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Pull-up calculator

Enter your bodyweight, the weight on your belt (a negative number for band or machine assistance), and the reps you did with the reps you had left. The calculator estimates your pull-up one-rep max as added weight, plus what to hang from the belt for 3, 5, 8 and 10 reps.

Use a negative number for band or machine assistance.

Unit
Reps in reserve

How many more you could have done. 0 means none.

Example result

Estimated pull-up 1RM, added weight

+30kg

Total moved, you plus the load

111kg

80 kg bodyweight + 10 kg × 6 with 2 in reserve counts as 8 reps to failure.

Added weight for each rep max
  • +30 kg1RM
  • +25 kg3RM
  • +17.5 kg5RM
  • +10 kg8RM
  • +5 kg10RM
Build a pull-up session

Pull-up examples

From band-assisted to a 45 lb plate on the belt. The same formula answers each, and each answer leads somewhere different.

  • Example 1

    Still on the band

    A 70 kg beginner using a band that takes about 20 kg off, 6 reps with 1 left.

    Your bodyweight
    70 kg
    Added weight
    -20 kg
    Reps completed
    6
    Reps in reserve
    1
    • Estimated pull-up 1RM, added weight−10 kg
    • Total moved, you plus the load60 kg

    The 1RM is still below bodyweight, so a full pull-up isn't there yet. Train sets of 5 with a little more help than the 5RM figure, and switch to a lighter band when they stop feeling hard.

    Build a pull-up session Open with these numbers

  • Example 2

    Three strict reps at bodyweight

    A 135 lb woman who just got her first bodyweight pull-ups: 3 reps, about 1 more in the tank.

    Your bodyweight
    135 lb
    Added weight
    0 lb
    Reps completed
    3
    Reps in reserve
    1
    • Estimated pull-up 1RM, added weight+15 lb
    • Total moved, you plus the load149 lb

    She could already hang a small plate for a single, but sets of 5 still need a little help. The faster route to weighted work is more strict bodyweight reps first: add a set of 3 each week before adding load.

    Build a pull-up session Open with these numbers

  • Example 3

    A 45 lb plate for five

    An intermediate lifter at 180 lb who did 5 reps with a 45 lb plate on the belt, 1 rep left.

    Your bodyweight
    180 lb
    Added weight
    45 lb
    Reps completed
    5
    Reps in reserve
    1
    • Estimated pull-up 1RM, added weight+85 lb
    • Total moved, you plus the load263 lb

    The rep maxes are to failure. For heavy triples at 1 or 2 in reserve, start a step or two below the 3RM figure and let the reps decide the next jump.

    Build a pull-up session Open with these numbers

  • Example 4

    Fourteen at bodyweight

    A 75 kg climber who knocked out 14 strict pull-ups and could have done 1 more.

    Your bodyweight
    75 kg
    Added weight
    0 kg
    Reps completed
    14
    Reps in reserve
    1
    • Estimated pull-up 1RM, added weight~+35 kg
    • Total moved, you plus the load~110 kg

    Fifteen reps to failure measures endurance more than strength, so the estimate is rough. Add 10 kg, find the reps that land between 3 and 8, and run the calculator again.

    Build a pull-up session Open with these numbers

Why your bodyweight counts

On a pull-up you lift yourself plus the belt. An 80 kg lifter doing reps with 10 kg added is moving 90 kg, not 10. A plates-only 1RM calculator works on the 10 kg and returns a max that's far too low.

This calculator runs the formula on the total and then subtracts your bodyweight, so the answer is what to hang from the belt. If your bodyweight changes, re-enter it: the same added weight is a different effort 3 kg heavier.

Assisted pull-ups: use a negative number

Band and machine assistance takes weight off, so enter it as negative added weight. A machine set to 25 kg of assist is −25. Bands vary, but a band's rated resistance is a fair starting point; keep using the same band so the numbers stay comparable.

When the estimated 1RM comes out above zero, you can do at least one unassisted rep.

Pull-up technique

The lift this calculator is for

Pull-Up

Lats

Half reps and kipping make the reps count look better than the strength behind them. Count only reps from a dead hang to chin over the bar, and the estimate holds up when you add weight.

How to do it

  1. Take the bar overhand with your hands a little wider than your shoulders and your thumbs wrapped around it.
  2. Hang with your arms fully straight, legs together and slightly in front of you, and squeeze your glutes so your body stays still.
  3. Before your elbows bend, draw your shoulders down and away from your ears.
  4. Drive your elbows down toward your ribs until your chin is over the bar and your chest is close to it.
  5. Lower yourself over about two seconds until your arms are straight again, then start the next rep from a dead stop.

Cues

  • Shoulders down, then elbows down
  • Chest to the bar
  • Dead stop at the bottom, every rep

Common mistakes

  • Stopping short of straight arms at the bottom: half reps hide how many you can really do.
  • Kicking or swinging to finish a rep: end the set when you need momentum.
  • Craning your neck to reach the bar: keep your head neutral and pull your chest up.

Full pull-up guide

Make it fit you

  • Weigh yourself on training day

    Bodyweight is most of the load. Use a recent morning weight, and re-run the estimate if it has moved by more than a kilo or two.

  • Test with 3 to 8 reps

    Pick an added weight, or an assistance level, that makes 3 to 8 strict reps hard. That range gives a far better estimate than a long bodyweight set.

  • Round to what you can hang

    Loads round to 2.5 kg or 5 lb. With only 5 kg plates for the belt, round down; with a weighted vest, use its nearest setting.

  • Chin-ups are a separate lift

    The calculator works for chin-ups too, but the grip changes the lift, so keep chin-up numbers separate from your pull-ups.

  • Stop short of failure

    Grinding the last rep of a weighted pull-up often turns into a kip. Stop 1 or 2 reps short and enter them as reps in reserve; the RIR guide shows how to judge it.

Questions

How do I calculate my weighted pull-up max?

Add your bodyweight to the belt weight, estimate a 1RM from that total and the reps you did, then subtract your bodyweight. The calculator does all three and counts the reps you had left.

Does it work for assisted pull-ups?

Yes. Enter the assistance as a negative number, for example −20 kg for a machine set to 20 kg. A negative 1RM means you're that far from one unassisted rep.

When should I start adding weight to pull-ups?

Once a bodyweight set goes past about 10 reps to failure, the estimate turns rough and strength work gets long. Hanging a small plate keeps your sets in the 3 to 8 range.

How accurate is a pull-up max calculator?

From 3 to 8 strict reps near failure, close enough to plan training from. It assumes your bodyweight is current and every rep is full range.

Does it work for chin-ups and dips?

It works for chin-ups; keep them logged as their own lift. Dips have their own page: the weighted dip calculator.

Sources

Track every pull-up, assisted or weighted

Log reps and RIR on every pull-up set. RIRLift tracks your reps at bodyweight and, once you add load, sets the next session's weight from what you did.

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