How to Achieve the One Arm Pull-Up

For Climbers | June 8, 2021  

The one arm pull-up is one of the most brutally difficult physical feats in the world of fitness, an achievement that can require years of consistent training to attain. Athletes who are particularly interested in calisthenics (like myself) view the one arm pull-up as a major milestone in their training regimen, held in similar regard to the iron cross and straddle planche. As someone who had overwhelmingly average strength his entire life, it took an excessive amount of time and dedication for me to achieve the one arm pull-up, which is why I am here to share my knowledge and training regimen used to achieve this feat so that others may benefit from it. This regimen has a very high success rate and has worked not only for myself, but also for numerous athletes of different gender and physical ability at my local gym. Those looking for guidance on how to conquer this seemingly indomitable task, look no further.

Preface

The one arm pull-up is an exercise that is heavily dependent on the athlete having a strong power-to-weight ratio. Heavier athletes will encounter more difficulty when attempting the one arm pull-up than their lightweight peers. Combining your training regimen with a well-balanced diet is highly recommended to mitigate this issue, maximize your post-workout gains, and expedite your journey to achieving this physical milestone.

Upper body workouts (5 sets per exercise)

Pull-ups: Surprised? Before one can even dream of achieving the one arm pull-up, they must have the fundamentals of the standard pull-up mastered. Once you are able to do 13-15 consecutive reps with good form, grab a weight belt and add some extra weight while doing them. How much weight you will use depends on whether you are training for endurance or strength, both are equally important and you should alternate between endurance and strength training during this regimen. To train for strength, you want to aim for 3-5 reps per set, use the heaviest amount of weight you can muster to achieve that rep range for 5 sets. To train for endurance, you will be looking to complete 8-10 reps per set. Since you are much more likely to get pumped out when training endurance, using around half of your strength building weight is recommended.

One arm negatives: This is arguably the greatest exercise for training the one arm pull-up. Stand parallel underneath the bar and pull yourself up with both hands, next, either let go of one hand and descend down in a slow and controlled manner, or use your off hand as support to descend down to the floor. Wrapping the off hand around the wrist of the pull hand is a great way to add leverage without sacrificing form. This exercise trains the very same motions you will have to conduct when doing a one arm pull-up and activates nearly all the relevant muscles. They can be deviously difficult especially for those unfamiliar with calisthenic movements so make sure to leverage your off hand as much as you need to avoid injury. Stick with a very low rep range when performing this exercise, 1-2 reps per set is more than enough to see significant strength gains.

Bar dips: Dips are a great exercise for developing one’s triceps and chest muscles simultaneously, two muscle groups which will also be tasked with supporting almost the entirety of your body weight. Proper form is essential when performing dips, your arms should form a perfect 90 degree angle when descending and your elbows should not lock when you are in the up position. Because form is paramount with dips, I recommend doing them either without added weight, or with a very small amount of weight similar to that if you were training endurance for pull-ups or chin-ups. A high rep range is required when performing unweighted dips, I recommend anywhere from 8-15 reps per set when performing this exercise without weight. With weight, it is acceptable to limit the rep range to 4-6 reps.

Chin-ups: Like pull-ups, chin-ups are a basic exercise but one that is vital when working to achieve the one arm pull-up. Train them as you would pull-ups by mastering the fundamentals, building up your rep range to 13-15, and then progressing to weighted reps when you are ready to do so. While it may sound counterintuitive to use this exercise to train for the one arm pull-up, know that chin-ups still activate the biceps, forearms, and lats, all of which are relevant muscles when performing the one arm pull-up.

Archer pull-ups: This intermediate exercise is great for developing solid lock-off strength and essentially function as assisted one arm pull-ups. Start in a wide grip pull-up position and pull onto the bar but keep one of your arms flat on the bar while cranking hard on the other. The off arm provides stability and leverage for the pulling arm while the pulling arm handles the majority of your body weight during the pull. You will notice that your body will shift to the pulling arm side when doing this exercise, this will put your body in a position that resembles an archer cocking their bow, hence the name archer pull-up. This is another exercise where having proper form is crucial, you run the risk of a shoulder injury if you try to perform this exercise using bad form. If you cannot perform the exercise using strict form, you can “cheat it” by allowing a slight bend of your off arm in order to complete the rep. Do not rely on this method for the long term however as you will see diminishing returns from your training by doing so. Depending on your level of strength, the archer pull-up can be either a mid rep exercise or a low rep exercise. We found that a rep range of 4-6 reps per set was optimal for the overwhelming majority of people who used this training regimen.

Core workouts (5 sets per exercise)

Yes, training your core is an essential step in completing the one arm pull-up. When performing an exercise that requires this level of strength and physical dexterity, having a strong core is required for increased balance and stability when pulling.

L-sits: This is an excellent all-in-one exercise that works many different muscles, most notably your abdominals and obliques. There are two ways to perform this exercise, the traditional L-sit is performed by extending both legs while sitting and lifting the body into a perfect 90 degree angle, you then hold the position for a short amount of time. This can be considerably difficult for those with an underdeveloped core, therefore it is still a viable option to perform the exercise with tucked legs rather than extended legs by using an elevated bar. Both variations work the core hard but if you begin with the tucked leg variation, gradually transition to the proper form as you develop your core strength. When performing the exercise, hold yourself in the up position for as long as possible for 5 sets.

Jackknives: Jackknives train the core and lower back while also increasing your overall flexibility. Lie down on a mat with your hands above your head, while keeping your arms and legs straight, fold your body as much as needed to touch your hands to your shins and repeat. Don’t be too concerned if you need to bend your legs slightly in order to complete the exercise. As you continue to train and your flexibility improves, the straight leg form will become much easier. Keep the reps in the mid to high range for this exercise, 6-10 reps per set is considered optimal.

Side planks: A solid exercise for the obliques and glutes, side planks are a much more robust exercise than one may think. Start on your side with your feet together and place your weight on one forearm directly below your shoulder. Lift your body into a straight line and hold the position for as long as possible without letting your hips dip. Make sure to perform this exercise on a surface that has traction otherwise your feet may slip while in the up position. Hold yourself in the up position for as long as possible for 5 sets.

Incline sit-ups: These are executed just like standard sit-ups but are performed on an incline bench for added difficulty. You can alter the difficulty of the exercise by increasing or decreasing the incline, or (if the incline bench is not adjustable) by altering your hand positions. As a general rule, the reps get more difficult when the hands are placed higher on the head or in some cases beyond the head. Like jackknives, a mid to high rep range is optimal for this exercise, 8-12 reps per set should get the job done and then some.

Your Weekly Training Schedule

Perform each exercise in the order they are listed. You can alter your rest days based on your schedule, you will however, need 5 days of training and only 2 days off per week.

Monday – Upper body (One arm negatives, pull-ups, chin-ups, bar dips)

Tuesday – Core (L-sits, side planks, jackknives, incline sit-ups)

Wednesday – Rest day

Thursday – Upper body (Archer pull-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, bar dips)

Friday – Core (L-sits, side planks, jackknives, incline sit-ups)

Saturday – Upper body (One arm negatives, pull-ups, chin-ups, bar dips)

Sunday – Rest day

Final Words

Perseverance is key when it comes to this arduous journey. When training this hard it is easy to be tempted to take additional rest days or ease the intensity of your workouts, especially in the early stages of the regimen. Keep your head down and your eyes on the prize, training will eventually become second nature and that’s when your true potential will begin to reveal itself. You must remind yourself of the enormity that surrounds your end goal, you will be joining very small percentage of global athletes who can successfully achieve the one arm pull-up, that is no small feat. Good luck, stay motivated, lift heavy.

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