How many archer pull-ups should you start with?

Ten strict pull-ups is the honest prerequisite. Start at three sets of 2 to 3 per side and keep the supporting arm slightly bent while you learn the path. Progress by straightening that arm over the following weeks rather than by adding reps, and end the set as soon as the working side needs a kick from the legs.

What can I do instead of archer pull-ups if I have no pull-up bar?

An archer inverted row, hands wide on a bar at waist height or under the edge of a sturdy table, trains the same pattern with your feet on the floor and is far easier to scale. On rings, a wide row with one arm reaching gives a similar offset. If you have a bar but not the strength yet, loop a band under one foot for assistance.

What is the archer pull-up for, and when is it a poor choice?

It is the standard bridge between two-arm pull-ups and a one-arm pull-up, and it loads the working lat heavily while the trunk fights the lopsided pull. It is inefficient for back size, because the reps are few and the assisting arm makes the load impossible to track. Skip it if the wide grip bothers your elbows and build with weighted pull-ups instead.

Advanced

Archer Pull-Up

Taking a wide grip and pulling your chin toward one hand shifts most of the bodyweight onto that side, while the extended arm slides along the bar acting as a light assist. It is one of the best bodyweight tools for building the unilateral strength needed for a one-arm pull-up, and it hammers the working lat while the trunk resists the lopsided load. Only attempt it once you have strong, strict two-arm pull-ups.

Equipment: Pull-Up Bar
Body part: Back, Lats
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Latissimus Dorsi
Browse by movement: Vertical Pull

How to do it

1
Take a wide overhand grip, wider than a normal pull-up, and hang with arms straight.
2
Brace the trunk and pull your chin up and over toward your right hand.
3
Keep the left arm nearly straight, letting it slide along the bar as a light support.
4
Reach the top on the right side, then lower under control to a full hang.
5
Repeat toward the left hand, alternating the working side each rep.
6
Keep the assisting arm as straight as you can to shift more load onto the working side.

Tips

The straighter the supporting arm, the harder the working lat has to work.
Brace the obliques hard to keep the hips square and stop the body from twisting.
Progress by letting the assisting hand contribute less over time toward a one-arm pull.

Variations

Common mistakes

Both hands stay fixed where they started, so the supporting hand cannot slide and that shoulder is dragged into a position it cannot open into.
Bending sideways at the waist to close the gap shortens the distance without the arm doing more work, and the hips end up twisted under the bar.
The chin points at the working hand while the chest stays in the middle, so the rep counts while most of the bodyweight is still shared between arms.
A wide grip gets taken on a thick or slippery bar, and the set ends when the fingers open, long before the lat has done its share.
The descent is dropped rather than lowered, and the working shoulder takes a hard yank as the arm reaches full hang.

Frequently asked

How many archer pull-ups should you start with?: Ten strict pull-ups is the honest prerequisite. Start at three sets of 2 to 3 per side and keep the supporting arm slightly bent while you learn the path. Progress by straightening that arm over the following weeks rather than by adding reps, and end the set as soon as the working side needs a kick from the legs.
What can I do instead of archer pull-ups if I have no pull-up bar?: An archer inverted row, hands wide on a bar at waist height or under the edge of a sturdy table, trains the same pattern with your feet on the floor and is far easier to scale. On rings, a wide row with one arm reaching gives a similar offset. If you have a bar but not the strength yet, loop a band under one foot for assistance.
What is the archer pull-up for, and when is it a poor choice?: It is the standard bridge between two-arm pull-ups and a one-arm pull-up, and it loads the working lat heavily while the trunk fights the lopsided pull. It is inefficient for back size, because the reps are few and the assisting arm makes the load impossible to track. Skip it if the wide grip bothers your elbows and build with weighted pull-ups instead.

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