Pull · Tier 3
Archer Pull-up
A wide-grip pull-up where you pull to one hand while the other arm stays straight as a guide — the cheapest way to build the unilateral pulling strength a one-arm chin-up demands.
Also known as: Side-to-Side Pull-up- Difficulty
- 6/10 · Intermediate
- Tier
- 03
- Equipment
- bar · rings
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The archer pull-up sits right after the strict pull-up as your first real step into one-arm pulling. By shifting most of your weight onto one side while the other arm only assists, you overload a single lat and bicep without needing the full skill or load of a one-arm chin-up — making it the smartest bridge in the pull tree.
Treat the straight arm as a kickstand, not a crutch: the less it helps, the more you earn. Chase clean, paused reps over messy high numbers, and let your tendons set the pace — strength here is built one honest side at a time.
Readiness gates
Clear these measurable conditions before forcing the skill.
10+ reps
Technique, step by step
Four checkpoints for one honest repetition or hold.
- 01Setup
Grip wider than a normal pull-up
Take an overhand grip about 1.5x shoulder width, wider than your standard pull-up. Set your shoulders down and back before you leave the ground, and brace your abs so you don't swing. Pick the side you'll pull to first and look at that hand.
- 02Drive
Pull toward one hand, straighten the other
Drive the elbow of your working arm down and back, pulling your chin over that hand. Let the opposite arm extend long and straight — it's a kickstand, not a second engine. Resist the urge to let the straight arm bend and steal the rep; keep most of your weight stacked over the pulling side.
- 03Top
Chin past the working hand, ribs down
Finish with your chin level with or above the working hand, chest near the bar, and the far arm fully extended. Keep your core tight so your hips don't pike or twist. Pause for a beat here — no kipping into the top.
- 04Lower
Control the descent, then switch sides
Lower under control over about 2 seconds back to a dead hang, keeping both shoulders packed. Reset at the bottom, then pull to the opposite hand. Alternate sides so each arm gets equal volume and you stay balanced left to right.
Skill practice guide
Public skill guidance — not your protected personalized eight-week plan.
Build unilateral pulling strength toward a one-arm chin-up and clean up any left-right imbalance.
4–5 sets of 3–5 reps per side, all strict; start each set on your weaker arm.
2–3×/week with 48h between pulling sessions.
When you hit 5 clean reps per side for all sets, add a 2-second pause at the top, then progress toward fewer points of contact (typewriter pull-ups or fingertip assist) before chasing the one-arm.
Common faults
My straight arm keeps bending so it's basically a close pull-up+
You're sharing the load instead of isolating one side — usually a strength gap. Consciously keep the non-working hand light, like it's resting on a table, and shift your bodyweight further over the pulling arm. If it still collapses, regress to band-assisted archers with the band under your straight-side foot.
My chin won't clear the working hand on archer pull-ups+
Either your grip is too narrow to create the angle, or you lack top-end unilateral pulling strength. Widen your grip slightly and drive the working elbow down toward your hip, not just back. Build the top range with high partials and slow negatives pulling to one side.
I swing and kip every rep instead of pulling clean+
Loose core and momentum are masking a strength deficit. Start each rep from a dead hang with abs and glutes braced in a slight hollow, and pause one second at the bottom to kill the swing. If you can't do it strict, you're not ready for full archers yet — keep building band-assisted reps.
One side is way stronger than the other on archers+
Normal early on — your dominant side carries more by habit. Always start your set on your weaker side when you're freshest, and match its rep count on the strong side rather than pushing the strong side higher. Over a few weeks the gap closes.
My elbow or forearm tendon aches after archer sessions+
Unilateral loading spikes tendon stress fast, and tendons adapt slower than muscle. Cut volume, add a thorough warm-up with band pull-aparts and slow dead hangs, and keep a full but smooth range — no jerking out of the bottom. If it lingers, back off to two sessions a week and let the connective tissue catch up.
Useful setup
You need room outside shoulder width to set the archer angle; a narrow doorway bar cramps the movement.
Lets you train the full archer pattern with assistance until you own strict reps.
Grip is the first thing to fail when most of your weight loads one hand.
Primary muscles
Lats · Biceps · Core