If you want to add some freshness and variety to your workouts and give yourself a new challenge, give this landmine exercises a try. Landmine training and the countless exercises you can perform are empowering, and extremely beneficial, and can be a key component in your training arsenal.
Landmine is extremely versatile and effective for building functional strength through all planes of motion, as well as packing on some serious muscle mass.
We will provide you the best landmine exercises that you can do, which are based on the most fundamental movement patterns (squat, lunge, push, pull, and rotation), so you can target your shoulders, chest, back, legs, and core. For each exercise, we provide step-by-step instructions and pro-tips and muscles worked.
In this post, we cover everything you need to know about landmine exercises, including the benefits of using a landmine and how to do it safely and effectively.
What Is A Landmine exercise ?
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 or slid into some contraption. It means you know what a landmine exercise is.
But here’s the thing, technically a landmine is just an attachment to insert one end of a barbell’s sleeve into attachment. It is basically a short tube mounted to a swivel joint that allows a barbell to have 360 degrees of movement, so you can apply force both vertically and horizontally at the same time.
While using a landmine attachment is great, it is not mandatory. You can rest the barbell against a secure surface like a wall, box/other objects, or on a no-slip surface.
So really, all that is required to perform landmine exercises is a barbell and perhaps several weight plates. To be very clear, you absolutely need to be sure that the bar is in a stable position and will not slip. This is necessary.
In case you are unfamiliar with landmine exercises, they involve an angled barbell movement. One end of the barbell is in a fixed position on the ground (or in a landmine attachment), and the opposite end of the barbell is hold.
Benefits Of Landmine Exercises
Efficient — You can often seamlessly transition from one exercise to the next, so you can get more done in less time. Who doesn’t want that?
Minimal Equipment Required — All you need is a barbell and perhaps several weight plates. You may also use a band to provide additional resistance. While having a landmine attachment is great, but it is not mandatory.
Friendlier for all Lifters — It mimics many movements that are done with barbells and dumbbells, but are often easier to learn. This is largely due to the fixed position of the one end of the barbell, and the natural arc that the barbell travels.
Target Most Fundamental Movements — It can be extremely useful in helping trainees master most of the key fundamental movements (squatting, hinging, lunging, pushing, pulling). Due to the more stable and predictable nature of the bar-path.
Provide Variations — Landmine exercises can be a great way to regress or progress movements, and can bridge the gap between many movements.
Low Intimidation Factor — Let’s face it, not everyone has the desire to perform barbell lifts, and there is nothing wrong with this whatsoever. As I discussed above, landmine exercises provide similar benefits to many of the barbell exercises and are much less daunting to perform. Training should be fun and empowering, and should not bring people needless stress.
Let look for More benefits
Provide Many Great Alternatives To Unsupported Pressing Movements — Landmine exercises can allow performing many barbell or dumbbell exercises they might not otherwise be able to perform safely, effectively, and confidently. Overhead pressing is a great example.
Provide Similar Benefits To Many Olympic Lifts — Landmine “power” exercises can be a great tool for athletes, and often provide similar benefits to Olympic lifts, but are easier to learn, and are generally lower risk.
Injury Recovery/Training Around An Injury — Due to the fixed position of one end of the barbell and the more stable and predictable bar path, landmine exercises can sometimes be an extremely valuable tool to use during injury recovery.
What Muscles Worked During Landmine Exercises ?
Because you can do a squat, lunge, push, pull, and rotation movements with a landmine, you can target every muscle in your entire body. However, landmine exercises and workouts are especially effective at targeting your major muscle groups: deltoids, back, chest, legs, glutes, and core.
We are going to show you the best landmine exercises that target specific muscle groups, as well as a few full-bodied, multi-planar exercises. That way you can isolate muscles for hypertrophy and perform big compound movements for androgen hormonal boosts, strength gains, and fat loss.
To be clear, your tempo while performing each exercise should remain roughly the same, as rushing each rep and chasing exhaustion will make you more prone to suffering breakdowns in form.
This is not ideal and is not conducive to achieving optimal results. It is crucial that you maintain your best form for 100% of the reps. The form should be your top priority. Moreover, you will likely need to use less weight.
Landmine Exercises Tips
Although landmine exercises are relatively safe in terms of free weight equipment, you still need to take certain precautions.
Follow these tips when using a landmine:
- Focus on good, proper form before using heavy loads. Once you are comfortable with the movement, add weight and since its plate loadable, you can do so in smaller increments!
- Understand that it’s harder to do a movement with the loaded end (the working side) of the barbell closer to the ground due to the unique arc-shaped bar path. This means lying, kneeling, and half-kneeling exercises will feel heavier and harder than standing exercises.
- The barbell will move in an arc rather than a straight path, so get used to that feeling.
- Make sure your set-up is secure before each exercise, especially if you are using a corner wall set up. Every so often, the bar can move out of position when loading it.
- Warm up before doing landmine exercises.
Here are the Best Landmine Exercises for Building Muscle Mass and Strength
1. Landmine Squat to Press (aka Thruster)
The landmine squat to press is a multijoint exercise that targets pretty much every single muscle in your body. The muscle worked during this landmine exercise are your quads, glutes, core, triceps, shoulders, chest, serratus anterior, and even lats, but all your other muscles will be involved as well to help stabilize.
All in all, if you want a landmine exercise that’s going to burn a lot of calories, build total-body strength, and get those good muscle-building hormones flowing, this is the one.
Steps
- Hold the bar with both hands at about mid-chest level and with your elbows tucked to your sides for support and stability.
- From a squat stance, lower your hips down as deep as you can go, don’t let your knees push out in front of your toes and keep weight on your heels.
- When you reach the bottom of your squat, explode up. As you come up, simultaneously press the bar up until your arms are fully extended.
- Lower the bar back down to your chest slowly and controlled, then repeat.
Tips
- Keep a controlled motion and avoid jerky movements.
- Not rounding your back.
2. One Arm Floor Landmine Press
The angled barbell still lets you press with the same range of motion as a regular floor press (i.e., until your triceps touches the floor) and it also allows for a neutral grip, which is easier on the shoulders. Moreover, some folks will find that the thicker handle helps to relieve stress on the elbows, which is an added bonus.
The landmine allows for greater loading potential, and because the barbell is already elevated off the ground, it’s much easier and safer to get in and out of position. With a simple self-spot from the non-working arm, you should be all set.
Steps
- Lie flat on the floor, bend your knees and keep your feet on the floor for better balance. Take the grip of one side of landmine by one arm above your chest.
- Lift the one side of the landmine off the chest and hold it at arm’s length above you.
- Now lower the landmine under controlled motion until it touches above the chest (around the nipple area).
- Now raise it until your arms are nearly locked out.
Tips
- Keep a controlled motion and avoid jerky movements.
- Do not bounce the weights off the chest.
- Avoid too much arching of the back.
3. Landmine Reverse Lunge to Knee Drive
The landmine reverses lunge to knee drive is a one of the metabolic exercises. It offers the same benefits as the side load reverse lunge, but in an even more dynamic way, plus it adds a very high degree of anti-rotational work as you must resist rotation and lateral flexion with each rep.
The knee drive itself is good for engaging the core, strengthening your legs, getting your heart rate up, and improving momentum, coordination, and flexibility.
Steps
- Stand with your body perpendicular to the barbell landmine. Hold the Landmine from both arm near your middle chest.
- Landmine to be completely secured in place. With your feet hip width apart, step back into a lunge.
- From the bottom of the lunge, drive up from the heel of your front leg in an explosive manner while simultaneously driving your back leg up and forward.
- When you reach the standing position, your knee should be up near the end of the barbell. Repeat for a number of reps then switch sides when ready.
Tips
- Bend as far and low as possible without losing form.
- Keep your torso upright and your head facing forward.
- If you suffer from balance problems, it is best either avoid it, or just use your own body weight while holding on to a steady object.
4. Landmine Squat
Landmine Squat is an excellent power exercise to build quality muscle mass in the thighs. However, the Landmine front squat recruits more stabilizer muscles, including various back muscles, your shoulders, and your chest.
The landmine squat entails holding the barbell up at the center of your chest. This is going to place emphasis on your quads, core, arms, and upper back, and the deeper you go into your squat, the more your glutes will work due to stretching tension.
Steps
- Position the barbell up at your chest with your hands at the end of the barbell collar, palms in and slightly under.
- From a standing position, with your core tight and elbows tucked to maintain the barbells position firmly. Maintain the natural arch in your lower back and keep your head directed forward.
- Perform a landmine squat, bending your knees and driving your hips back to lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- When you reach the bottom of your squat, drive force from the heels of your feet back to a standing position.
- The barbell will remain at the center of your upper chest throughout the movement, similar to a goblet squat.
Tips
- Keep your back straight, torso upright, head facing forward, and feet flat.
- Start light and add weight gradually, allowing your legs and lower back time to adapt.
- The barbell will remain at the center of your upper chest throughout the movement, similar to a goblet squat.
5. Landmine Single Arm Bent Over Row
If you are looking to strengthen the upper back and add massive muscle to the upper back region, then Landmine Single Arm Bent Over Row is the best upper back exercise.
The one arm bent over the row works your rear delt, rhomboids, teres major, middle traps, lats, and biceps. It’s also a great anti-rotation exercise, as you need to resist rotation by keeping your torso squared forward toward the ground.
It should be noted that there are other ways to do a single-arm row with a landmine. This one positions the landmine to your parallel rather than side with your body.
Steps
- Stand parallel to the bar with the end of the barbell at your left side.
- Your feet should be hip width apart. Get into a bent over position by shooting your hip back (hinge), bending at your knees slightly, and leaning your torso forward. Your spine should be straight.
- Grab the collar of the barbell with an overhand grip. Perform a row, bringing your elbow up as high as you can. Your elbow should come to full flexion.
- Squeeze at the top, really feeling the tension in your rear delts and upper back. Slowly lower the bar back down to full elbow extension, then repeat.
Tips
- Do not use more weight than you can handle. This fatigues your spinal erectors and say goodbye to form.
- Exhale on pushing movement, and inhale when returning to the starting position.
- Hold a neutral spine throughout the movement to prevent injury.
6. Landmine Reverse Lunge
The Landmine reverse lunge is a brilliant exercise to develop balance, coordination, and the unilateral (one-sided) functional strength of your legs, which is important for athletic performance and overall fitness.
Barbell Lunges is a power move to build thigh and butt muscles. Learn the correct technique and blast your thighs now.
Similar to the landmine squat, the landmine reverse lunge offers all the same benefits as a traditional lunge. It is great for building lower body strength and size, as well as core and hip stability.
For reverse lunges, we want to show you three different variations, a front-load reverse lunge, a side load reverse lunge, and a reverse lunge with knee drive just for a little extra metabolic burn.
Steps
- Position the barbell up at your chest with your one hand at the end of the barbell collar, palms in and slightly under.
- With your feet about hip width apart, step your right foot back and lower down so that both legs are at 90˚ and your torso is completely upright. This means you will probably be stepping back just about 2 feet.
- Come back up driving force from the heel of your fixed front leg.
- Ensure you are ready with your core tight, then step back with your left leg. Continue performing the lunges, alternating the sides after completing the rep from one side.
Tips
- Bend as far and low as possible without losing form.
- Keep your torso upright and your head facing forward.
- If you suffer from balance problems, it is best either avoid it, or just use your own body weight while holding on to a steady object.
7. One Arm Landmine Press
The Landmine Press is not a popular exercise yet provides many benefits in regard to progressing your upper chest and shoulder.
It can be performed in a standing position, which increases core involvement and can improve core stability and strength of the abdominal muscles.
Steps
- Hold the weighted end of the barbell with one hand. Clean that bar up to shoulder height and tuck your elbow into your side.
- Make sure the barbell is wedged securely in a landmine device or corner. Your knee should be level and shoulder-width apart.
- Keeping your core braced and knees soft, press the bar up and away from you, fully extending your arm at the top.
- Press the weight up with one hand until your arm is extended, then bring it back down slowly.
- With control, lower the bar back down to the starting position.
Tips
- Hold a neutral spine throughout the movement to prevent injury.
- Exhale on pushing movement, inhale when returning to starting position.
- Contract the chest muscle at the top of the movement.
8. Kneeling Alternate Landmine Press
Kneeling Alternate Landmine Press is one of the fantastic exercises for your Delts and chest, but it is also going to work your front delts and triceps too.
It’s somewhat similar to an incline press in that regard, as you are pressing up at an angle. However, you will be using a close grip, which makes it similar to crush presses and Svend presses.
To make this exercise even more effective for your chest, be sure to really squeeze your hands together like you are trying to crush the bar. This will significantly increase activation for your pec major.
Steps
- Take Kneeling position in front of the landmine and hold the barbell collar with your palms on each side.
- Make sure the bottom of your palm is slightly on the underside of the barbell’s collar.
- Squeeze your hands together then press the barbell upwards, focusing on contracting your pecs to power the movement.
- Go to full lockout, then slowly bring the barbell back down while maintaining the squeeze on the collar.
- When your elbows are at your side, Keep alternating the side and focus on your pecs at all times during the exercise.
Tips
- Hold a neutral spine throughout the movement to prevent injury.
- Exhale on pushing movement, inhale when returning to starting position.
- Contract the chest muscle at the top of the movement.
9. Landmine Deadlift
The Landmine deadlift is the King of all exercises. This power Exercise is designed to build an overall physique that uses more muscles than any other exercise.
The Landmine deadlift is the best exercise for posterior chain muscle strengthening. Its works your whole body including the Lower back, upper back, arms, legs, and buttocks.
Steps
- Stand in front of the barbell landmine with your feet about hip width apart. Remember to keep your back as straight as possible and contract your back and hamstrings.
- Now raise the bar from the ground using your hamstrings and glutes. You should keep your legs slightly bent, back straight and head looking up. The initial movement is to be provided by your heels and not toes or elbows.
- Raise it to the point where your body is erect. Do not hyperextend your body as the weight shifts to the lumbar spine. Complete the lift and do not go only halfway through.
- Now lower the bar slowly at a steady slow pace by bending at the hips first and then at the knees and let the weight touch the ground for a moment before you begin the next rep
Tips
- If performed deadlift incorrectly, it can cause more harm than good. Keep the back straight at all costs.
- Lower back muscles take along to recuperate and hence once a week heavy deadlifts will do the job.
- Go full range of motion and keep form correct. Avoid jerky movements and keep them controlled.
10. Meadows Row
The meadows row is a unilateral landmine exercise used to target the muscles of the back. The meadows row also challenges one’s grip and indirectly targets the muscles of the bicep.
This exercise is designed to target your lats, traps, and rear delts. If done properly, it will create small tears in your muscles, which will heal and ensure your muscles grow stronger and larger.
The meadows row is named after John Meadows, who popularized the movement. It is an excellent exercise for isolating each side of the back to build a balanced physique and quality strength.
Steps
- Position a barbell in a landmine attachment or wedged into the corner of a wall.
- Hinge forward with a staggered stance and grasp the barbell with a pronated (overhand) grip.
- Begin the movement by driving the elbow behind the body while retracting the shoulder blade.
- Pull the barbell towards your hip until the elbow is at (or just past) the midline, and then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position under control.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions on both sides.
Tips
- Don’t allow momentum to dictate the movement, control the barbell throughout the entirety of each rep.
- Be sure to allow your arm to hang down for a greater stretch and better range of motion.
- Keep your core tight and don’t forget to exhale as you lift up and inhale as lower back down.
11. T-Bar Row
The T-bar row is the classic landmine exercise. It is going to do an absolutely stellar job of targeting your lats, traps, posterior delts and rhomboids.
This is one of the best exercises you can do for pure back thickness. Check the correct execution technique and blast your back muscles. It also works on the outer lats when done with a narrower grip.
T bar rows is a tough exercise, but building a strong back is a must to develop a quality physique, stay injury-free, and back pain-free for life.
Step
- With the barbell loaded, stand over the bar with a wide stance. Get into a bent over position with your spine straight and chest up.
- Bend at the hips and keep your back arched throughout the movement.
- Lift the bar until the bar touches your chest, keeping the back straight.
- Now slowly lower the bar until it nearly touches the ground.
Tips
- Exhale while you exert.
- Avoid hunchback bending as it leads to Injury.
- Go Complete range of motion.
12. Landmine Lateral Lunges
The side lunge is a great exercise because it works the sides of the glutes (the gluteus medius), which are important stabilizer muscles for the hip joint.
Mastering the side lunge (along with the reverse lunge) will help you build strength and stability in each leg individually as well as improve your balance.
Steps
- Position the barbell up at your chest with your one hand at the end of the barbell collar, palms in and slightly under.
- Start by standing tall with your feet parallel and shoulder-width apart. Your back should be straight and your weight on your heels.
- Take a big step to the side and, ensuring you keep your torso as upright as possible, lower until the knee of your leading leg is bent at around 90°, keeping your trailing leg straight.
- Push back up and return to the starting position.
Tips
- Keep your back straight and core engaged.
- Be sure not to drop the chest too far forward.
- Don’t allow the knee to push forward over toes.
13. Romanian Deadlifts
The landmine RDL offers all the same benefits as a traditional barbell RDL, but due to the bar path, it does a really great job of ensuring a high level of stretching tension on the eccentric phase, which is awesome for building muscle and strength in your hamstrings and glutes.
This exercise is going to emphasize your hamstrings, glutes and low back (erector spinae).
Steps
- Stand in front of the barbell landmine with your feet about hip width apart. Shoot your hip back and put a slight bend in your knees so that you can lean your torso downward to pick up the weight with both hands.
- Your spine should be straight with a high hip hinge. Extend at your hips, driving them forward and raising your torso up to a standing position.
- Really feel the contraction in your glutes and hamstrings as you do this. Perform a hip hinge again to lower the weight down.
- Go as low as you can while maintaining a straight spine and without flexing your knees. Drive your hips forward through hip extension to a standing position and repeat.
Tips
- Keep your knees stiff, your back and arms straight, and your head up.
- Do not allow the bar to drift away from your body during the lift. Keep the barbell close to your body.
- Keep soft knees and ensure the movement occurs primarily at your hips.
- Lower the weight until your hamstrings reach full stretch without rounding your spine.
14. Landmine Lateral Raise
The landmine lateral raise is a lateral raise variation that forces you to move in a somewhat fixed plane of motion. It is an exercise used to target the muscles of the shoulder.
The lateral raise is a more isolated movement for your middle delts. However, due to the bar path of the landmine, things are a little different with this lateral raise than it is with a dumbbell.
With a landmine lateral raise, the bar path is up and out from the inside, so you get shoulder abduction and shoulder flexion on the concentric phase, and some shoulder abduction on the eccentric.
Steps
- Stand perpendicular to the landmine with the end of the bar in one hand and down at your arms contralateral side
- While keeping your arm straight, perform a lateral raise motion, bringing your arm up at a diagonal angle across your body.
- At the top, your arm will be held out laterally and your hand will be a little over head level with your palm facing forward.
- Slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position under control. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tips
- Ensure you’re not leaning back as you raise the barbell.
- Inhale at the bottom of the movement and exhale as you raise the barbell to the top.
15. Landmine Rear Delt Raise
Landmine rear delt raises are an excellent exercise to isolate and work specifically on rear deltoid muscles. For complete shoulder muscle development, Landmine bent over raises are a must-do. Thus, the exercise hit specifically the rear shoulder head by isolating it better than any other shoulder exercise.
Steps
- Stand next to the end of the barbell, so you’re facing away from the landmine.
- With your feet narrower than shoulder width, grasp the end of the bar with an overhand grip, hinge your hips, and bend forward, so your back is flat, and you’re looking toward the floor.
- Raise the bar outward until your arm is parallel to the floor.
- Slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position under control. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tips
- Your arms should be parallel to your shoulders.
- Keep strict form to isolate the rear delts.
16. One leg Romanian Deadlifts
The single leg RDL is a unilateral movement, so it is going to help increase the demand on your core and hips demand through anti-rotation.
Overall, it’s a great exercise for increasing hamstring and glute health, reinforcing proper hamstring engagement during deadlifts, improving joint function at the hips, and enhancing bilateral strength and performance.
Steps
- Hold the barbell collar with a neutral grip and position it, so it is directly in line with the left side of your hip.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Raise your left leg off the floor without changing the bend in your knee.
- As you do this, keep your back naturally arched and hinge at your hips, lowering your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor.
- Come back up by extending at the hips, tap the ball of your left foot to the floor and repeat. Switch sides after you complete a number of reps.
Tips
- Make sure your back stays neutral throughout the movement.
- Keep soft knees and ensure the movement occurs primarily at your hips.
17. Landmine Twists
The landmine twist is a rotational abdominal movement performed using an angled barbell anchored at floor level in a landmine device. It can also be performed by sticking a barbell in the corner of a room.
It targets the deep muscles of the core, including both the obliques and the transversus abdominis.
Steps
- Position a bar into a landmine or securely anchor it in a corner. Load the bar to an appropriate weight.
- Raise the bar off the floor, taking it to shoulder height with both hands with your arms extended in front of you. Adopt a wide stance.
- Rotate the trunk as you swing the weight all the way down to one side. Keep your arms extended throughout the exercise.
- Reverse the motion to swing the weight all the way to the opposite side.
Tips
- Keep a slight bend in your knees as you rotate, this should help take a bit of tension off your lumbar spine during the movement.
- Try to keep your arms straight.
18. Landmine Hip Rotation
When performed correctly, landmine rotations are a great exercise for developing core strength and hip mobility. This exercise develops strength through resisting rotation and lateral flexion (side bending) of the spine.
This exercise is a great addition to sports where rotational movements are used such as Judo, MMA, Baseball, Golf, and even surfing.
You will be able to increase rotational power that’ll help MMA athletes to toss people around, baseball players and golfers to have a stronger swing, and surfers to catch some air or even have a smooth bottom turn.
Steps
- Position a bar into a landmine or securely anchor it in a corner. Load the bar to an appropriate weight.
- Raise the bar off the floor, taking it to shoulder height with both hands with your arms extended in front of you. Adopt a wide stance.
- Pivot feet toward the left side, simultaneously lowering into a quarter lunge and bringing the barbell toward the front knee.
- Reverse the motion to swing the weight all the way to the opposite side.
Tips
- Try to keep your arms straight.
We hope this post has inspired you to put that landmine at your gym to use. You don’t have to try all of these landmine exercises right away, but pick one or two that make sense for each of your workouts over the next few weeks and throw them into the routine.
Stay Fit, live a happy and Healthy Life.
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