Ring Archer Pull-Up
What Is the Ring Archer Pull-Up?
Ring Archer Pull-Up is a compound exercise that primarily targets the back and also engages the biceps, forearms, rear shoulders and core. It is an advanced-level movement in which you hang from gymnastics rings and pull your body up toward one ring while the other arm straightens out to the side, so most of your body weight rides on one arm while the other only steadies and assists.
The rings change how the assisting arm works. On a bar the hands start wide and stay fixed, but here the rings hang close together at the start and the assisting ring travels outward as that arm lengthens. You have to press it down and out and keep it from drifting, so the straight arm works as a stabilizer rather than a hook. The working ring swings and rotates freely too, which lets the hand and wrist turn as the elbow bends, but asks more of the grip, the rotator cuff and the obliques to keep the body from twisting toward the working side.
The main purpose is building one-arm pulling strength while keeping a second point of contact. It is a common step between the Ring Pull-Up and harder one-arm work such as the Band-Assisted Ring Single-Arm Pull-Up and the Ring Single-Arm Pull-Up. Because each side works on its own, it also shows a left-to-right strength gap that ordinary pull-ups hide. It fits early in an upper-body session, after the warm-up, as low-rep sets that alternate sides or give each side the same number of reps.
It suits trainees who can already do around 8 to 10 strict ring pull-ups with a full hang at the bottom and are comfortable with the bar Archer Pull-Up, which teaches the same side shift without the moving rings. If it is too hard, build up with strict ring pull-ups, the Leg-Assisted Ring Pull-Up and bar archer work, and let the assisting arm keep a slight bend until the working side gets stronger. Focusing on driving the working elbow down toward the ribs helps keep the lat doing the work instead of the biceps alone.
Muscles Worked
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Primary
- Biceps Brachii
- High
- Teres Major
- High
- Brachialis
- Medium
- Brachioradialis
- Medium
- Rhomboid Major
- Medium
- Upper Trapezius
- Medium
- Deltoid
- Low
Instructions
- Hang the rings at equal height with the straps slightly narrower than shoulder width, high enough that you can hang with straight arms and your feet off the floor.
- Grip each ring with an overhand grip, fingers wrapped over the top, and hang with your arms straight. Bend your knees and cross your ankles behind you.
- Draw your shoulders down away from your ears and brace your core and glutes so your body stops swinging.
- Pull toward one ring, driving that elbow down and back toward your ribs.
- As you rise, straighten your other arm and press its ring down and out to the side, letting its strap angle away from you while your torso moves toward the working ring.
- Keep your chest facing forward and let the working ring rotate slightly in your hand if it wants to.
- Finish with your chin above the working hand, that ring beside your shoulder and the assisting arm long and close to straight at about shoulder height.
- Lower under control along the same path, bringing the assisting ring back in until both arms are straight and the rings hang close together again.
- Repeat toward the other ring, or finish your reps on one side and then match them on the other.
Common Mistakes
Letting the assisting ring drift
Pushing the straight-arm ring out without controlling it lets it swing wide, pulls the body off line and turns the rep into a scramble.
Pulling evenly with both arms
Bending both elbows the same amount makes it a regular ring pull-up with the body off center instead of shifting the load onto the working arm.
Hanging the rings too wide
Straps set wider than the shoulders start the hands too far apart and can slide along the bar, so set them slightly narrower than shoulder width.
Twisting toward the working ring
Letting the torso rotate toward the pulling side shortens the lever and hides weakness, so keep the chest square and the core braced.
Kipping or swinging
Rings magnify any swing from the legs, so start each rep from a still hang and lower under control.
Dropping into the bottom
Falling out of the top onto one shoulder loads the joint at its most exposed point, so lower slowly back to a full, active hang.
Injuries
Ring Archer Pull-Up is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The offset load puts most of your body weight through one shoulder and one elbow, and the assisting arm holds a long, loaded position out to the side. The areas that take the most strain are the working shoulder at the top and bottom of each rep, the biceps tendon and inner elbow of the pulling arm, and the elbow of the straight arm if it is locked hard while it takes weight. Because the rings can rotate, the wrists and elbows are usually free to find a comfortable angle, but the swinging rings make an uncontrolled drop or a sudden twist more likely than on a bar.
Set the straps at equal height and slightly narrower than shoulder width so they do not slide along the bar, and warm up with a few Scapular Pull-Ups and easy ring pull-ups. Start every rep from a still, full hang with the shoulders drawn down, keep the straight arm long but not jammed into lockout, and lower over two to three seconds rather than dropping into the bottom. If the assisting ring starts to fly outward, stop the set instead of chasing the rep.
To regress, return to the Ring Pull-Up or the Leg-Assisted Ring Pull-Up, or practice the side shift on a bar with the Archer Pull-Up. To progress, pause at the top, lower more slowly, and give the straight arm less help until you are ready for the Band-Assisted Ring Single-Arm Pull-Up. Stop if you feel sharp pain in the front or top of the shoulder, aching on the inside of either elbow, or pain in the straight arm's elbow, and get clearance first if you have a history of shoulder instability, labral injury or elbow tendon pain.
- Primary Focus
- Back
- Equipment
- Rings and body weight
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How is the ring archer pull-up different from the bar version?
On a bar the hands start wide and stay put, while on rings the hands start close together and the assisting ring moves out to the side as that arm straightens. You also have to stop both rings from swinging and your body from twisting, so most people find the ring version harder than the bar Archer Pull-Up.
- Q: How far apart should the rings hang?
Slightly narrower than shoulder width works for most people. Wider straps start your hands too far apart and are more likely to slide along the bar during the side shift.
- Q: Should the straight-arm ring stay still?
No, it should travel outward as your body moves toward the working ring, with its strap angling away from you. Guide it by pressing down and out through a long arm so it moves only as far as your arm needs.
- Q: Is it okay if my hand turns on the ring?
Yes, the rings are free to rotate and your working hand can turn slightly as the elbow bends. Start each rep with an overhand grip and keep the ring close to your body so it rotates under control rather than swinging away.
- Q: How do I use this to work toward a one-arm pull-up on rings?
Keep the assisting arm straighter and give it less work over time, and add slow lowers and pauses at the top. Once that is solid, the Band-Assisted Ring Single-Arm Pull-Up is the next step before the full Ring Single-Arm Pull-Up.