What Are Landmine Exercises? Basics and Benefits

Landmine exercises give you a better range of movement and accessibility to muscles that other exercises don't. (Image via Flickr)
Landmine exercises give you a better range of movement and accessibility to muscles that other exercises don't. (Image via Flickr)

Landmine exercises are a sort of resistance training that can improve your fitness in numerous ways.

These adaptable workouts aid in the development of strength and muscular hypertrophy. In addition to enhancing balance and stability, landmine training helps correct physical misalignments.


All About Landmine Exercises

A landmine is a piece of training equipment in which one end of a barbell is inserted into a tube, letting the weight to move freely and in any angle or direction, resulting in a more natural range and pattern of movement.

In addition to providing support for the bars, a Landmine can be used for a variety of workouts and activities, including lower and upper body exercises, squats, bench presses, pull-ups, push-ups, abdominal exercises, etc.

Due to the imbalance created by the load, landmines change conventional motions, like in squats and military presses, into a different type of stimulus, creating a variation in the traditional workout form.

It can be a useful training tool for those who struggle with complex exercises (squats), have limited mobility (overhead presses) or wish to lessen joint pressure.


Benefits of Landmine Exercises

A landmine renders several workouts and motions safer and more accessible, reducing the danger of injury. Here are some more advantages:

  • The primary benefit is the stimulation of the Core Zone, which increases stability. That is related to the peculiarity of the load, which causes a 'torque'and the fact that we begin to perceive the effort just by integrating the weight of the bar itself and clutching unilaterally.
  • It's also a viable option for individuals who are just beginning to train with free weights.
  • Landmine can provide results in terms of Muscle Endurance and Metabolic Conditioning without the usage of heavy loads.
  • It's beneficial for individuals with injuries, misalignments or limited movement.
  • Landmine exercises require little area, so they're ideal for individuals with restricted space.
  • Many individuals find landmine training easier than identical exercises with barbells and dumbbells.
  • Landmine exercises can be used to master fundamental movements like squatting, lunging and rotation.
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Overall, landmine exercises can provide you with some interesting variations of regular exercises while also allowing you to access muscles that are difficult to train in other workouts.


Some Common Landmine Exercises

Let us check out some easy landmine exercises that you can do.


1) Landmine Squat

This exercise work all your lower body muscles (quads, glutes, hamstrings) along with your core, traps, deltoids, scapular stabilisers and obliques. It's an excellent compound workout.

Here's how you execute a landmine squat:

  • Separate your feet by shoulder-width.
  • Maintain the bar against the chest.
  • As you squat, engage your core, and stretch your spine.
  • When your thighs are parallel to the floor, you should stop.
  • Returning to the starting posture, engage your glutes and legs.
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2) Landmine Half-kneeling Press

This exercise works out your deltoids, pectoralis major and minor, scapular stabilisers, triceps, obliques, core muscles and glutes.

Here's how to do a half-kneeling landmine press:

  • Kneel with your forward left knee.
  • Hold the barbell with your right hand in front of your chest.
  • Utilise your abdominals and glutes.
  • Press the barbell straight up till your arm reaches its full extension.
  • Engage your core while you maintain this position for one to two seconds.
  • Slowly return the weight to its initial position.
  • Perform the above steps on the opposite side.

3) Landmine Single Arm Press

This is one of the best landmine exercises, which helps you work out a variety of muscles including your deltoids, pectoralis major and minor, scapular stabilisers, triceps, obliques, core muscles and glutes.

Here's how to do a single-arm landmine press:

  • In a split stance, position your left foot forward.
  • Apply your body weight on your rear leg.
  • Hold the bar with your right hand in front of your chest.
  • As you perform an upward press, move your weight to your front foot.
  • Maintain this position for one to two seconds.
  • As you lower the bar to the starting position, press your weight into your rear leg.
  • At the same time, stretch your chest by rotating your upper body to the right.
  • Perform the above steps on the opposite side.

4) Landmine Row

The landmine row is another great exercise that works out a bunch of muscles, including the deltoids, traps, erector spinae, lats and glutes. This exercise targets most of the muscles that are responsible for a good posture.

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This is how to execute a landmine row:

  • Align your right side against the bar.
  • Bending at the hips, grasp the bar with the right hand.
  • Extend your spine; engage your core, and keep your knees slightly bent.
  • Raise the weight to your chest by bending your elbow and bringing it close to your torso.
  • Lower the bar, and perform the exercise on the opposite side.

Takeaway

Landmines provide endless possibilities and work out a lot of your muscles at once. They also remove limitations in exercise for those who have limited mobility, offering a great option to include in your routine.

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Edited by Bhargav