8 Best Landmine Exercises | Landmine Leg & Lower Body Workout
Pump Up Your Legs with the Best Landmine Exercises
Landmine training offers a killer lower-body workout. These versatile exercises allow you to safely load up a barbell in the corner of the gym and blast your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Landmine moves provide a great way to add squat, deadlift, and lunge variations that spark new muscle growth.
Unlike fixed barbells, the landmine bar can move in an arc that increases the range of motion to better target your legs. The rotating load also challenges your core stability. That dynamically engages more muscle fibers in your torso and lower body at once, incinerating calories while you build athletic prowess.
So grab an empty barbell and slip one end into the landmine. Then load up some weight plates and get ready to incinerate your legs.
What is a Landmine?
A landmine is a piece of strength-training equipment that securely holds one end of a barbell in place to the floor or wall. This creates a pivot point, so you can safely move the other free end of the loaded barbell in sweeping arcs and angles.
Landmines allow you to perform a variety of powerful and dynamic single-arm and single-leg exercises. This trains your body to stabilize and control an off-balanced load through a fuller range of motion for greater strength gains.
Gyms usually have specially designed landmine stations. But you can achieve a similar training effect by placing one end of a barbell into a corner of the gym and loading weight plates onto the other free end. Just be sure to choose an out-of-the-way corner that allows plenty of room to safely perform landmine exercises.
Benefits of Landmine Training
There are many excellent reasons to incorporate landmine moves into your lower body routines:
- MUSCLE: Hit your legs from fresh angles that standard squat and deadlift variations can’t reach. This provides new stimulation to spark additional lower-body muscle growth.
- VARIANT: The rotating load provides an unstable base that challenges your core to dynamically stabilize the resistance. This engages more total-body musculature for greater calorie burn.
- RANGE OF MOTION: Expands your mobility to allow deeper ranges of movement for increased flexibility and strength in the extended positions.
- VERSATILITY: One landmine setup allows you to quickly perform a variety of lower body exercises that specifically target your quads, hamstrings, and glutes from multiple angles.
- INTENSITY: The free range of motion enabled by landmines lets you train with higher intensity techniques like drop sets, partial reps, and supersets to spark new muscle growth.
- FUNCTIONAL: Simulates real-world lower body strength for improved athleticism with multi-dimensional movements. Powerfully trains your body to dynamically stabilize load shifts.
Now let’s breakdown the best leg exercises to perform with a landmine station:
1. Landmine Squats
The landmine barbell squat is a fantastic functional exercise. It allows for a greater range of motion versus a back squat with a straight barbell across your shoulders.
The sweeping arc of travel enabled by the landmine challenges your body to dynamically stabilize the shifting load for greater coordination and core strength. This engages your glutes, quads, and hamstrings through an expanded range.
How To Perform Landmine Squats:
- Stand with feet just wider than shoulder-width apart holding the end of the barbell.
- Drop your hips straight down until your thighs are at least parallel with the floor in the bottom squat position.
- Drive through your heels back to standing while swinging the bar back up in front of your body. That’s one rep.
The key is to sit your hips straight back on the descent. Let your knees naturally track forward without caving inward as you drop down. Explode back up driving through your glutes and hamstrings.
Use weights that let you complete 8-12 reps per set if going heavy. Perform 2-3 sets resting 1-2 minutes between. Or do lighter sets of 15+ reps for a killer burnout finisher at the end of leg day!
2. Landmine Reverse Lunges
Reverse lunges are excellent unilateral exercises that blast your quads, hamstrings, and glutes one leg at a time. Using a landmine bar expands the movement for greater flexibility through increased range of motion.
The sweeping arc of the landmine also challenges your core muscles to dynamically stabilize your torso against the directional load shifts.
How To Perform Landmine Reverse Lunges:
- Hold onto the end of the barbell in front of your body with both hands. Stand tall.
- Take an exaggerated step back with one leg lowering down until your back knee hovers just above the floor.
- Maintain an upright torso and keep your weight in your front glute and quad.
- Drive back up to the start position and repeat for all reps on one side before switching.
Perform 2-4 sets of 10-15 reps per leg. Focus on powering up through your front glute with each rep. Go lighter and higher volume here aiming for that major burn.
3. Landmine Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
The RDL is one of the best exercises for building a strong, sculpted posterior chain. Performing them one-legged with a landmine bar takes them up a notch by engaging your core and glutes to a greater extent for increased strength gains.
How To Do A Landmine Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift:
- Hold onto the end of the barbell in front of thighs with an overhand grip. Softly bend your knee.
- Hinge at your hips by pushing your glutes back to lower the barbell down in an arc sweeping toward the outside of your front leg.
- Keep your shoulders square as you hinge forward with a flat back.
- Only lower until you feel a mild stretch in your hamstring before driving your hips forward to return upright. That’s one rep.
Perform 10-15 controlled reps before immediately switching to repeat on your other leg with no rest between. Get ready to feel that hamstring burn!
4. Landmine Hack Squat
This unique squat variation places you into a staggered stance facing away from the landmine bar at a 45° angle. This hits your quads and glutes from a dramatically different angle than all other squats.
The uneven stance also challenges your core stability and balance to a greater degree. That further intensifies the muscle stimulation.
To Perform The Hack Squat:
- Load a barbell into the landmine holder. Facing away, stagger your feet at 45° with your feet slightly forward.
- Lean into the plate, placing bar on one shoulder.
- Descend until your knees are parallel with hips. Keep your torso upright and abs braced.
- Drive up forcefully through your front heel, sweeping the barbell back above your glutes.
Swap shoulders each set to evenly train both legs. Go slightly lighter here focusing on balance and technique for 2-3 sets of 10+ reps per side.
5. Landmine RDL
The Romanian Deadlift (RDL) targets the hamstrings and glutes exceptionally. By performing this exercise unilaterally using a landmine bar, you can take your posterior chain training up a notch.
Balancing on one leg while hinging forward challenges your stability and balance to a greater extent. This engages more core and glute muscle fibers for enhanced coordination.
How To Execute The Landmine Single-Leg RDL:
- Secure one end of a loaded barbell into the landmine station. Stand tall while grasping the free end of the barbell.
- Raise one foot slightly off the floor to isolate a single leg. Set your stance foot under your hips.
- Initiating movement by hinging at the hips, push your glutes straight back as you lower the barbell downwards.
- Descend until you feel a mild stretch in the hamstring of your working leg before driving your hips forwards to return upright.
- Perform 10-15 controlled reps before immediately switching to repeat on your opposite leg with no rest in between.
Maintain a flat back throughout motion. For increased time under tension, emphasize the eccentric lowering phase taking 3-4 seconds to drop down.
6. Landmine Lateral Lunge
Lateral lunges target your inner thighs and glutes while improving hip mobility. The landmine version enables you to drop into a deeper range of motion for greater flexibility.
The sweeping arc of the landmine also challenges your core stability on the frontal plane as you lunge from side to side.
How To Do Landmine Lateral Lunges:
- Stand tall holding the end of the barbell at your right shoulder. Feet are hip-width.
- Lunge laterally by taking an exaggerated step to the right. Drop straight down over your right foot.
- Descend until your right thigh is parallel with the floor in a deep lateral lunge position.
- Drive back left bringing your feet together to return upright. Repeat all reps then switch sides.
Perform 10-15 controlled reps on each leg for 2-3 sets. Focus on adequate rest between sets to maintain good form.
7. Landmine Split Squat Press
This brutal exercise combines a rear-foot elevated split squat with a shoulder press all in one movement. It trains your entire body from your shoulders to your calves for extreme athletic conditioning.
How To Do The Landmine Split Squat Press:
- Load the barbell into the holder. Stand staggered with your left foot forward holding the bar end at shoulder height.
- Lower down into a split squat until your rear knee hovers above the floor.
- Drive up with your front leg and press the barbell directly overhead. Lower back to start.
- Perform all reps on one side then immediately switch legs with no rest.
Use moderate weight focusing on controlled form for 10-12 reps each leg. Rest 60-90 seconds between sets.
8. Landmine Single-Leg Press
This challenging unilateral press variation works your entire body from your shoulders through your stance leg. It builds tremendous core strength and stability.
How To Do The Landmine Single-Leg Press:
- Load the barbell and stand sideways holding the end in both hands. Softly bend one leg up with foot hovering off the floor.
- Press the barbell directly overhead until your elbows fully straighten.
- Slowly lower back down with control. Perform all reps on one arm before switching.
Use lighter weight here emphasizing balance and technique - 10 to 15 reps each side for 2 to 3 sets.
Take Your Legs to the Next Level!
If you’re looking for a new training stimulus to spark increased muscle growth and athletic performance in your lower body, look no further than landmine training!
Landmine versions of squats, deadlifts, lunges, and presses enable you to safely use heavy loads through extreme ranges of motion your legs aren’t used to. This provides a radically different training effect.
The rotating dynamic resistance also challenges your core to stabilize against the sweeping barbell arc. This engages more total-body musculature in every movement for greater gains in coordination, balance, strength, and power output.
Incorporate a few of these excellent landmine exercises into your existing leg day routine.
Or build an entirely new workout to spark fresh lower body development. Either way - your quads, glutes, and hamstrings will thank you!
Frequently Asked Landmine Leg Exercise Questions
What are some good landmine hinge exercises?
Some excellent landmine hinge exercises are the landmine single leg romanian deadlift and landmine single leg.
With both exercises, you'll hinge at the hips by pushing your hips back to lower the barbell down in an arc. These moves target the hamstrings and glutes through an increased range of motion enabled by the landmine.
How do you perform a landmine press?
To perform a landmine press, load a barbell into the landmine holder. Facing the barbell, hold the end with both hands at shoulder level. Stand with feet hip-width apart, brace your core, and press the barbell directly overhead until arms lockout.
Slowly lower back down with control. The landmine press is a great full body pressing exercise.
What muscles does the landmine push press work?
The landmine push press works several muscle groups since it combines a press with a small dip. It engages the shoulders, triceps, upper back, quads, and glutes.
As you dip down before driving up, you'll generate momentum making it possible to press heavier loads than a strict press to spark strength and size gains.
How do you set up for a landmine T-bar row?
To perform landmine T-bar rows, securely load one end of the barbell into the landmine. Facing away from the bar near the free end, hold it underhanded. With a flat back, drive your elbow up, pulling the barbell toward your torso.
Squeeze those back muscles at the top! T-bar rows are a great landmine exercise for upper back strength.
What are some good squat variations to perform with a landmine?
Some excellent squat variations to perform with a landmine include: goblet squats which allow you to squat very deep with excellent form; Bulgarian split squats that blast each leg unilaterally; 45 degree angled squats that hit your legs from a unique new angle; and zercher squats where you hold the barbell in the crooks of your elbows against your body.
What is the landmine hack squat?
The landmine hack squat allows you to safely load up enormous weight onto the barbell for this powerful leg builder.
To perform it, face away from the landmine grasping the barbell behind your glutes. Keeping your torso upright, squat down by sending your hips straight back as if trying to sit in a chair behind you.
This allows you to overload your legs for increased size and strength.
How does using a landmine allow for more exercise variations?
The landmine provides a fixed pivot point that enables sweeping arcs and angles of movement not possible with traditional barbells. This allows for endless exercise options.
By securing one end of the barbell, it frees up the other end to move freely. You can perform one-arm and one-leg variants for increased core engagement. It also enables deeper ranges of motion.
Overall, it allows for many creative exercise options.
Landmine Exercises for Total Body Strength
As a certified personal trainer with over 10 years of experience, I cannot recommend landmine training enough for dramatically enhancing total body power and coordination. The sweeping arcs enabled by securing one end of a loaded barbell provide benefits for athletes of all levels.
The landmine attachment offers upper body pressing angles not possible with bench pressing alone. The single arm landmine press trains rotational power through your abdominals and obliques as you stabilize the load. Enhancing anti-lateral core strength improves throwing velocity, swinging power, and prevents injuries.
Landmine exercises also build tremendous grip strength in the palms and forearms by necessitating grip shifts during angled pressing movements. This has great carryover to deadlifts, rows, and pull ups for greater lifting capacity.
Due to the sweeping bar path, landmine training allows a deeper squat emphasizing glute and hamstring activation over quad dominance. This corrects muscle imbalances, realigns knees tracking over toes properly, and enhances athletic prowess.
The bottom of the squat position can be held for time under tension for extreme burn. Legendary bodybuilder John Meadows was famous for his torture drop sets with landmines.
The free moving end enables infinite single leg and single arm training options as well. By splitting the load unilaterally, core stability is challenged to a greater extent resulting in a stronger midsection and greater functional strength.
I often have athletes perform lateral lunge walks with landmines. They load resistance across the back of their shoulders held in place by the glutes and hamstrings of their stance leg. Then drop into deep lateral lunges stepping side to side down the gym to enhance hip mobility and outer thigh strength.
Landmine hack squats are another great landmine variation for overloading the legs safely with very heavy loads. By holding the barbell behind your glutes and keeping your torso upright, you can squat enormous amounts of weight.
In short - landmines should be a staple in every training program. They enable upper body pressing angles and single arm stability work not possible otherwise. As well as extreme squat and deadlift variations.
Give landmine training a try and watch your athleticism and strength soar!
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