How To Train For A One-Arm Pull-Up !
Are
you up for a strength journey that might take years to complete? If
not, turn back now. But if you're ready, join Al Kavadlo on a quest for
the elusive one-arm pull-up!
My
one-arm pull-up journey began nearly a decade ago, immediately after I
first saw one performed in person. Prior to that, I'd heard
stories—legends, really—about the move, but never believed it was truly
possible. The only time I'd ever witnessed someone do a pull-up with one
hand was when the other one was wrapped around their wrist. Contrary to
my initial expectation, however, a true one-arm pull-up is in fact
possible.
In
addition to achieving the one-arm pull-up on a few occasions myself,
I've had the privilege of coaching some very strong people to perform
their first one-armer as well. Though there are always many paths to any
destination, I've concluded through my own trials and errors that the
following techniques and tactics are the most essential, should you hope
to one day tame this wicked beast of an exercise.
PULL-UPS FOR DAYS
Before
you begin working toward a one-arm pull-up, I urge you to spend plenty
of time getting comfortable with the two-arm variety. Focus on getting
to the point where you can perform at least 15 clean overhand pull-ups
in one set without using momentum. Ideally, you should do closer to 20.
This is the foundation for your one-arm pull-up.
Once
you've got that foundation, your next task is to get comfortable
hanging on the bar with just one arm. This requires a serious amount of
grip strength as well as strong, stable shoulders. If you can do 15 good
pull-ups, you should pretty much be there already, but some dedicated
practice is still necessary.
Focus
on keeping your lats and shoulders engaged while you hang. In the
beginning, just holding on for a few seconds may be very challenging.
Eventually, you can work up toward longer one-arm hangs. A 30-second
one-arm hang is a good target to aim for before moving ahead to anything
more ambitious. If you have access to monkey bars, I also recommend
practicing swinging across them for additional single-arm
shoulder-stability work.
FLEX HANGS AND NEGATIVES
Just
like a beginner would learn to do a two arm pull-up by performing a
flexed arm hang or "flex hang" at the top of a pull-up, the first step
towards doing a one arm pull-up is practicing a one-arm flex hang.
Starting
at the top position of a pull-up with your chin above the bar, brace
your entire body and carefully remove one hand. I suggest practicing
this move with an underhand grip, as doing so allows you to keep the bar
near the center of your body, which will make for better leverage.
Though the burden of supporting your entire body weight appears to rest
solely on one arm, your chest, lats, and abdominals are also an
important part of the equation.
The
first time most people try a one-arm flex hang, they immediately fall
as soon as they take the other hand away. Don't be discouraged if that
happens to you during your first few attempts. To help stay up, don't
just think about your arm; focus on squeezing your whole body tight,
especially your abs. You may find it helpful to keep your legs tucked
close to your trunk when starting out. Eventually, work toward holding
the position with your legs extended.
Once
you can hold the top position of a one-arm flex hang for several
seconds, you can begin to work toward a controlled one-arm negative. The
idea is to start from a one-arm flexed hang position, then carefully
lower yourself into a dead hang with as little momentum as possible.
Performing the eccentric phase of the one-arm pull-up is a great way to
prepare your tendons and ligaments for the stress of the full move while
simultaneously training your central nervous system to acclimate to the
unusual movement pattern.
The
first time you try to do a one-arm negative, you will probably drop
like a stone again. When starting out, it may help to not even think of
it as a negative; just try to keep yourself up and let gravity take care
of the rest. The closer you get to a full hang, the harder it becomes
to maintain control during the descent. Be prepared to spend a lot of
time on this step. You'll need to own every inch of the negative!
GIVE YOURSELF A HAND
On
the road to the full one-arm pull-up, it's very helpful to practice
self-assisted one-arm pull-ups. This can be done a few different ways.
The
first method is what's often known as an "archer" pull-up. For this
variant, begin like you're about to do a wide-grip pull-up, but pull
your entire body toward one hand while the opposite arm stays straight.
This forces your pulling arm to do most of the work, yet allows you to
assist yourself as needed.
You
can also perform a self-assist by holding the wrist of your pulling arm
with the hand of your secondary arm. As I mentioned earlier, this is
sometimes known as a "one-handed" chin-up. Your primary arm is the only
one gripping the bar, but your secondary arm can still assist with
pulling. Over time, progressively lower your assisting hand down toward
your elbow. The farther from your wrist you go, the more work your
primary arm will have to do. Eventually, you won't need it at all!
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