Often the Landmine at the gym is used only for Presses and Rows. But with the Landmine you can get in a great full-body workout.
The Landmine is a great functional training tool to help you improve your strength as well as your power. With the Landmine you can do numerous full-body exercises that will help you become more explosive and powerful. And the great part about these movements, is that many of them are rotational exercises that work your body in all three planes of motion.
Below are 13 Landmine Exercises to help you develop full-body strength and power. Many of them use only one Landmine attachment; however, if you do have a Double Landmine attachment at your gym, we will show you a few exercises you can do on it as well.
13 Landmine Exercises
1. One-Arm Press – The One-Arm Press is a great anti-rotational movement to work your shoulder and core. You can also do a little push press movement to do the last couple of reps as the weight becomes a bit too heavy.
To do the One-Arm Press, grab the barbell in one hand with the Landmine right in front of you. Bring your hand and the barbell to your shoulder. Place the opposite foot of the hand holding the barbell forward and stagger the other one back (you can also stand with your feet together if you want your core to work even harder).
Then, keeping your core tight, drive the barbell up and out from your shoulder, pressing the barbell overhead as you extend your arm. Because of the Landmine the barbell and your hand won’t go straight up. You will actually press a bit up and forward.
Then return the barbell to your shoulder and repeat, pressing the barbell up until your arm is extended. Make sure that when you press, you do not let your core rotate toward the hand with the barbell. Keep your body square to the Landmine. Complete all reps on one side and then switch.
As you fatigue you may use your legs to help press the bar overhead or you can keep it as a strict press. Just make sure you do not rotate as you press. This move is meant to work your core because you are fighting the urge to rotate toward the side pressing.
2. Lunge to Press – Especially when we are short on time, we need to include compound movements in our workouts that work as many muscle groups at once as possible so we get as much out of the short time we have. Full-body exercises, like the Lunge to Press, are a great way to get in a killer full-body workout quickly.
To do the Lunge to Press, grab the barbell in one hand and face the Landmine. Bring your hand up to your shoulder. Then lunge back on the side holding the barbell. Keep your chest up as you lunge back and make sure to sit back into that front heel. Do not go up onto your front toe.
As you come back up to standing, drive through that front heel and press the barbell up overhead. Fully extend your arm. Then bring the barbell back down to your shoulder and repeat, lunging back again on the same side. Complete all reps on one side before switching.
Keep your chest up tall and your abs braced through the entire movement. Do not lean toward the side holding the barbell. Because your legs will also be helping you press if move straight from the lunge to the press, you may find you can also use a bit more weight.
If you wanted to turn this into a Double Landmine Movement, you could hold a barbell at each shoulder and press both overhead as you come out of the lunge.
3. Standing Knees – This is a great power movement to work on your balance and core stability. Start light with this movement and move quickly. Only add weight if you can continue to be explosive with this movement. You will only improve your power and explosiveness if you can move quickly with the movement.
To do Standing Knees, stand facing the Landmine with the barbell in both hands. Press the barbell up overhead and move back behind the barbell. Set up in a staggered stance with one leg straight back.
Then pull the weight down and toward the side of the foot that is staggered back. As you pull the weight down, bring that knee up and in toward your chest. Pull the weight and drive the knee toward each other. Crunch slightly as you bring the two together.
Then quickly press back overhead and put the knee back down, driving the foot back into the staggered stance. Again, quickly pull the weight down and drive the knee up. Move quickly and explosively. Complete all reps on one side before switching.
If you find you can’t bring the knee close to the bar, you may be in too close to the barbell and need to set up a little more behind it.
Start light as this move will challenge your balance more than you realize. Keep your abs braced the entire time so that you don’t feel this move in your low back.
4. Ab Twists – Ab Twists are a rotational core exercise to create rotational strength as well as core stability. In the video above, they are demonstrated at a slow and controlled tempo; however, they can also be sped up and made into a power movement instead of simply a strength move.
To do the Ab Twists, hold the barbell in both hands at shoulder height with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Press the bar overhead.
Keeping your arms straight and your shoulders down (do not shrug), lower the bar down toward one hip, pivoting your back foot as you lower the bar.
Then, pivot back forward, bringing the bar back up center. Then drop the bar down toward the other hip, pivoting the back foot as you rotate.
When the bar is lighter you can move very slowly and work on stability. Make sure that you still pivot your back foot to keep your hip, knee and ankle in proper alignment.
As the bar gets heavier (and if you want to make this move more explosive), you will want to get your legs and hips more involved and really “pop” the bar up off your hip to drive it to the other hip. You will pivot hard to use the legs to twist the bar from hip to hip.
With both moves, make sure to brace your abs as if preparing to be punched to protect your low back during the movement.
5. Landmine Burpee – Burpees are a great full-body cardio exercise and using the Landmine helps you add some variety and weight to the movement. With the Landmine you will force your core, shoulders and legs to work a bit harder to lift the weight. Start with a lighter weight so that you can move quickly. Add weight only if you can keep your pace quick.
To do the Landmine Burpee, hold the barbell in both hands at chest height. Stand with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart.
Press the barbell quickly overhead. Then squat down and lower the barbell down to the ground.
Place the barbell on the ground and then place your hands on the ground besides the barbell. Jump your feet back so that you are in the high plank position.
Then jump your feet back in about shoulder-width apart so that you are in a squat. Pick up the barbell while in the squat and bring it up to your chest. Stand back up and press the barbell overhead to repeat the burpee.
Make sure to use your legs as you pick up and lower the barbell to the ground. You don’t want to use only your back to lift especially as you add weight!
6. Rotational Deadlift Press – The Rotational Deadlift Press is one of our favorite movements because it is a great full-body power exercise that works your body in different planes of motion.
To do the Rotational Deadlift Press, stand at the end of the barbell facing the barbell, sideways to the Landmine anchor.
Grab toward the very end of the barbell with an overhead grip and almost at the end of the barbell with an underhand grip. Your hands on the barbell should be about shoulder-width apart.
Stand facing the barbell with your feet about shoulder-width apart. They may even be a bit wider.
Hinge over like with a deadlift, bending your knees and sinking your butt while keeping your chest up and arms straight. Make sure your heels stay on the ground as you sink your butt.
With your arms straight down holding the bar, pull up just slightly so there is tension on the bar before you lift. Your arms will be inside your legs and your shins should be right up against the bar.
Then quickly stand up out of the deadlift and as you do, rotate toward the Landmine attachment and press the bar across and overhead. Your back foot, the foot closest to the end of the barbell, should pivot as you rotate and press across.
Then bring the bar back down and sink back into a deadlift. Do not just lean over to bring the barbell back down to the ground. Sink your butt back down to drop the bar back down.
Move slowly back down then explosively to bring the weight back up and across. Use your legs to power your press up and across. Complete all reps on one side before switching.
Make sure you are using your legs to lift the barbell and not your back. Keep your abs braced and a nice tall posture through the movement. You want to power the deadlift and even the rotational press with your glutes not your low back.
7. Landmine Two-Arm Row (T-Bar Row) – Rows with the Landmine can help you build back strength to improve your posture and even your pull ups.
To do the Landmine Two-Arm Row, you can use a handle attachment if you have it or you can just hold on the barbell below the plate weights.
Step over the barbell and face away from the landmine. Grab the barbell in both hands and squat down slightly as you lean forward and push your but back. Make sure your back is flat.
Holding the barbell with your arms hanging down straight toward the ground and tension in your back, row the barbell up to your chest. Drive your elbows up toward the ceiling, but make sure you don’t shrug your shoulders. Keep your chest pressed out and feel yourself driving your elbows down and back.
Keep your core tight and your back flat as you row. Do not let your back round. Also, make sure you are pulling the weight up with your back. You do not want to turn this into a bicep curl.
After you row up, lower the barbell back down until your arms are straight. Do not lose tension in your back. Do not set the barbell down between reps. Just lower until your arms are straight while keeping your back flat. Try to not use momentum as you row either or bounce the weight off the bottom of the row.
8. Single Leg Deadlift – The Single Leg Deadlift is a great unilateral glute exercise to isolate each leg and not allow your dominate side to take over. It also works on core strength and balance especially with the unilateral load of the barbell in the Landmine.
To do the Single Leg Deadlift with the Landmine, stand behind the end of the barbell sideways to the attachment. Grab the barbell in the hand closest to the barbell and pick it up so you are holding it at your side and slightly in front of your leg.
Shift your weight onto your outside leg or the leg opposite the hand holding the barbell. Then hinge over at the hips, sitting your butt back as you lean forward and lower the barbell to the ground.
Keep your back flat as you hinge and your abs braced. Make sure to really sit your butt back as you lower. Do not squat as you hinge, although you may bend your knee slightly to make sure you are sitting your butt back.
Then, driving through your standing heel, come back up to standing. Squeeze your glutes at the top and stand tall.
Do not let your back round as you lower down or come back up to standing. Keep your arm with the barbell straight the entire time.
Then repeat, hinging back over. Do not worry about touching the barbell to the ground if you can’t keep your back flat as you hinge over.
Also, make sure you feel your glutes working to power the movement not your low back.
9. Double Landmine Squat to Press – If you are short on time, full-body movements like the Double Landmine Squat to Press are a must for your workout. The Squat to Press is also a very core intensive exercise so really focus on bracing your abs to help you maintain a nice tall posture throughout the movement.
To do the Double Landmine Squat to Press, set up two barbells in the attachment and, holding one in each hand, bring the barbells up to your shoulders. Stand facing the Landmine attachment with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart.
Holding a barbell at each shoulder, sit your butt back and down to squat down. Make sure your heels stay down as you squat and that your back doesn’t round forward. Maintain a nice tall posture with your abs braced.
Then drive back up to standing, pushing through your heels. As you come back up, press the barbells up and overhead.
Bring the barbells back down to your shoulders and repeat the squat.
If you want to do more of a strict press, you can also squat, stand up and then press, but then you won’t be able to use as much weight to challenge your legs more and it will slow down the movement; however, it will make your shoulders work harder because they won’t have assistance from your legs at all.
10. Double Landmine Alternating Overhead Press – When you have a Double Landmine, you can work both sides at the same time yet independently. And the Alternating Overhead Press is a great shoulder exercise and core stability move where each shoulder must work independently, but you don’t have to do one side and then the other.
To do the Double Landmine Alternating Overhead Press, hold a barbell in each hand and stand with your feet about hip-width apart. The wider your feet are apart, the stronger you base and the more stabile you are. If you want to make the move harder on your core, bring your feet closer together. Make sure though that your abs are braced so you don’t feel this move in your low back.
Then with both barbells at your shoulders, press one arm up overhead. Once you bring that arm back down to your shoulder, press the other arm overhead.
As you alternate presses, do not let your low back arch or your shoulders shrug up by your ears. Keep your core engaged the entire time and maintain a nice tall posture.
11. Double Landmine Alternating One-Arm Row – Another great unilateral exercise to make each side of your back work independently, the Alternating One-Arm Row is a great move if you have a Double Landmine attachment.
To do the Double Landmine Alternating One-Arm Row, set up facing away from the attachment and grab a barbell in each hand. Hinge over and sit your butt back with your back flat and arms hanging straight down.
Then, keeping your chest pressed out and your back flat, row one barbell up to your side. Drive the elbow back as you row and make sure you feel your back working. Do not shrug your shoulders or turn this into a bicep curl.
Lower the barbell back down and then row up on the other side. Do not let your back round as you lower a barbell back down. Keep tension between your shoulder blades the entire time.
Also make sure to brace your abs and keep your back flat as you alternate rows. You should not feel this in your low back. Make sure to also stay hinged over as you row. Do not stand up and turn this into a shrug or high pull.
12. Double Landmine Squat – Very similar to a Suitcase Deadlift, this Double Landmine Squat is a fun way to work your legs and even improve your grip strength.
To do the Double Landmine Squat, stand in between the ends of the barbells. Grab one barbell in each hand and stand up nice and tall with your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart. Let your arms hang down by your sides.
Keeping your chest pressed out and back flat, sink your butt down and back, dropping the barbells toward the ground. More like a deadlift than a squat, you may find you hinge forward as you sit down and back, which is fine. Just don’t round toward the ground.
Your abs should be engaged the entire time to protect your low back. Also, do not bend your arms as you complete the squat.
Once you’ve squatted as low as you can with your back flat and heels down, come back up to standing and squeeze your glutes at the top.
Make sure that as you squat, your knees do not cave in or really bow out. Your hips, knees and ankles should be in line and your heels should stay down as you squat and press back up to standing.
You can also make this more of a Double Landmine Front Squat by holding the barbells up at your shoulders. Add weight to the barbells to make the move more challenging or even slow down the tempo of your squat.
13. Double Landmine Press (or Floor Press) – The Double Landmine Floor Press can be a great way to build your chest, shoulder and tricep strength as well as improve your bench and push ups.
To do the Double Landmine Floor Press, lie on your back on the ground between the ends of the two barbells with your head toward the attachment point. Grab a barbell in each hand and bring it to your chest with your triceps on the ground.
Make sure you aren’t shrugging your shoulders and that your arms are down by your sides although not completely in at your sides unless you want to focus on your triceps more. Your upper body and arms should make an arrow shape (->) not a “T” shape.
Keeping your chest pressed out and your shoulders down, press the barbells straight up toward the ceiling. Then lower back down until your triceps return to the ground.
You can even alternate presses, pressing up first on your right side and then on your left. You can also add weight to the barbells or slow down the movement to make it more challenging.
While this move doesn’t require as much shoulder stability as dumbbells because the barbell is locked in, it does require more stability than using a barbell because each arm is working independently to stabilize a weight that can move around more.
Try these 13 Landmine Exercises for a great full-body workout. Or try this Landmine Full-Body Workout using some of these moves and new variations!
Have you ever used the Landmine at your gym? Do you like it?