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One Arm Chin-Up
The hardest common bodyweight pull: a full chin-up on a single supinated arm, demanding elite lat, biceps, and grip strength.
BackBodyweightVertical pull
GoLightWeight mediaone-arm-chin-up
Demonstration coming soon
Primary
Latissimus dorsiBiceps
Secondary
ForearmsRear deltoidsCoreRhomboids
Equipment
Bodyweight
Pattern
Vertical pull
Setup
- 01Grip the bar with one hand in a supinated or neutral position.
- 02Hang with the working arm fully extended and the free arm held at the side or on the chest.
- 03Depress the working shoulder blade and lock in a hollow body position.
- 04Keep the legs together or slightly crossed to control rotation.
Execution
- 01Initiate by pulling the shoulder blade down, then drive the elbow toward the ribs.
- 02Pull in one continuous effort until the chin clears the bar.
- 03Resist the body's tendency to twist by bracing the core hard.
- 04Lower under full control back to a straight-arm hang.
Checkpoints
- -Shoulder blade sets before the elbow bends.
- -Torso rotation is minimal through the pull.
- -Chin clears the bar without a violent kip.
- -The descent takes at least as long as the ascent.
Common mistakes
- -Attempting it before owning weighted chin-ups at roughly half bodyweight added.
- -Yanking from a dead hang with a relaxed shoulder.
- -Letting the body spin instead of bracing against rotation.
- -Dropping from the top and skipping the eccentric, where most strength is built.
Programming notes
- -Train 3 to 6 total quality singles or assisted reps per session, fully fresh.
- -Progress through weighted chin-ups, archer pull-ups, and slow one-arm eccentrics of 5 to 10 seconds.
- -Keep frequency to 2 to 3 short sessions per week; elbows need managed volume.
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