PlanWorkouts

Exercise 0638 · REF HjdqmZa

One Arm Chin-Up exercise animation

One Arm Chin-Up

Category
Back
Equipment
Body Weight
Target
Lats

The one-arm chin-up is about as advanced as bodyweight pulling gets — most lifters need years of progressive loading before a single arm can pull full body weight through a full range. Small torso rotation to help the working side is normal even among people who can do it.

How to Do the One Arm Chin-Up

  1. Stand facing a pull-up bar with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Reach up and grab the bar with an underhand grip, with one hand gripping the bar and the other hand holding your wrist for support.
  3. Hang from the bar with your arm fully extended, keeping your body straight and your core engaged.
  4. Pull yourself up towards the bar by bending your elbow and squeezing your back muscles.
  5. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar, then slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms and repeat.

Muscles Worked

The One Arm Chin-Up primarily targets the Lats, with Biceps as the primary synergist muscle group, along with the Forearms.

More Back Exercises

Alternate Lateral Pulldown Alternate Lateral Pulldown Cable · Lats Archer Pull Up Archer Pull Up Body Weight · Lats Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Assisted Pull-Up Assisted Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Assisted Standing Chin-Up Assisted Standing Chin-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Assisted Standing Pull-Up Assisted Standing Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats

More Lats Exercises

Back Pec Stretch Back Pec Stretch Body Weight · Lats Band Assisted Pull-Up Band Assisted Pull-Up Band · Lats Band Close-Grip Pulldown Band Close-Grip Pulldown Band · Lats Band Fixed Back Close Grip Pulldown Band Fixed Back Close Grip Pulldown Band · Lats Band Fixed Back Underhand Pulldown Band Fixed Back Underhand Pulldown Band · Lats Band Kneeling One Arm Pulldown Band Kneeling One Arm Pulldown Band · Lats

Equipment Alternatives

Don't have body weight? These target the same lats with different equipment.

Alternate Lateral Pulldown Alternate Lateral Pulldown Cable · Lats Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Assisted Parallel Close Grip Pull-Up Leverage Machine · Lats Band Assisted Pull-Up Band Assisted Pull-Up Band · Lats Barbell Bent Arm Pullover Barbell Bent Arm Pullover Barbell · Lats

FAQ

What muscles does the One Arm Chin-Up work?
The One Arm Chin-Up primarily targets the lats, with the biceps and forearms assisting.
What equipment do I need for the One Arm Chin-Up?
The One Arm Chin-Up is done with no equipment — just body weight.
What's a good alternative to the One Arm Chin-Up?
If you don't have access to the space or setup it needs, the Alternate Lateral Pulldown targets the same lats using cable instead.