One Arm Chin-Up
- Works
- Upper back, plus biceps, forearms and lats
- Equipment
- Other kit
- Level
- Advanced
- Type
- Compound, one side at a time
How to do it
Setup. For this exercise, start out by placing a towel around a chin up bar.
- Grab the chin-up bar with your palm facing you. One hand will be grabbing the chin-up bar and the other will be grabbing the towel.
- Bring your torso back around 30 degrees or so while creating a curvature on your lower back and sticking your chest out. This is your starting position.v.
- Pull your torso up until the bar touches your upper chest by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary as it moves through space and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work other than hold the bar.
- After a second on the contracted position, start to inhale and slowly lower your torso back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched.
- Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- Switch arms and repeat the movement.
Cues
- One hand on the bar, one on towel.
- Lean back 30°, chest up.
- Pull mostly with the bar arm.
- Lower slowly to a full hang.
Common mistakes
- Pulling hard with the towel hand.
- Twisting under the bar.
Where to start
Sets3
Reps3-5 per arm
Rest2.5 min
Tempo2-0-3
A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. Tempo is seconds down, pause, up. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.
Go easy, or pick an alternative, if you have a sore elbow and a sore shoulder. Pain that's sharp or gets worse set to set means stop.