Published May 22, 2026, 12:16 PM EDT
Plateaus in training happen, especially if you don’t evolve your training volume.
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Published May 22, 2026, 12:16 PM EDT
Pullups are among the toughest exercises in calisthenics, and as with any strength-endurance exercise, hitting a plateau is a challenge. Pullups require the strength to lift your entire body weight with your arms. Obviously, the heavier you are, the harder this exercise becomes. For those seeking to maximize pullup fitness, the first pullup is often the biggest challenge, as it requires greater strength. The next challenge is adding more repetitions, which requires building muscle endurance to reach 10 or more. Hitting a plateau is the next challenge, especially if you have a goal of 20 or more pullups. Here is a question relating to that frustration: Stew, why have my pullups stopped progressing after hitting a 15-rep max? What I usually do in the gym is go for my max, hit it, and then every set seems to get halved from here on out. Thanks, Nolan Nolan, plateaus in training happen, especially if you don’t evolve your training volume as you make these progressions. Typically, the quick answer to pushing off the plateau and seeing improvements again requires change. Change something up in your routine. This could be total volume/reps per workout, adding a weight vest, or mixing in a circuit of pulling exercises following your pullup reps. But there is no need to do daily pullups. You need to recover from higher-volume pullup workouts just as you would from heavier lifting workouts. We usually do pullups three times a week, at most, but with additional reps each workout to add total volume. Your problem sounds like a need to improve muscle stamina and more volume with a mix of weighted pullups. Multiple sets of pullups are challenging, especially with minimal rest. My advice is to add more rest between sets and see if you can get closer to matching your first rest reps. Shoot for 3 minutes of rest each set. If rest isn't the culprit, try some of the following workout additions for more pulling volume:
