Is it true that … it’s harder for women to do pull-ups?
The differences in body types do mean that, on average, women find the exercise more difficult – but that’s not the whole story
TL;DR
- Pull-ups are a bodyweight exercise that works the back, arms, and core.
- Women, on average, find pull-ups more challenging due to lower upper body muscle mass proportion and higher body fat percentage.
- Anatomical differences, like shoulder breadth and center of gravity, can also make pull-ups slightly more difficult for women.
- These are population averages, and anyone can train to improve their pull-up ability.
- Assisted pull-ups, lat pull-downs, and rows are recommended exercises for building strength for pull-ups.