Does your gym have a landmine bar? Have you been curious about trying it but unsure of how to use it? If so, we’re here to help!
The landmine bar is an awesome piece of equipment that you can use to target just about every major muscle group in your body. Listed below are some of the best landmine exercises for legs, core, chest, arms, and more.
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1. Reverse Lunge
The reverse lunge is an excellent unilateral lower body exercise. It targets the gluteus maximus and medius muscles, as well as the quadriceps. The act of stepping back into a lunge challenges your balance, too, and engages the core.
To do a landmine reverse lunge correctly, start by standing in front of the landmine with your feet together, holding the bar in front of your left shoulder. From here, follow these cues:
- As you inhale, shift your weight onto your left leg
- Take a step backward with your right leg, then bend your knees as you lower into a lunge position
- Aim to lower until your legs form 90-degree angles (or as close to 90 degrees as you can get)
- Exhale and push into the floor with your front foot to stand back up and return to the starting position
- Repeat this exercise on both legs
2. Front Squat
The front squat is a classic landmine bar exercise that helps you to strengthen the legs, especially the quads. Because of the position of the bar, it also targets your arm and shoulder muscles.
To set up for a front squat, stand in front of the bar and hold it in both hands at the center of your chest. Separate your feet so they are about hip-distance (or a little wider) with the toes pointing forward or slightly out.
From here, do the following:
- Inhale and brace your core
- Bend your knees and lower into a squat, keeping your torso lifted and neck in a neutral position
- Pause for a second at the bottom of your squat
- Exhale and push into the floor as you straighten your knees and rise back up to the starting position
3. Single-Leg Deadlift
Another good unilateral exercise to add to your landmine workout is the single-leg deadlift. This exercise targets the hamstrings and glutes. It also challenges your foot and ankle strength and stability.
To do this exercise, stand next to the landmine bar with a slight bend in your knee and turn to the side. Reach down and grab the end of the bar with the hand closest to it, then follow these steps:
- Inhale and shift your weight onto the foot opposite of the hand holding the bar
- Hinge at your hips, sending the non-working leg back behind you as you lean forward, keeping your torso straight and neck neutral
- When the bar passes the knee of the working leg, exhale and push into the floor as you stand back up and return to the starting position once more
- Repeat this exercise on both sides
4. Single-Arm Floor Press
If you’re looking for effective landmine exercises for chest strength and shoulder stability, the landmine floor press is the perfect option. It’s a unilateral exercise, too, so it helps you to counter muscle imbalances and build a more balanced physique.
To set up for this exercise, lie flat on your back with your legs extended. Hold the landmine bar with your working elbow bent at a 45-degree angle, then follow these cues:
- Inhale and grasp the bar as you brace your core
- Exhale and extend your elbow as you push the bar straight up over your torso
- Push your heels into the ground at the same time to help you move the weight more easily
- Inhale and lower the bar back down toward your chest to set up for another rep
- Be sure to repeat this exercise on both sides
5. Standing Chest Press
The standing landmine chest press is similar to a Svend press or plate pinch press. The close-grip position helps you to target the inner chest muscles, and it’s also a great exercise for the shoulders and arms.
Set up for a two-arm press the same way you would for a front squat. Hold the bar with both hands, palms together, in the center of your chest. From here, follow these steps:
- Inhale and brace your core
- Exhale and extend the elbows, pressing the bar straight up and in front of you
- Inhale and slowly lower the bar back down to the starting position
6. Single-Arm Row
When it comes to landmine back exercises, few can compete with the single-arm row. Like other unilateral exercises, it helps you to counter muscle imbalances. It also does a great job of targeting the latissimus dorsi and rhomboid muscles.
Set up for this exercise similar to the way you would for a single-leg deadlift. Separate your feet about hip-distance, hinge at your hips, and bend your knees slightly. Grasp the bar in the hand closest to it, and rest the other hand (or elbow) on your thigh.
From here, follow these cues:
- Inhale and brace your core
- Exhale and bend your elbow, retracting your shoulder and pulling the bar back toward your hip
- Inhale and extend your elbow, protracting your shoulder as you return to the starting position
- Repeat this exercise on both sides
7. Thruster
Like other thruster variations (dumbbell, barbell, kettlebell, etc.), the landmine thruster is an amazing full-body exercise. It strengthens the legs, glutes, core, shoulders, and arms all at once.
To do this exercise, start by standing in front of the landmine with the bar held between your hands in front of your chest. Separate your feet about shoulder-distance with the toes pointing forward or slightly out, then do the following:
- Inhale and brace your core, then lower into a squat
- At the bottom of the squat, push into the floor and straighten your knees
- When you’ve stood all the way up, exhale and push the bar up and in front of you
- Inhale and lower the bar, then go straight into another rep
8. Pivot Press
The landmine pivot press is another excellent full-body, multiplanar exercise. It targets the legs, core, arms, and shoulders.
Start in a lunge position, with the back leg closest to the bar. Hold the bar with the hand on the same side, and make sure your weight is on the balls of the feet so you can easily pivot. From here, follow these cues:
- Inhale and brace your core
- Exhale and push into the floor to stand up
- At the same time, transition and move the bar into your other hand, then rotate your torso and press it up overhead
- When you reach the end position, your pressing arm and rear leg should line up
- Inhale and return to the start position for another rep
- Be sure to do this exercise on both sides
9. Anti-Rotations
If you’re looking for more good landmine exercises for core strength and stability, include anti-rotation into your routine.
Stand with your feet about should-distance apart and hold the bar close to your chest with both hands. Then, take these steps:
- Push the bar straight out in front of you
- Inhale and lower the bar over to one side toward your hip, keeping the arms straight and moving it in a broad arc
- Exhale and bring the bar over the other side, toward the opposite hip
- Be sure to only use your arms (don’t let your hips or core move)
10. Half-Kneeling Trunk Twist
The half-kneeling trunk twist is a good landmine exercise for those who are a little less experienced but want to experience the benefits of landmine anti-rotation.
Begin in a half-kneeling stance with one knee on the floor and the other bent in front of you. Hold the bar with both hands in front of your chest, then straighten the arms and push the bar up and out in front of you.
From this position, do the following:
- Inhale and brace your core
- Rotate your torso and bring the bar down toward the hip of the leg that’s bent behind you
- Exhale, then raise the bar back up as you return to the starting position
- Do your best to isolate your core (don’t use your legs to help you move the bar)
- Repeat this exercise on both sides
Add These Landmine Exercises to Your Workout Today
No matter what muscle group you want to target, there’s are landmine exercises that’ll help you accomplish your goals.
Keep this list of exercises in mind and you’ll have no trouble putting together an effective landmine workout. Who knew one piece of equipment could give you so much bang for your buck?
