One-arm Pull-up

These notes combine advice from 29 reviewed passages across 8 workouts.

Overview

The one-arm pull-up is a highly difficult unilateral pull involving the lat and shoulder. Its difficulty can be easy to underestimate from its appearance. [7] [14]

Pulling technique

During a supported progression, minimize sideways drift and keep the body as centered as possible. This applies when part of the load still remains on the assisting side. [6]

Keep the shoulder close to the pulling hand and drive the elbow upward. An open shoulder position reduces available strength, while the close position supports a lat-led pull. [2] [14]

When one side is slid away, loading increases on the other arm. [5]

Rotate the working hand deeply into a false grip and keep the chin elevated. During the descent, prevent the wrist and grip from dropping too low or rotating, since that position reduces pulling strength. [3] [8]

A commando grip may make it easier to bring the body close to the support. A straight grip remains an acceptable option. [11]

Use a moderate one-count tempo. Making the repetition extremely slow is unnecessary for this drill. [12]

Complete the pull and clearly show the endpoint. Hold it for roughly one to two seconds before releasing or standing. [13]

Strength progression

Build to about 20 comfortable pull-ups before attempting the one-arm pull-up itself. [16]

For the prescribed foot-free negative drill, keep the feet from touching the floor, finish the descent, and wait two seconds before releasing the hand. Perform six repetitions. [9]

Train both sides even when one arm is clearly stronger. [10]

One progression used before elastic assistance shifts roughly 70 to 80 percent of the load onto the working side during the descent. This is a deliberately asymmetric eccentric drill, unlike the supported variation that calls for a more centered body. [6] [18]

Practice the unilateral pulling pattern almost weekly so it becomes familiar. Engage the lat strongly, bring the chin to the target, and then descend. [19]

If the assisting hand cannot reach the bar from the lowered position, fold a resistance band once, hold it, and pull the end downward to extend the reach. [21]

Keep band tension as low as possible and reduce it progressively. More of the load should pass to the working arm while the band provides limited assistance. [22] [23] [24]

Equipment choice

Consider beginning on rings. Their rotation lets them align with the athlete in the air, while a fixed bar restricts the hand to one position and may feel more demanding. [15] [20] [25]

Safety and discomfort

Coach’s claim

When dizziness persists, skip the full movement and keep both feet grounded. This was a session-specific precaution and has not been medically verified. [1]

Coach’s claim

Possible mild wrist discomfort is an unverified coaching concern during this progression, even when the movement looks manageable. [7]

Coach’s claim

An unverified coaching caution tentatively associates chest-muscle tearing with one-arm pull-ups and related one-handed movements. The same caution identifies an unprepared, above-normal weighted bench attempt as another possible tearing scenario. [4]

Coach’s claim

The session-specific safety advice was to avoid a one-finger grip during the progression. No medically verified rationale was supplied. [12]

Coach’s claim

On the particular bar setup shown, the session-specific safety advice was to face outward to avoid striking the head on the bar. [17]

Coach’s experience

In his own training, the coach first performed the one-arm pull-up on rings and found them more comfortable than a fixed bar. [15]

Sources

1. 2024-04-19, 2859.6-2873.4s

Workout: workout:2024-04-19

Passage: passage:2024-04-19:000895-000900

2. 2024-04-19, 2910.6-2941.8s

Workout: workout:2024-04-19

Passage: passage:2024-04-19:000915-000926

3. 2024-04-19, 2972.8-2988.7s

Workout: workout:2024-04-19

Passage: passage:2024-04-19:000937-000947

4. 2024-09-19, 1756.2-1781.8s

Workout: workout:2024-09-19

Passage: passage:2024-09-19:000491-000500

5. 2024-10-06, 709.2-717.0s

Workout: workout:2024-10-06

Passage: passage:2024-10-06:000228-000230

6. 2024-10-06, 808.0-836.5s

Workout: workout:2024-10-06

Passage: passage:2024-10-06:000275-000285

7. 2024-10-06, 839.1-846.4s

Workout: workout:2024-10-06

Passage: passage:2024-10-06:000288-000290

8. 2024-10-06, 889.3-894.4s

Workout: workout:2024-10-06

Passage: passage:2024-10-06:000304-000307

9. 2024-10-13, 610.2-626.8s

Workout: workout:2024-10-13

Passage: passage:2024-10-13:000162-000167

10. 2024-10-13, 630.5-637.4s

Workout: workout:2024-10-13

Passage: passage:2024-10-13:000171-000172

11. 2024-10-13, 652.6-661.5s

Workout: workout:2024-10-13

Passage: passage:2024-10-13:000180-000186

12. 2024-10-13, 693.0-707.6s

Workout: workout:2024-10-13

Passage: passage:2024-10-13:000204-000211

13. 2024-10-13, 715.6-724.5s

Workout: workout:2024-10-13

Passage: passage:2024-10-13:000214-000218

14. 2024-10-13, 863.9-878.7s

Workout: workout:2024-10-13

Passage: passage:2024-10-13:000242-000248

15. 2024-10-13, 882.4-900.7s

Workout: workout:2024-10-13

Passage: passage:2024-10-13:000249-000256

16. 2024-10-13, 1031.5-1044.7s

Workout: workout:2024-10-13

Passage: passage:2024-10-13:000290-000294

17. 2024-12-03, 6387.9-6391.4s

Workout: workout:2024-12-03

Passage: passage:2024-12-03:002187-002188

18. 2025-02-18, 3250.0-3271.9s

Workout: workout:2025-02-18

Passage: passage:2025-02-18:000920-000929

19. 2025-02-18, 3274.5-3288.6s

Workout: workout:2025-02-18

Passage: passage:2025-02-18:000930-000935

20. 2025-02-18, 3288.7-3296.7s

Workout: workout:2025-02-18

Passage: passage:2025-02-18:000936-000940

21. 2025-02-20, 3225.9-3256.1s

Workout: workout:2025-02-20

Passage: passage:2025-02-20:001293-001304

22. 2025-02-20, 3262.2-3265.0s

Workout: workout:2025-02-20

Passage: passage:2025-02-20:001310-001310

23. 2025-02-20, 3345.3-3392.3s

Workout: workout:2025-02-20

Passage: passage:2025-02-20:001348-001365

24. 2025-02-20, 3474.9-3491.7s

Workout: workout:2025-02-20

Passage: passage:2025-02-20:001401-001401

25. 2025-08-18, 3120.6-3133.8s

Workout: workout:2025-08-18

Passage: passage:2025-08-18:000838-000844