10 Best Landmine Exercises to Build Strength and Muscle

Landmine exercises are a versatile and effective way to build strength, improve stability, and target multiple muscle groups. Using a barbell anchored at one end, these exercises allow for a wide range of movements that target multiple muscle groups. 

This article will guide you through some key landmine exercises and demonstrate how to use them as well as some workout routines.

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Short Summary

• What Are Landmine Exercises? They use a barbell anchored at one end to create various workout movements.
• Benefits of Landmine Exercises: Build strength, improve stability, and reduce joint strain.
• Who can do them? Suitable for all fitness levels, from beginners to advanced lifters.
• Why Use Them? A great way to target multiple muscles and add variety to your workouts.
• What will this guide cover? The best landmine exercises, benefits, workout routines, and tips for adding them to your routine.
• Get our best supplement, Anafuse, to support your landmine exercises and improve muscle growth.

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What Is a Landmine?

A landmine is a piece of gym equipment used for strength training. It involves a barbell anchored at one end, either in a special landmine attachment or wedged into a sturdy corner. The other end of the barbell is free to move in various directions, allowing you to perform a wide range of exercises.

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How to Use a Landmine

Using a landmine is simple and can be done in just a few steps. Here’s how to get started:

1. Set Up the Equipment: Find a landmine attachment or place one end of a barbell into a corner of the room or a landmine holder. Make sure it is secure and won’t move while you exercise.
2. Choose Your Weight: Add weight plates to the free end of the barbell. Start with a light weight if you are new to landmine exercises, and gradually increase it as you become more comfortable.
3. Stand in Position: Stand facing the barbell with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the free end of the barbell with both hands or one hand, depending on the exercise you are doing.

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Benefits of Landmine Exercises

• Works Many Muscles: Landmine exercises are great for full-body workouts, engaging your legs, core, back, shoulders, and arms.
• Joint-Friendly: The natural arc of motion can be easier on your joints compared to some traditional barbell exercises.
• Better Stability: The unique design of the landmine allows for natural movements that improve your balance and stability. This can help you perform better in other exercises and daily activities.
• Versatile Workouts: You can perform a variety of exercises for your upper body, lower body, and core using just one piece of equipment.
• Functional Strength: Landmine movements often mimic real-life activities, improving your functional strength for everyday tasks.

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Best Landmine Exercises

1. Landmine Squat

The landmine squat is a variation of the traditional squat where the barbell is anchored in a landmine. This angle allows for a more natural movement pattern for some individuals and can be easier on the shoulders.

How to Do It:

1. Add the desired weight to the barbell.
2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, facing the landmine base.
3. Bend down to grasp the barbell at chest height.
4. Engage your core and squeeze your glutes, then squat down as low as you can while keeping your chest up.
5. Push through your heels to return to the starting position.

Benefits:

• Strengthens your legs, glutes, and core.
• Reduces strain on the lower back compared to traditional squats.
• Great for beginners learning proper squat form.

Landmine Squat Variations:

1. Landmine Front Squat: Hold the barbell at chest height with both hands while performing a squat. This variation emphasizes the quads and upper body.
2. Single-Leg Landmine Squat: Perform a squat on one leg while holding the barbell for balance. This increases the challenge to your stability and engages more core muscles.

2. Landmine Press

This upper-body exercise primarily targets the shoulders, chest, and triceps while engaging the core for stability.

How to Do It:

1. Stand facing away from the landmine, feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold the end of the barbell at chest height, elbows tucked in.
3. Press the barbell forward and upward until your arms are fully extended.
4. Lower the barbell back to the starting position with control.

Benefits:

• Builds shoulder and chest strength.
• Engages the core for balance and stability.
• Joint-friendly alternative to overhead presses.

Landmine Press Variations:

1. Kneeling Landmine Press: Perform the press while kneeling. This removes the assistance of the legs and increases core engagement.
2. Single-Arm Landmine Press: Press the barbell with one arm at a time. This increases the challenge of balance and coordination.

3. Meadows Row

The Meadows row is a one-arm rowing exercise that effectively targets the upper back and helps correct muscle imbalances.

How to Do It:

1. Stand perpendicular to the barbell with one leg back in a split stance.
2. Bend at the waist and grasp the end of the bar with your left hand.
3. Place your right forearm on your right thigh for stability.
4. Pull the barbell towards your torso while keeping a neutral spine.
5. Lower it back down slowly to complete one rep.

Benefits: This exercise strengthens the upper back, lats, and biceps while improving grip strength. It also helps develop unilateral strength, which can balance muscle development on both sides of the body.

Meadows Row Variations:

1. Meadows Row with Rotation: As you pull the bar towards your torso, rotate your shoulder back to engage your rear deltoids more effectively.
2. Single-Arm Meadows Row: Use a lighter weight and perform the row with one arm at a time, focusing on form and control to enhance muscle engagement.

4. Landmine Row

The landmine row is an effective back exercise that strengthens the lats, traps, and rhomboids.

How to Do It:

1. Secure weight plates on one end of the barbell.
2. Stand over the bar with a wide stance, facing away from the landmine attachment.
3. Lean forward and grasp the bar with a neutral grip.
4. Pull the bar towards your lower chest while keeping your core engaged.
5. Lower it back down until your arms are fully extended.

Benefits:

• Strengthens the upper back, lats, and rear shoulders.
• Improves posture and pulling power.
• Reduces strain on the lower back compared to traditional rows.

Landmine Row Variations:

1. Single-Arm Landmine Row: Focus on one arm at a time for better muscle balance.
2. Wide-Grip Landmine Row: Use a wider grip attachment to target the upper back more.
3. Landmine Meadows Row: Stand perpendicular to the barbell and row it toward your hip for a unique angle.

5. Landmine Deadlift

This full-body exercise targets the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back while improving overall strength.

How to Do It:

1. Stand over the barbell with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Bend your knees and hips to grip the end of the barbell with both hands.
3. Lift the barbell by straightening your legs and hips, keeping your back flat.
4. Lower the barbell back to the ground in a controlled motion.

Benefits:

• Builds lower-body strength and power.
• Improves hip hinge mechanics.
• Reduces lower-back strain compared to traditional deadlifts.

Landmine Deadlift Variations:

1. Single-Leg Landmine Deadlift: Perform the deadlift with one leg, focusing on balance and isolating the hamstrings.
2. Sumo Landmine Deadlift: Take a wider stance to focus more on the glutes and inner thighs.

6. Landmine Reverse Lunge

This unilateral lower-body exercise targets the quads, glutes, and hamstrings while improving balance.

How to Do It:

1. Stand at the end of the barbell facing the landmine base.
2. Hold the bar at chest height with both hands.
3. Step back with one leg into a lunge position, lowering your knee towards the ground.
4. Push through your front heel to return to standing.

Benefits: This exercise activates the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core. It helps improve balance and coordination while reducing overuse injuries by working each leg independently.

Landmine Reverse Lunge Variations:

1. Forward Landmine Lunge: Instead of stepping back, step forward into a lunge while holding the barbell. This variation targets different muscle groups in the legs.
2. Lateral Landmine Lunge: Step out to the side into a lunge position while keeping the barbell close to your chest, focusing on the inner thigh muscles.

7. Landmine Rotation (Landmine Twist)

The landmine rotation is a core exercise that targets the obliques and improves rotational strength.

How to Do It:

1. Hold the end of the barbell with both hands and extend your arms in front of you.
2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and rotate your torso to one side, lowering the barbell toward your hip.
3. Return to the center and rotate to the opposite side.
4. Repeat the movement in a controlled manner.

Benefits:

• Strengthens the obliques and core muscles.
• Improves rotational power for sports and daily activities.
• Enhances overall stability.

Landmine Rotation (Twist) Variations:

1. Landmine Anti-Rotation Press: Stand with your side facing the landmine and press the barbell straight out in front of you, resisting rotation for core stability.
2. Landmine Russian Twist: Sit on the ground with your feet elevated and hold the barbell with both hands. Rotate from side to side for an intense core workout.

8. Half-Kneeling Landmine Shoulder Press

It is a great shoulder exercise combines shoulder pressing with core engagement for added stability.

How to Do It:

1. Kneel on one knee with the opposite foot flat on the ground in front of you.
2. Hold the end of the barbell with one hand at shoulder height.
3. Press it upward while engaging your core for balance.
4. Lower it back down slowly to complete one rep.

Benefits: This exercise targets shoulder muscles while also engaging core stabilizers. It helps improve shoulder strength and stability in an upright position, which translates well into other pressing movements. Using the half-kneeling position creates instability, which helps strengthen the glutes, hip flexors, and core.

Half-Kneeling Landmine Shoulder Press Variations:

1. Standing Landmine Shoulder Press: Perform the shoulder press while standing instead of kneeling for added core engagement and stability.
2. Alternating Landmine Shoulder Press: Press one side up while lowering the other side down, alternating between arms for a dynamic shoulder workout.

9. Landmine Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

The landmine RDL is a variation of the traditional RDL that focuses on the hamstrings and glutes.

How to Do It:

1. Stand facing the landmine, feet hip-width apart.
2. Hinge at your hips, keeping your back straight and knees slightly bent, and grab the end of the barbell.
3. Lower the barbell towards the floor, keeping your back straight and feeling a stretch in your hamstrings.
4. Return to the starting position by squeezing your glutes and pushing your hips forward.

Benefits: This exercise strengthens the posterior chain, improving hip extension and hamstring flexibility. The landmine variation can make it easier to maintain proper form.

Landmine Romanian Deadlift (RDL) Variations:

1. Landmine Single-Leg RDL: Perform the RDL standing on one leg. This greatly increases the challenge to balance, stability, and hamstring activation.
2. Deficit Landmine RDL: Stand on a slightly elevated surface (like a weight plate) to increase the range of motion and further emphasize the hamstrings.

10. Landmine Lateral Raise

The landmine lateral raise is a unique exercise that targets the shoulders, particularly the lateral deltoids, while also engaging the core for stability. It’s a great alternative to traditional lateral raises and can reduce strain on the joints.

How to Do It:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, perpendicular to the landmine.
2. Grip the end of the barbell with the hand furthest from the landmine, using an overhand or neutral grip (palm facing your body).
3. Keeping a slight bend in your elbow, raise your arm out to the side in an arc, until your elbow is roughly shoulder height.
4. Control the movement and avoid using momentum or swinging the barbell.
5. Lower the barbell back to the starting position with control.

Benefits:

• Targets the lateral deltoids for shoulder width and definition.
• Provides a safer alternative to traditional lateral raises, reducing strain on the shoulder joint.
• Improves shoulder stability and control.

Variations of Landmine Lateral Raise:

1. Kneeling Landmine Lateral Raise: Perform the exercise from a kneeling position to isolate the shoulders further and engage your core.
2. Landmine Front-to-Lateral Raise: Start by lifting the barbell in front of you, then move it to the side in one fluid motion before lowering it.

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Landmine Exercise Workout Routines

1. Full-Body Strength Workout

This routine targets all major muscle groups for overall strength.

1. Landmine Squat – 3 sets of 12 reps
2. Landmine Press – 3 sets of 10 reps (each arm)
3. Landmine Deadlift – 3 sets of 12 reps
4. Landmine Row – 3 sets of 10 reps (each arm)
5. Landmine Russian Twist – 3 sets of 20 reps (10 each side)

2. Upper Body Focused Routine

Build strength and size in your chest, shoulders, back, and arms.

1. Landmine Press – 4 sets of 8 reps (each arm)
2. Landmine Row – 4 sets of 10 reps
3. Landmine Lateral Raise – 3 sets of 12 reps (each arm)
4. Landmine Meadows Row – 3 sets of 8 reps (each side)
5. Landmine Front Raise – 3 sets of 10 reps

3. Lower Body Strength Routine

Focus on building strong legs and glutes with this landmine workout.

1. Landmine Squat – 4 sets of 10 reps
2. Landmine Reverse Lunge – 3 sets of 12 reps (each leg)
3. Landmine Romanian Deadlift (RDL) – 4 sets of 10 reps
4. Sumo Landmine Deadlift – 3 sets of 10 reps

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How to Add Landmine Exercises to Your Current Workout Routine

1. Replace Similar Exercises: Swap traditional exercises with landmine variations. For example, replace barbell squats with landmine squats or dumbbell rows with landmine rows.
2. Add Variety to Specific Days: Include landmine exercises on certain days, like upper body, lower body, or core-focused sessions. For example:
   • Upper Body Day: Landmine Press and Rows
   • Lower Body Day: Landmine Squats and Lunges
   • Core Day: Landmine Twists and Side Bends
3. Progress Gradually: Start with lighter weights and fewer reps, then increase them as you get stronger and more comfortable.

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FAQs: Landmine Exercises

Q: Do I need a special landmine attachment to do these exercises?

A: No, you can simply wedge one end of a barbell into a corner or use a heavy object to stabilize it. However, a landmine attachment provides more stability and protects surfaces from damage.

Q: Are landmine exercises beginner-friendly?

A: Yes, landmine exercises are beginner-friendly because they provide a controlled range of motion and are easier on the joints compared to traditional barbell movements.

Q: Are landmine squats better than regular squats?

A: Neither is inherently "better." Landmine squats offer a different angle of resistance and can be more comfortable for some individuals, especially those with shoulder mobility issues. Both are effective exercises for the lower body.

Q: Can I do landmine exercises at home?

A: Yes, as long as you have a barbell and a secure place to anchor it, you can perform landmine exercises at home. A landmine attachment or a sturdy corner setup is all you need.

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Final Thoughts

Landmine exercises offer a versatile and effective way to enhance strength training routines. With their unique design, these exercises allow for a wide range of movements that target various muscle groups while promoting stability and reducing injury risk. 

From simple moves like the landmine squat and press to more advanced variations, landmine exercises can be adapted to fit your level and preferences. 

With a wide range of exercises to choose from, landmine training can be tailored to fit any fitness level and helps keep your routine diverse and challenging.

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Sources:

https://www.garagegymreviews.com/landmine-exercises

https://www.healthline.com/health/5-landmine-exercises-worth-doing-and-why

https://www.tompetotraining.com/home-gym-blog/best-landmine-exercises-functional-strength

https://www.ewmotiontherapy.com/blog/landmine-exercises