Pull up Record

Pull up 1000 times? Easy! Give me all… eternity.

As we know, the world of sports is full of amazing achievements that sometimes push the boundaries of human capabilities. Some jump unimaginable distances, others run a hundred meters faster than a cheetah, and still others manage to lift such weights that even biomechanics question the laws of physics and anatomy. Some will say that these are miracles of sports pharmacology, but we will object; there is no such “superhero serum” that will make you sweat and bleed, disciplinedly work on yourself, as athletes do.

That’s why we were interested in the pull-up record, which tests the human neuromuscular, cardiovascular and energy systems in a complex way. It turned out that the absolute pinnacle of athletic mastery in basic exercises on the horizontal bar is very multifaceted.

World records

Let’s start with the fact that the highest number of pull-ups from a hanging position on a horizontal bar can be of different categories. For example, the Guinness Book of Records (English: World Pull-Up Association) classifies them by the following features:
type of pull-up – classic (upper grip, chin above the bar), behind the head (touching the bar with the back of the head), different grips (upper, reverse, neutral);

• gender – male and female limits;
• age – from juniors to veterans;
• quantity for a certain time interval – minute, hour, day;
• without stopping – the maximum number of repetitions in one approach.

Note that the official observer usually takes into account not only the strength qualities of the potential record holder, but also analyzes his technique, endurance, and even psychological stability. If the judge considers that further “experimentation” endangers the health and life of the contender for the best result, he has the right to stop the attempt to take the record. The detailed decision is made unilaterally and is final.

When a cancellation occurs, you won’t be able to start over, but second and subsequent chances are still there. The main thing is to recover properly and prepare for a new challenge.

We’ve collected all the most interesting Guinness World Records for pull-ups to inspire you to new athletic achievements.

Non-stop Pull-up Records

It is curious, but quite understandable, that the Asian region holds the lead in fixing absolute maximums. Thus, the world record for pull-ups in one approach belongs to a resident of Japan – Kenta Adachi. He managed to do 651 pull-ups to the bar above the chin line in a non-stop cycle on the horizontal bar. Before that, the palm of primacy was held by Lee Shin Yong from South Korea, who did the same 612 times. His achievement remained unsurpassed since December of distant 1994. However, even this is not so cool, but the fact that the man, or rather, the Korean grandfather, was 70 years old at the time of demonstrating his remarkable strength and endurance!

This is a real Kenta-san, this is a real feat. Just don’t be too shy now if physical education minute is an extreme sport for you.

In 60 seconds

The official record for pull-ups in a minute was set by Chinese Hong Zhongtao in October 2020. However, a little later, Harvard Law School professor Adam Sandel surpassed him, doing three more reps. To do this, he trained almost daily for four years.

In an hour

As reported on the official website of the reference book, in 2023, a resident of Colorado, USA, set a new Guinness World Record for the number of pull-ups in an hour. The 45-year-old athlete did 1,010 pull-ups, leaving behind the achievement of Stephen Hyland (994 times), which had stood since 2011.

“It was a real battle of strength and spirit,” Frank Sagona shared his impressions.

An unplanned challenge for the athlete was an injury to his lower back muscles, sustained the day before the record was set.

“I thought I was going to choke until the 44th minute, but then I caught my second wind and realized I could do it. The injury slowed me down a bit, but I still finished. I even threw up right after the finish,” Frank recalls.

Sagona celebrated his record in honor of his friend Mike Rumph, who three years earlier helped him start training to achieve his cherished goal, but, unfortunately, did not live to see the moment when his hard work bore fruit.

“This award is not only mine, but also Mike’s,” the athlete said excitedly.

Per day

Once again, the undisputed world record in pull-ups was conquered by the persistent Japanese Kenta Adachi. Under the supervision of medical workers and a representative of the Guinness Book of Records, he managed to perform 8940 pull-ups from a hang position in 24 hours. This is more than 300 times more than the previous record holder from Australia, Gary Lloyd.

On one hand

If you count attempts without breaks, that is, in one approach, since December 3, 1982, no one has been able to break the world record for clean one-arm pull-ups, which is held by Canadian Robert Chisnell. He performed 22 repetitions.

Among women

Maximum number in one approach:

• 42 times: Dasha Chepiga (Russia), 14 years old (2018)
• 37 times: Elicia Weber (USA), in one minute (2014).

Maximum quantity in a given time:

• 725 times in an hour: Eva Clark (Australia), 2016.
• 2740 times in 12 hours: Eva Clark (Australia), 2016.

As you can see, the fair sex is not so weak.