Landmine Chest Press: Muscle Worked, Benefits, Form

Do you want to build strength on your chest? Obviously, you do. The landmine chest press is brilliant for shedding fat and building muscle mass of the upper body. The chest is one of the main mirror muscles, so any exercise that allows you to build the size of these muscles is key to building a bigger upper body.

No doubt, The bench press is the ultimate chest exercise, but it’s not uncommon for this exercise to cause or highlight shoulder pain. This pain is often caused by a lack of shoulder mobility.

The landmine chest press is the best alternative to the bench press that is a little easier on the joints without comprising the benefits for strength and muscle size.

If your exercise goals are aesthetic based, load a barbell and do the landmine chest press.

What is landmine Chest Press

If you’ve ever seen someone at the gym holding on to one end of a barbell at a diagonal angle with the other end stuck into a corner. It means you know what a landmine exercise is. However, if you have a landmine attachment, that will make the setup a bit smoother, although not essential.

The landmine chest press is a weightlifting exercise done with a barbell and a piece of equipment called a landmine. One end of the barbell is connected to the landmine, which secures the barbell to the floor. You hold the other end of the barbell at chest level.

While there are many variations of the landmine chest press, the most basic form is simple. Grasping one end of the barbell at chest level, you explosively press the barbell overhead.

Landmine Chest Press Muscles Worked

Obviously, you want to know what the landmine chest press muscles worked are, that determines what day this exercise will fit into your routine. Plus, if we’re all being honest, no one would do this exercise if it didn’t work any muscles, so here they are!

Main Muscles: Chest (Inner and upper Pectoralis major)

Secondary Muscles: Triceps, Deltoids, and Core Muscles.

Landmine Chest Press Benefits

Landmine exercises have many benefits and can be used to add variation of your chest workout. Here are a few of the benefits of the Landmine Press.

Hypertrophy

The landmine chest press has the ability to stack weight plates high. If you’re up to the challenge, this exercise has a high loading potential, and with increased resistance comes increased hypertrophy.

Shoulder-Friendly

The landmine press is a killer for building your upper body, and also shoulder friendly exercise. It is a little easier on the joints without comprising the benefits for strength and muscle size.

Strengthen the Core

The landmine press is executed whilst standing. During the movement, the core has to work hard to keep the body stable and balanced. For that reason, the landmine chest press benefits the core, mainly the strength of the obliques.

Upper-Body Strength

Landmine benefits for building chest muscle are more than just aesthetic. This exercise is also great for building strength, mainly in the chest, but also in the muscles that work alongside – the triceps and the deltoids.

Reduce the Injury

In general, the stronger you are, the less likely it is that you’ll get injured easily. You’ll feel happier and healthier, and more motivated to keep up the hard work.

Versatile

We love a workout with a lot of variety, so any exercise that has a lot of different ways to do it is right up our alley. Using the landmine is a great way to add variation to your workouts and work muscles from a different angle.

For an intense workout that will work your chest harder, and recruit your core and lower body muscles more, we highly recommend you must try landmine chest press.

The Landmine Chest Press

The Landmine chest Press is not a popular exercise yet provides many benefits in regard to progressing your inner and upper chest but also in the muscles that work alongside – the triceps and the deltoids.

It can be performed in kneeling position, which increases core involvement and can improve core stability and strength of the abdominal muscles.

How To Do Landmine Chest Press

Place a barbell in a landmine holder or set up a barbell in a corner. Then add weight plates to the free end of the barbell.
Assume a half kneeling position with the knee under your hip, toes tucked, and rib cage down.
Press the barbell up straight in front of you until your arms are extended, avoiding hyperextension at the elbows.
Hold the weight for a second and focus on contracting your chest muscles.
Slowly lower the weight back towards your chest and then repeat for the recommended reps

Training Tips for the Chest Landmine Press

You need to get used to pressing both forwards and upwards during the Landmine Press due to the trajectory of the bar path.
Keep a neutral spine while you do the movement to prevent injury.
To secure the barbell, you can interlock your hands around the bar.
Lean your body forwards slightly and engage your core muscles to help with stabilization.
Exhale on pushing movement, inhale when returning to starting position.
Contract the chest muscle at the top of the movement.

Other variations

1. Single Arm Landmine Press

The single arm landmine press is a press variation used to target the muscles of the upper chest and shoulder. It will also indirectly work the muscles of the triceps and traps.

The single arm landmine press works each deltoid and upper chest in a unilateral fashion. This allows you to isolate each side, ensuring equal growth and strength gains.

How To Do The Landmine Chest Press

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your spine neutral.
Lift the barbell with one hand and put your other hand on your ribcage to keep your spine straight.
Once the barbell is in place, take a deep breath and press up as high as you can by extending the elbow and flexing the shoulder.
Slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position on your shoulder.
Repeat for the desired number of reps.

What are the Other variations of the landmine press?

There are loads of variations depending on what you’re looking to achieve. Keep your training fun and varied with these alterations.

Alternating Shoulder Landmine Press
Landmine Twist
Banded Landmine Press
Landmine Squat To Press

Landmine Shoulder Press Sets, Reps, and Intensity

Below are sets, reps, and weight (intensity) recommendations for athletes to program the landmine press with. The below guidelines are simply recommendations and can be altered to fit your specific goals.

To Gain Muscle

If you’re looking to pack mass into your delts, aim to perform more volume with a moderate amount of weight. Do 3-5 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions, OR -2-4 sets of 12-15 repetitions. Rest for 45-90 seconds between sets.

To Gain Strength

While you don’t want to load this exercise up with your one-rep max, many lifters will find this more comfortable than traditional overhead presses. As a result, you can and may want to use this as your primary pressing movement. Perform three to five sets of three to five repetitions with heavy loading. Rest as needed between sets.

To Improve Muscle Endurance

To increase muscle endurance for athletes who have a high dependency on shoulder, triceps, and upper body pressing in their sport (competitive athletes, climbers, boxers, etc.).

Aim to do 2-4 sets of 12-20 repetitions with light to moderate load. Keep rest periods under 30-45 seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions About Landmine Chest Training

What does the Landmine chest Press Work?

Landmine Presses develop upper body strength in a unique way with slightly different angles and ranges of motion.

They work the shoulders, arms, core, back and glutes.

Are Landmine Presses Effective?

Yes. They are a great exercise for burning fat, building muscle and protecting your shoulders against injury.

Does Landmine Press Work Upper Chest?

Yes. The exercise does work the upper chest as well as the arms, shoulders, back, core and glutes.

The curving bar path and neutral grip makes the exercise a little easier on your shoulders than the Strict Press.

Takeaways

Landmine chest presses and all of its variations are an incredible addition to any weightlifter’s repertoire, especially those who are trying to work in more pressing exercises into their routine.