How Long Does It Actually Take to Get a Pull-Up? (With Stats)

estimated Read Time: 3 Minutes

Why You Still Don’t Have a Pull-Up

Pull-Ups are one of the most misunderstood movements in Bodyweight and Calisthenics training. You either get told they’re super easy — or that you need to be “strong enough” before even trying.

But here’s the truth: most people train them the wrong way.

🧠 A 2022 meta-analysis on upper body strength training showed that specificity (i.e., training the actual movement you want to improve) was the biggest predictor of success.

Yet most people:

• Avoid Pull-Ups altogether

• Only use bands forever

• Never learn how to scale or track their progress

If you’ve been training for months (or even years) and still don’t have a Pull-Up — keep reading.

We’ve got the stats, insights, and a clear path forward.

Coaches Notes

Ronaldo (Coach, L9 Prahran & Nunawading): “You need volume. You need drills. And you need structure. Not just trying random things every week.”

Je-an (Coach, L9 Fitzroy): “We see people come in thinking they’ll get a Pull-Up in 4 weeks. But it’s a journey — and most people don’t realise how weak their scap and grip actually are.”

The Real Secret: You’re Probably Not Doing Enough Volume

If you’re only doing a few Pull-Up attempts once or twice a week — that’s not enough to make a neurological or muscular adaptation.

And if you’re only doing the same regression over and over (like banded Pull-Ups), it’s even worse.

At L9, our members follow structured cycles in the L9 Program, working up from:

• Incline Rows

• Feet-Assisted Pull-Ups

• Isometric Holds

• Negatives

• Band Pull-Ups (strategically)

Each skill level is mapped out inside the L9 App, so members always know what to drill next.

Here’s What You Can Do Today:

1. Figure Out Where You’re At
   Can’t do a single Pull-Up? Try a 15-second top hold or a slow 3-sec negative. Can’t do that? Start with incline rows or feet-assisted reps.

2. Stop Maxing Out
   Doing 1–2 reps to failure each week won’t get you anywhere. Instead, do 4–5 sets of drills you can rep with good form. That’s where you build strength.

3. Add Volume. A Lot More Volume.
   The L9 standard for progression is 20–30 total reps per workout — scaled to your level. That could mean 6×5 incline rows. Or 4×5 feet-assisted Pull-Ups.

4. Train 2–3x a Week
   At L9, our members train Pull-Ups at least twice a week in the L9 Program, sometimes more if they’re using the L9 App for extra volume.

So… How Long Does It Actually Take?

From our coaching data across all L9 locations:

• 80% of members who train Pull-Ups twice a week for 12 weeks hit their first clean rep.

• Most beginners get their first full Pull-Up between 12–16 weeks — if they’re consistent.

• Some take longer — but they always get there if they show up.

This assumes you’re working with a real plan. Not just randomly trying banded reps and hoping for the best.