Unilateral Pull Up Progressions

Progressions

1. 01

   Pull Ups

   • This is the baseline progression — standard bilateral pull-ups to build the pulling foundation before unilateral work

   • Use a shoulder-width overhand grip, start from dead hang, depress the shoulder blades to initiate

   • Pull chest to the bar driving elbows down and back — pull until chin clears the bar

   • Lower with control over 2 seconds to full arm extension — use full range of motion

   • You should be able to perform 8-10 clean pull-ups before progressing to narrow grip pull-ups

   • Focus on even pulling from both arms — correct any asymmetry here before it gets amplified in harder progressions

   • Keep the core engaged and body still — no kipping or swinging

2. 02

   Narrow Pull Ups

   • Grip the bar with hands 10-15 cm apart — the narrow grip shifts more load to the working arm and demands greater stabilization

   • Start from a full dead hang and depress both shoulder blades before initiating the pull

   • Focus most of the pulling effort on one arm — the close hand spacing naturally creates a slight asymmetry you can amplify intentionally

   • Drive the elbow of the dominant arm down and back while the other arm assists as needed

   • Engage your core firmly to resist any rotation caused by the uneven loading

   • Pull until chin clears the bar, pause briefly at the top, then lower with control over 2-3 seconds

   • Alternate the dominant arm each set or every other rep to develop both sides evenly

3. 03

   V Pull Ups

   • Grip the bar wider than shoulder-width — about 1.5x shoulder width — to create the leverage difference between arms

   • From a dead hang, depress both shoulder blades and initiate the pull by driving primarily through the working arm

   • The working arm pulls fully through the range of motion while the assist arm bends only about halfway — aim for roughly 70/30 effort distribution

   • Pull your chin over the bar on the side of the working arm — your body will naturally shift toward that side

   • Brace your core hard to prevent your torso from twisting toward the working arm

   • Lower with control over 2-3 seconds, resisting the urge to drop back to dead hang

   • Alternate sides each rep or complete all reps on one side before switching

4. 04

   Archer Pull Ups

   • Grip the bar as wide as comfortably possible — hands roughly 2x shoulder width apart

   • From a dead hang, depress the shoulder blade of the working arm and initiate the pull by driving that elbow down and back

   • Pull your body laterally toward the working hand — the working arm bends fully while the assist arm stays completely straight along the bar

   • Keep the straight arm locked at the elbow and allow it to slide or rotate on the bar as you pull to the working side

   • Brace your core aggressively to prevent rotation — archer pull-ups create a strong twisting force on the torso

   • Pull until your chin clears the bar next to the working hand, pause briefly, then lower with control over 2-3 seconds

   • Alternate sides each rep or complete all reps on one side before switching — if one side is weaker, start with that side

Common mistakes

• Over-relying on the assist arm
• Not using full range of motion
• Rotating or twisting the body
• Shoulders shrugging to the ears
• Dropping to the bottom uncontrolled
• Skipping progressions too quickly