Archer Pull-Up

The archer pull-up is a unilateral pull-up progression where you pull yourself up toward one hand while the other arm stays nearly straight and slides along the bar, shifting almost all the load onto the working side without going as far as a true one-arm pull-up. Grip the bar wider than shoulder width, and as you pull up, lean your torso toward one hand while letting the other arm extend and glide, then reverse and alternate sides. It's a common stepping stone toward a single-arm pull-up, building unilateral pulling strength beyond what a normal wide-grip pull-up demands.

1. Grip the bar wider than shoulder width
2. Pull yourself up toward one hand, letting the other arm stay nearly straight and slide along the bar
3. Lower under control and repeat, alternating which side you pull toward

• Bending the 'straight' arm significantly, which turns it back into a regular pull-up
• Attempting the full archer variation before building sufficient strength with an assisted or partial version

• Band-assisted version for building toward full bodyweight control
• Paused version holding briefly at the top toward the working side for extra time under tension