10 Best Weighted One Hand Pull Up Alternatives for Strength and Size

Original Exercise: Weighted One Hand Pull Up

Primary Muscle

Lats

Equipment

Weighted

Difficulty

Advanced

Type

Compound

Secondary Muscles: Biceps, Forearms

How to Perform Weighted One Hand Pull Up

1. Grab the pull-up bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Hang from the bar with your arm fully extended and your body straight.
3. Engage your core and pull your body up towards the bar by bending your elbow and squeezing your back muscles.
4. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar.
5. Lower your body back down to the starting position with control.
6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Ranked Weighted One Hand Pull Up Alternatives

Best Match

1. Weighted Pull-up

89.6% Match

Lats Weighted Advanced Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Grab the pull-up bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
3. Engage your back muscles and pull your body up towards the bar, keeping your elbows close to your body.
4. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar.
5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.

2. One Arm Chin-up

86% Match

Lats Body-weight Advanced Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand facing a pull-up bar with your feet shoulder-width apart.
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. Hang from the bar with your arm fully extended, keeping your body straight and your core engaged.
4. Pull yourself up towards the bar by bending your elbow and squeezing your back muscles.
5. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar, then slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position.

3. L-pull-up

80.9% Match

Lats Body-weight Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Grab the pull-up bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Hang with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
3. Engage your lats and biceps to pull your body up towards the bar, keeping your elbows close to your body.
4. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar.
5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.

4. Rocky Pull-Ups/Pulldowns

80.3% Match

Lats Other Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Grab the pull-up bar with the palms facing forward using a wide grip.
2. As you have both arms extended in front of you holding the bar at the chosen grip width, bring your torso back around 30 degrees or so while creating a curvature on your lower back and sticking your chest out. This is your starting position.
3. Pull your torso up until the bar touches your upper chest by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary as it moves through space and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work other than hold the bar.
4. After a second on the contracted position, start to inhale and slowly lower your torso back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched.
5. Now repeat the same movements as described above except this time your torso will remain straight as you go up and the bar will touch the back of the neck instead of the upper chest. Tip: Use the head to lean forward slightly as it will help you properly execute this portion of the exercise.

5. Weighted Pull Ups

80.3% Match

Lats Other Advanced Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Attach a weight to a dip belt and secure it around your waist. Grab the pull-up bar with the palms of your hands facing forward. For a medium grip, your hands should be spaced at shoulder width. Both arms should be extended in front of you holding the bar at the chosen grip.
2. You'll want to bring your torso back about 30 degrees while creating a curvature in your lower back and sticking your chest out. This will be your starting position.
3. Now, exhale and pull your torso up until your head is above your hands. Concentrate on squeezing yourshoulder blades back and down as you reach the top contracted position.
4. After a brief moment at the top contracted position, inhale and slowly lower your torso back to the starting position with your arms extended and your lats fully stretched.

6. Archer Pull Up

79.7% Match

Lats Body-weight Advanced Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Start by hanging from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Engage your core and pull your shoulder blades down and back.
3. As you pull yourself up, bend one arm and bring your elbow towards your side, while keeping the other arm straight.
4. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar and your bent arm is fully flexed.
5. Lower yourself back down with control, straightening the bent arm and repeating the movement on the other side.

7. Bench Pull-ups

79.6% Match

Lats Body-weight Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Position yourself under a bar or a sturdy horizontal surface that is at chest height.
2. Grab the bar or surface with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Hang with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
4. Pull your chest towards the bar or surface by squeezing your shoulder blades together and bending your elbows.
5. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar or surface.

8. Pull-up

79.6% Match

Lats Body-weight Advanced Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Hang from a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you and your arms fully extended.
2. Engage your core and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
3. Pull your body up towards the bar by bending your elbows and bringing your chest towards the bar.
4. Pause at the top of the movement, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

9. Pullups

79.6% Match

Lats Body-weight Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Grab the pull-up bar with the palms facing forward using the prescribed grip. Note on grips: For a wide grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance wider than your shoulder width. For a medium grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance equal to your shoulder width and for a close grip at a distance smaller than your shoulder width.
2. As you have both arms extended in front of you holding the bar at the chosen grip width, bring your torso back around 30 degrees or so while creating a curvature on your lower back and sticking your chest out. This is your starting position.
3. Pull your torso up until the bar touches your upper chest by drawing the shoulders and the upper arms down and back. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. The upper torso should remain stationary as it moves through space and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work other than hold the bar.
4. After a second on the contracted position, start to inhale and slowly lower your torso back to the starting position when your arms are fully extended and the lats are fully stretched.
5. Repeat this motion for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

10. Rocky Pull-up Pulldown

79.6% Match

Lats Body-weight Advanced Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand in front of a pull-up bar with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Reach up and grab the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended and your body straight.
4. Engage your back muscles and pull your body up towards the bar, leading with your chest.
5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.

Why You Might Need a Weighted One Hand Pull Up Alternative

You may substitute the weighted one hand pull up for several reasons: limited unilateral pulling strength, shoulder pain, lack of a safe high bar, or slower progressions. Choose an alternative that preserves the same elbow-driven pulling pattern and scapular retraction so the lats remain primary. For example, do eccentric one-arm negatives with a 4–6 second descent and full scapular control to overload the lats without needing concentric one-arm strength. Machines like single-arm lat pulldowns let you increase load while keeping the torso stable, which reduces shoulder torque and isolates the latissimus dorsi.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Pick a substitute based on your goal, equipment, and weak link. For pure strength, choose heavy single-arm lat pulldowns or assisted one-arm pull-ups and progress load or reduce assistance. For hypertrophy, use controlled tempo archer pull-ups or single-arm rows with a 2–3 second eccentric to increase time under tension. If shoulder stability limits you, select seated machine variations that force scapular fixation. Technique cue: initiate with scapular depression, drive the elbow down and back, and avoid trunk swing to keep lat activation high.

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