9-11 Pullups

If you did 9-11 pullups in the test
Day 1 120 seconds (or more) between sets		Day 4 120 seconds (or more) between sets
set 1	3	set 1	5
set 2	5	set 2	8
set 3	3	set 3	5
set 4	3	set 4	5
set 5	Max (Min 5)	set 5	Max (Min 8)
Minimum 1 day break		Minimum 1 day break
Day 2 120 seconds (or more) between sets		Day 5 120 seconds (or more) between sets
set 1	4	set 1	6
set 2	6	set 2	9
set 3	4	set 3	6
set 4	4	set 4	6
set 5	Max (Min 6)	set 5	Max (Min 8)
Minimum 1 day break		Minimum 1 day break
Day 3 120 seconds (or more) between sets		Day 6 120 seconds (or more) between sets
set 1	5	set 1	6
set 2	7	set 2	9
set 3	5	set 3	6
set 4	5	set 4	6
set 5	Max (Min 6)	set 5	Max (Min 10)
Minimum 2 day break		Minimum 2 day break

What the Research Says About Pull-Ups

Pull-ups have a good reputation among coaches and researchers, and for once the reputation is fairly earned. The exercise has been studied from a few different angles, and while no single study proves the pull-up is magic, the picture that emerges is of a genuinely efficient way to train the upper body. Here's a grounded look at what the research actually points to.

The clearest evidence is about strength and muscle activation. A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in 2011 found that pull-ups strongly activate the latissimus dorsi, biceps, and trapezius, the major muscles of the pulling chain. Work along these lines suggests pull-ups are an effective way to target those groups. A study in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine in 2017 looked at muscular endurance and reported that people who trained pull-ups regularly improved their upper-body endurance, which tracks with what most lifters notice: the reps that felt impossible in week one start stacking up.

Pull-ups also count as a functional exercise, meaning they resemble movements you use outside the gym, pulling yourself up over something, or hauling an object toward you. A study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise in 2013 associated pull-up training with better grip strength and upper-body coordination, the kind of general capability that carries over into everyday tasks.

Posture is another reasonable claim. Because pull-ups strengthen the back and shoulders, they can help counterbalance the rounded-forward position that comes from long hours at a desk. A study in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science in 2019 linked regular pulling exercise with improvements in postural alignment, which is an easy benefit to appreciate if you spend your day hunched over a screen.

There's a mental side too. A study in Health Psychology Open in 2019 looked at resistance training and reported an improved sense of well-being among participants, and anyone who has finally cleared a rep they'd been chasing knows the small hit of satisfaction that comes with it.

A couple of practical themes run through the literature. Grip width and hand position change which muscles work hardest, so varying your setup is worthwhile, and good form, full range of motion, controlled tempo, matters for staying comfortable over the long run. The most useful takeaway is unglamorous: the best pull-up program is one matched to your current level and goals, and then repeated consistently.