to do 1-2 sets of 1-4 pull-ups in a day, which is a total of 1-8 pull-ups.
Sources
Males Are Stronger Than Females
I’ve been in the fitness and strength training industry for nearly a decade. In that time, I’ve gained 30 pounds of muscle, written hundreds of articles, and reviewed dozens of fitness supplements. As for my educational background, I’m a currently studying for my Active IQ Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training.
