{"id":738441,"date":"2026-08-15T03:46:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T03:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/738441\/"},"modified":"2026-08-15T03:46:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T03:46:14","slug":"paddy-mcguinness-just-did-10-pull-ups-at-52-heres-how-that-compares-to-men-his-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/738441\/","title":{"rendered":"Paddy McGuinness Just Did 10 Pull-Ups at 52 \u2013 Here’s How That Compares to Men His Age"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nothing screams \u2018It\u2019s my birthday\u2019 quite like attempting 10 strict wide-grip pull-ups \u2013 at least according to TV presenter and former Men\u2019s Health cover star Paddy McGuinness<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At the beginning of the week, McGuinness revealed that he\u2019d set himself the challenge of hitting 10 reps by his birthday today (14 August). Every day since, he\u2019s uploaded a video of himself attempting as many as possible, taking on advice from followers along the way.<\/p>\n

And in the final video<\/a> uploaded today, he hit his target, knocking out 10 strict wide-grip pull-ups with relative ease.<\/p>\n

Considering the wide-grip variation can be more challenging than a conventional pull-up<\/a>, particularly because it places your arms in a less mechanically advantageous position, McGuinness\u2019 achievement is seriously impressive.<\/p>\n

According to Men\u2019s Health Fitness Director Andrew Tracey\u2019s guide to the pull-up benchmarks men should be aiming for by age<\/a>, 10 conventional reps would put McGuinness firmly in the intermediate category for his age.<\/p>\n

How Many Pull-Ups Should Men Be Able to Do in Their 50s?<\/p>\n

For men aged 45-60, an average result is around four to eight reps, according to benchmarks compiled from multiple fitness-testing resources and population surveys. An intermediate score sits at around seven to 12 reps, while anything above 12 is considered excellent.<\/p>\n

However, those benchmarks are based on strict, dead-hang pull-ups rather than the wide-grip variation McGuinness performed, making direct comparisons difficult. It’s entirely possible he’d manage more reps using a conventional grip.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also worth remembering that these numbers tend to reflect active individuals. Plenty of adult men in the general population will struggle to perform many \u2013 or any \u2013 strict pull-ups.<\/p>\n

Your performance also depends on factors including your bodyweight, arm length and training history, so don\u2019t beat yourself up if you\u2019re nowhere near Paddy\u2019s number. If you’d rather assess your performance while taking your bodyweight into account, you can check out the benchmarks by bodyweight here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rather than obsessing over whether you’re \u2018below average\u2019 against any particular metric, Tracey suggests using some simple age-related targets.<\/p>\n

Aim for:<\/p>\n

Double digits before 40Around eight to 10 into your 50sComfortably managing five or more into your 60s<\/p>\n

And if you can’t manage a single pull-up yet, that doesn’t mean the target is out of reach. Pull-ups are a skill as much as a test of strength, and getting better at them requires practice alongside building your lats, biceps, grip and upper back.<\/p>\n

McGuinness’ week of focused practice certainly didn’t hurt. Pick your own target, train towards it consistently and you might surprise yourself with how quickly those reps start adding up.<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s one thing Kori Sampson knows, it\u2019s how to optimise your body composition for performance. To tap into his knowledge as an elite athlete and coach, we asked him to create a 4-week plan to help you move faster, recover quicker and keep pushing when the fatigue sets in \u2013 all while improving your muscle-to-fat ratio.<\/p>\n

Ready to build muscle, burn fat and come out the other side looking, feeling and performing better? Click here<\/a> to get 14 days of free access to the plan via the Men\u2019s Health app.<\/p>\n

\"kori