Pullup Training Programs by Strength Level: 1–5, 6–10, and Weighted

The best pullup training program depends on how many clean pullups you can already do. These pullup training programs are organized by strength level, from your first few unassisted reps through weighted pullups.

Someone who can perform one pullup does not need the same program as someone who can perform eight. And someone who can perform 15 clean repetitions should probably stop treating bodyweight as the only resistance available.

My general progression is:

0 pullups → assisted pullups

1–5 pullups → bodyweight pullups plus assisted volume

6–10 pullups → primarily bodyweight pullups

10+ pullups → begin adding weight

The goal at every stage is the same: make your progress measurable and gradually make the exercise harder.

Pullup Training Programs: Quick Answers

What pullup program should I use if I can only do 1–5 reps?
Start each workout with unassisted pullups, then use assisted pullups to add more volume. I generally use about five total pullup sets.

What should a workout look like if my max is 3 pullups?
A realistic workout might be 3, 3, 2 unassisted reps, followed by 8 and 7 reps with 15 pounds of assistance.

When can I stop using assisted pullups?
Once you can perform at least three unassisted reps across all five main sets, you can usually stop using assistance for your normal workout.

What should I do once I can perform 6–10 pullups?
Perform about five hard bodyweight sets and try to increase your reps or total repetitions over time.

How often should I train pullups?
About twice per week is a good starting point for most people following these programs.

Should I take pullup sets to failure?
I generally stop at either 10 clean reps or technical failure, whichever comes first. Technical failure means another rep would require shortened range of motion, kicking, or excessive momentum.

Should I change grips between sets?
I usually keep the same grip for the main sets so the numbers are easier to compare. You can add another grip afterward for extra variation.

When should I start weighted pullups?
Once you can perform about 10 clean bodyweight pullups, begin adding weight.

What rep range should I use for weighted pullups?
I generally use 3–10 reps. When you reach 10 clean reps, increase the weight.

What accessory exercise is best for pullups?
Dumbbell rows are my main accessory. A simple starting point is about 3 sets of 8 reps.

If You Cannot Do a Pullup Yet

If you cannot currently perform one clean pullup, start with my complete How to Get Your First Pullup progression.

I prefer full-range assisted pullups over building an entire beginner program around negatives, partial repetitions, or static holds.

Use enough assistance to perform the complete movement, then gradually reduce that assistance as you become stronger.

This article starts once you can perform at least one unassisted pullup.

How Often Should You Train Pullups?

For most people, I like about two pullup workouts per week.

That gives you frequent enough practice to make progress while normally providing enough time to recover between sessions.

The two workouts do not need to be dramatically different.

In fact, especially for beginners and intermediates, I prefer keeping the main movement relatively consistent so you can compare your performance from one workout to the next.

If you performed:

• 5 reps
• 4 reps
• 4 reps
• 3 reps
• 3 reps

last workout, and this time you get:

• 5
• 5
• 4
• 3
• 3

you know you improved.

Changing the grip, exercise, equipment, and repetition target every workout makes that progress harder to see.

Put Pullups First

I normally perform pullups first in the workout.

Treat them like your main lift.

Your performance is easiest to evaluate when you are fresh. If you perform rows, curls, pulldowns, and other exercises first, fatigue from those exercises introduces another variable into your pullup numbers.

Sleep, food, stress, and your activity earlier in the day already vary enough.

Keep the main lift consistent.

How Hard Should Your Sets Be?

For these programs, I generally perform each main pullup set until either:

• I complete 10 repetitions, or
• I reach technical failure

Technical failure means you cannot complete another clean repetition.

My basic pullup standard is:

• Start from a dead hang
• Do not kick or swing to create momentum
• Finish with the chin clearly above the bar or handles

If the next repetition requires you to shorten the range or kick yourself upward, the set is finished.

I generally allow beginners to train this way rather than asking them to estimate RPE or repetitions in reserve.

Those systems can be useful, but accurately judging how many repetitions you have left becomes easier with training experience.

Pullup Training Program for 1–5 Reps

This is the range where I still find assisted pullups especially useful.

Suppose your current maximum is three clean pullups.

A realistic workout might look like:

The first three sets train the exact unassisted movement you want to improve.

The assisted sets then allow you to accumulate more productive pullup volume after you are no longer strong enough to continue performing clean bodyweight repetitions.

Why not just do repeated singles?

You could.

But I like assisted sets because they make progress easier to measure.

Going from a three-rep maximum to four repetitions is a fairly large improvement.

Going from eight assisted repetitions to nine is a much smaller step.

That matters psychologically and practically.

If your workout changes from:

3, 3, 2, 8 assisted, 7 assisted

to:

3, 3, 2, 9 assisted, 7 assisted

you got stronger.

You can see it in the logbook even though your maximum unassisted set did not change.

That makes long-term progress easier to track.

How to Progress at 1–5 Reps

Try to improve something during each workout.

Progress can mean:

• An additional unassisted repetition
• An additional assisted repetition
• More total repetitions
• Less assistance
• Eventually replacing an assisted set with an unassisted one

Suppose you begin with:

3, 3, 2, 8 assisted, 7 assisted

Several workouts later you might reach:

4, 3, 3, 9 assisted, 8 assisted

Then:

4, 4, 3, 10 assisted, 9 assisted

Eventually, you may be able to complete all five sets unassisted.

There is no need to rush that transition.

When Can You Stop Using Assistance?

My rough benchmark is:

If you can perform at least three unassisted repetitions on all five main sets, you probably no longer need assistance for your normal pullup workout.

For example:

5, 4, 4, 3, 3

is enough productive bodyweight volume that I would be comfortable dropping the assisted sets.

You can still use assisted pullups occasionally for extra volume.

But at this point, your bodyweight alone provides enough resistance for a full five-set workout.

In practice, most people are happy to stop using the assisted machine once they can perform several unassisted repetitions anyway.

Pullup Training Program for 6–10 Reps

Once your maximum reaches roughly six repetitions, the program becomes even simpler.

Perform five hard bodyweight sets.

Someone with a seven-rep maximum might produce:

That is a perfectly good workout.

Next time, try to beat it.

Maybe you get:

7, 6, 5, 5, 4

That is progress.

Later:

8, 6, 5, 5, 4

More progress.

You do not need an elaborate periodization system to move from seven pullups to ten.

Keep training the movement and keep trying to beat your previous numbers.

Total Reps Matter

Do not look only at your first set.

Consider these workouts:

Workout A

7, 6, 5, 4, 4

Total: 26 reps

Workout B

7, 6, 5, 5, 4

Total: 27 reps

Your maximum set did not improve.

Your workout did.

This is one reason I strongly recommend keeping a training log.

Small increases that are easy to forget from memory become obvious on paper.

Should You Add Assisted Sets After Five Bodyweight Sets?

You can.

There is nothing wrong with adding more assisted pullup volume after your main work.

I generally prefer moving on to accessory exercises instead.

At this point, you have already completed five hard sets of the movement you are trying to improve. Additional exercises can strengthen the surrounding musculature without simply extending the pullup portion of the workout indefinitely.

My favorite accessory is the dumbbell row.

Dumbbell Rows

I consider dumbbell rows one of the best supplemental exercises for pullup training.

A simple prescription is:

3 sets of approximately 8 repetitions per arm

The exact number is flexible.

Anything roughly in the moderate repetition range works fine.

Rows are not a replacement for pullups. The movement and loading are different.

But they allow you to add substantial back volume after your main pullup work.

A basic workout for someone with 6–10 pullups could therefore be:

Main work

Pullups: 5 hard sets

Accessory

Dumbbell rows: 3 × 8

Optional

Curls: 2–3 sets

That is enough for a productive pull-focused workout.

Should You Change Pullup Grips?

Yes, but I prefer keeping your main five sets consistent within a workout.

Suppose your main grip is neutral.

Perform all five main sets neutral.

If you then want additional variation, you could perform a few lighter sets with:

• Overhand grip
• Underhand grip
• Wide grip
• Close grip

This gives you variation without contaminating the data from your main work.

You can also alternate emphasis between workouts.

For example:

Workout A

Main sets: neutral grip

Workout B

Main sets: overhand grip

Or keep the same primary grip for several weeks and use variations only afterward.

The right choice depends on your goals.

For my own heavy training, I prefer neutral grip because it is my strongest position and causes substantially less elbow soreness.

Why Use Pullup Variations?

I think exercise variation is valuable, particularly as you become more experienced.

That does not mean randomly changing your exercise every session.

You want enough consistency to measure progress.

But over longer periods, changing:

• Grip
• Grip width
• Handles
• Repetition range
• Added weight

can challenge you in somewhat different ways and reduce the need to hammer exactly the same position forever.

For more detail, see my guide to choosing the best grip for pullups.

When Should You Start Weighted Pullups?

My benchmark is:

Once you can perform 10 clean bodyweight pullups, start experimenting with added weight.

Ten is not a magical physiological threshold.

It is simply a useful point where bodyweight pullups have become easy enough that adding resistance makes sense.

You can still perform bodyweight pullups.

You are just gaining another way to progressively overload the exercise.

Weighted Pullup Training Program

Start with a bodyweight warmup.

I typically perform:

Bodyweight × 10

Then begin adding weight.

A simple first weighted workout might look like:

The exact starting load does not matter much.

Start conservatively.

Just as with assisted pullups, I generally work in the 3-to-10-rep range.

If you can perform 10 repetitions, add weight.

If you cannot perform at least three clean repetitions, reduce the load.

How to Progress Weighted Pullups

The progression is almost identical to the assisted-pullup system.

The direction simply changes.

With an assisted pullup:

10 reps → reduce assistance

With a weighted pullup:

10 reps → add weight

Use small increments whenever possible.

Suppose you perform:

• +10 × 10
• +15 × 10
• +20 × 8
• +20 × 7
• +20 × 6

Next workout, try to improve those +20-pound sets.

Eventually you might get:

• +10 × 10
• +15 × 10
• +20 × 10
• +25 × 7
• +25 × 6

The exact numbers will vary.

The principle does not.

If Every Set Reaches 10

If you can perform 10 repetitions on every working set, begin the next workout with more weight.

There is no reason to repeat an entire workout that has clearly become too easy.

Progressive overload should continue.

Longer Weighted Workouts

Five working sets are enough for most of my pullup training.

Sometimes I simply feel like training longer.

In those workouts, I may use a pyramid structure.

For example:

• Bodyweight × 10
• +25 × 10
• +45 × 8
• +70 × 6
• +90 × 4
• +70 × 6
• +45 × 8
• +25 × 10

You gradually work toward a heavier set and then work back down.

I still try to reach 10 repetitions when the load allows it.

The heavier sets naturally fall into lower rep ranges.

This is not necessary for progress. It is simply another way to accumulate productive volume.

Heavy Days vs. High-Rep Days

You can alternate heavy and high-repetition workouts if that fits your goals.

Personally, I strongly favor heavy weighted pullup sessions.

A rough estimate would be that perhaps nine out of ten of my pullup workouts emphasize added weight.

Occasionally I perform a high-repetition bodyweight workout instead.

Someone primarily interested in maximizing bodyweight repetitions would reasonably place much more emphasis on high-rep training than I do.

Program according to the adaptation you actually want.

Curls and Elbow Maintenance

I regularly use very high-rep band curls as part of my elbow maintenance when I’m doing a lot of heavy weighted pullups. I originally picked up the practice from Louie Simmons and Westside Barbell. As my pullup strength increased, my elbows became more of a recovery bottleneck, and light band curls have consistently helped me tolerate heavy pulling volume with less soreness.

A typical session is 3 sets of 50–100 repetitions with a light band. The goal is not to turn these into hard bodybuilding sets. I use a light resistance, get a lot of elbow flexion work and blood flow, and stop well before the movement becomes a heavy strain.

Tendons do adapt to repeated mechanical loading, although research does not establish this exact high-rep band-curl protocol as the optimal way to strengthen elbow tendons. I use it because it has worked well in my own training.

Do You Need a Complicated Program?

Probably not.

At each level, the routine is remarkably simple.

0 pullups

Use assisted pullups and work toward your first unassisted repetition.

1–5 pullups

Perform unassisted pullups first, then use assistance to accumulate additional volume.

6–10 pullups

Perform five hard bodyweight sets and try to increase your repetitions.

10+ pullups

Begin adding weight.

Then continue using the same principle:

When you can do 10 clean repetitions, make the exercise harder.

A Simple Two-Day Pullup Program

For someone who already has multiple unassisted pullups:

Day 1

Pullups

• 5 hard sets
• Main grip
• Stop at 10 reps or technical failure

Dumbbell rows

• 3 × approximately 8

Curls

• 2–3 optional sets

Day 2

Repeat the same basic structure.

You can:

• Use the same grip and try to beat Day 1
• Use a second grip as your main variation
• Add a few variation sets after the primary work

Keep enough consistency that you can tell whether you are becoming stronger.

Track Your Workouts

The logbook is one of the most important parts of this system.

Write down:

• Grip
• Assistance or added weight
• Repetitions for every set
• Any unusual factors that affected the workout

Then try to improve.

One extra repetition matters.

Five additional pounds matter.

Five fewer pounds of assistance matter.

Strength develops through thousands of small improvements.

You do not need every workout to be spectacular.

You need the overall trend to keep moving upward.

Where to Go Next

If you cannot yet perform an unassisted repetition, start with How to Get Your First Pullup.

If you are deciding which hand position to use, read Best Grip for Pullups: Overhand, Neutral, or Underhand?

Once you can perform 10 clean repetitions and are ready to add load, continue with the complete Weighted Pullups guide.

The basic strategy does not change as you become stronger.

Make the movement appropriate for your current strength.

Train it hard.

Record your results.

And when the current difficulty becomes too easy, make the pullup harder.