Pull-ups are, without a doubt, the toughest and most popular exercise. Only push-ups on bars can compete with them. In general, everyone should be able to do a pull-up. But for those not intimidated by pull-ups, there is a particular challenge – one-arm pull-ups. When a tough guy hangs over an abyss in a blockbuster, caught with one hand on a ledge in the rock and holding a beautiful girl with the other – he is a master of one-hand pull-up techniques. To master it, you must first prepare in advance. And then remember how to do it properly – this is what the RaiseTwice team decided to tell in the new material.
How to Learn to Do a One Hand Pull-up?
Let’s start with the fact that you must masterfully learn how to do pull-ups on two hands. If you are already able to do about 25 reps in one set. It is desirable to do it both with a straight and reverse grip. You can try yourself in training for one hand. It is also worth mentioning that if you know how to pull up more than 30 times, you train primarily for muscle endurance, not strength. To train strength, you need to switch to one-hand exercises.
First Exercises for One-arm Pull-up
The next step is to clasp your fingers on your hands. It would help if you took the bar with both hands with the usual grip, but hold on with not all five fingers on the one hand. Use only four fingers and then pull up. Try the same with the other hand. Then leave three fingers, two and one. At this stage, you should learn to pull up five times by approaching while holding the second hand only with the help of the little finger.
At the same time, when you train your fingertips, you can try another technique. Grab the bar with one hand, try to pull up as high as you can, and slowly lower yourself. In each trial, you should do as many reps as you can. And to train these jerks is worth both the usual and the reverse grip.
The next exercise will help you train for the final part of pull-ups – when you need to raise the chin above the bar. To do this, you need to pull up on both hands with any grip, let go of one hand, and slowly lower yourself on the other, holding your weight as long as possible.
Assisted One-Arm Pull-Up
The point of hanging on with fewer and fewer fingers on one hand is to loosen this hand and shift more load to the other hand. Thus prepare it for independent pull-ups. There are other possible ways of doing it. There are a lot of other options too. For example, to hold a vertical stand with one hand and with the help of the towel or the fit band, throw over a bar for the second hand.
Step-by-step Pull-up Technique
Even after all the above-mentioned preparatory exercises, not everyone can start pulling up on the one hand just like that, even though they already have enough strength. You have to start doing it correctly, but after mastering the basic rules, you can break them.
1. One arm dead hangs – grasp the bar with the back grip, cross the ankles and hang on the fully straightened arm – in this position. The shoulder, which stabilizes muscles, is activated.
2. Start pulling up, making an effort as if you were trying to rotate the bar. It is better to do this by pressing the hand you pull up with as close to the body as possible. This way, you can better use both the back muscles and the hand.
3. Tighten up by bending your legs to your knees and raising them to a 90-degree angle. it’s easier to do this exercise in that position.
4. Lower down slowly, spending at least five seconds to make it easier and more confident in the future.
Grip Strength
Success will also depend on your grip strength, specifically how well your hands are trained. You can increase grip strength with a normal wrist ring expander.
We know that it may seem a challenging task. But by following the above tips, with great dedication and effort, very soon, you will be confidently doing one-arm pull-ups. And will shortly think about the next level: one-arm pull-up progression. We hope this article will motivate you to achieve this goal and many other tops.
FAQ
1️⃣ Is it possible to do a one arm pull-up?
A one-arm pull-up is achievable, it won’t come easily, but it is possible. Even if you’re already strong, learning the one-arm pull-up requires lots of patience and skill-specific practice.
2️⃣ How long does it take to learn a one-arm pull-up?
If you are already in a good shape, one-arm pull-ups should come along four weeks after you begin. Many will complete one-arm pull ups before then. The key here is consistency and training.
3️⃣ How do you train one-arm pull-ups?
Take the bar with both hands with the usual grip, but hold on with not all five fingers on the one hand. Use only four fingers and then pull up. Try the same with the other hand. Then leave three fingers, 2 and 1.
Hold a vertical stand with one hand, and with the help of the towel or the fit band, throw over a bar for the second hand.
Final part of pull-ups – when you need to raise the chin above the bar. Pull up on both hands with any grip, let go of one hand, and slowly lower yourself on the other, holding your weight as long as possible.
Nina Burkovskaya is a senior content writer at Raisetwice since 2020. She has 12 years of yoga experience and 5 years experience of motivational coaching. On a free time loves to read biographies of the famous people and go for a walk with her dog.