Archer Pull-up

The archer pull-up is a bodyweight pulling exercise that shifts most of the load onto one arm at a time by keeping the other arm straight out to the side. It trains the lats and biceps close to the demand of a one-arm pull-up while the extended arm supplies just enough assistance to make the rep completable.

Targets
Infraspinatus
Also works
Biceps Brachii, Brachialis, Brachioradialis, Deltoid Posterior
Equipment
Body weight
Level
Beginner
Start with
3 × 10-12, 60s rest

How to do it

  1. Hang from a bar with a grip considerably wider than shoulder width, palms facing forwards.
  2. Pull yourself up towards one hand, keeping the opposite arm straight as it slides along the bar.
  3. Bring your chin up beside the working hand, with most of your weight over that shoulder.
  4. Lower under control back to a full hang.
  5. Alternate the working side each rep so both arms get the same volume.

Form cues

  • Pull your elbow down towards your hip rather than thinking about lifting your chin.
  • Keep the straight arm genuinely straight — bending it turns the set back into an ordinary pull-up.
  • Start each rep from a dead hang with the shoulder blades set, not from a shrug.

Common mistakes

  • Kipping the hips to get up. It hides the strength gap this exercise exists to close.
  • Letting the straight arm bend progressively through the set, which quietly redistributes the load back to both arms as you fatigue.
  • Attempting it before you can do around eight clean strict pull-ups; below that the reps become swings rather than pulls.

Where this fits in a week

Dietly Fit scores one photo a week out of 100, names the area holding the score back, and builds the week around it — so a movement like this gets programmed when your infraspinatus is what needs the work, not because it was next on a list.

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More back movements

Demonstration courtesy of Gym Visual. Sets and reps are a starting point, not a prescription. Speak to a qualified professional before starting a new exercise program, particularly if you are managing an injury or a health condition.