Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

One Arm Chin-Up: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The one arm chin-up is a highly advanced bodyweight exercise that targets the latissimus dorsi (lats) and requires significant strength, coordination, and grip power. It is performed by pulling your body up to a bar using only one arm, with the other hand optionally supporting the wrist.

Primary muscles
Lats
Secondary muscles
Forearms , Biceps
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Advanced · Compound
Demonstration of the one arm chin-up
Front view: muscles worked by the one arm chin-up. Primary: lats. Secondary: forearms and biceps.
Back view: muscles worked by the one arm chin-up. Primary: lats. Secondary: forearms and biceps.
Primary Secondary

How to do the one arm chin-up

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

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the one arm chin-up by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

One Arm Chin-Up alternatives

More exercises that train the lats as their main target:

More lats exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.