18 Landmine Exercises for a Full Body Workout

Like all floor presses, the landmine version limits the range of motion, which can provide a shoulder-friendly reprieve from the demands of traditional benching.

The landmine has unique resistance force vectors and an arced bar path, allowing you to focus on different areas of the chest.

This first variation in the video – with the landmine toward the legs – feels more like a decline bench press and targets the pectoralis major’s lower fibers (sternocostal).

• Lie alongside the bar with the landmine base toward your feet and the loaded end of the barbell at nipple level.
• Roll toward your working side to safely retrieve the barbell. Use both hands on the bar as you roll to your back and position the barbell above your elbow.
• Press along the natural arc.

The Z press is a great exercise for dialing in the shoulder complex and trunk for optimal overhead pressing. However, if you’re missing range of motion, the traditional free-weight Z press won’t work well for you.

If your range of motion restriction is mild, you might be able to program the landmine Z press right away. As a bonus, the horizontal component of the landmine resistance will challenge your abs and hip flexors more than the standard Z press.

• Sit down with legs spread wide. Belly up to the business end of the barbell.
• Press along the natural arced path of the landmine.

You can move big plates from a standing position, which will train your often-neglected stabilizing muscles.

Use strict form without any leg drive to focus on the upper body. Or, go heavier and use a semi-squat countermovement, which trains your body to transfer kinetic energy.

• Take a staggered stance with the non-working leg in front. Maintain a slight forward trunk lean throughout.
• Press the bar forward and up along the natural arc of the landmine.

Arm bars, traditionally performed with a kettlebell, are a staple exercise for athletic performance and shoulder stability. This exercise teaches you to link shoulder girdle to hip girdle to prevent trunk rotation and effectively stabilize the shoulder with movement.

The landmine arm bar is unique due to the constrained movement path of the barbell. The landmine requires shoulder movement through a challenging diagonal path as you roll to your side.

• Set up by lying on your side facing the free sleeve of the bar. To avoid catastrophe, make sure the plates clear your head. Grab the barbell, roll to your back, and press the landmine above your shoulder.
• Keep your arm nearly vertical and the barbell centered over your shoulder joint. With your eyes on the weight, roll to your side by driving through your heel. Keep your core engaged so that your hips and shoulder girdle roll as a unit.
• Keeping the bar over your shoulder and your eyes on the weight, reverse the movement and return to lying on your back.