Landmine Press: Variations, Alternatives, and How-to guide

The Landmine Press is an exercise that primarily works your front deltoids and is usually done standing or kneeled, and one arm at a time. If you lean back slightly and use both of your arms, you’ll work your upper chest more, but it remains a primarily deltoid dominant exercise. To do the Landmine Press, you need to lift one end of a loaded barbell off the floor until you are in the starting position. Be careful when lifting and putting down the barbell. Alternatives include the Single-arm Dumbbell Press, Kettlebell Bottom Up Press, and the Incline Bench Press.

Introduction

In this article I'll describe what the landmine press is, how I perform this exercise, which muscles are worked by it, and how subtle changes in your posture during this exercise impact its effectiveness.

This is going to be a long article, so make sure to use the ‘table of contents’ section to navigate to your desired section quickly, or simply read this article from beginning to end.

Let’s get started!

What is the landmine press?

The Landmine Press is a shoulder exercise where you hold one end of a barbell with one or both hands at shoulder height and press it upwards, while the other end of the barbell is attached to or grounded on a pivot point on the floor.

This pivot point is called the landmine attachment, but you can also simply rest the end of the barbell against the wall in the corner of the room to stabilize it in place so you can press the other end up above your shoulders.

This exercise mainly targets your shoulder muscles and is a great exercise for building strength in your shoulders as well as improve overall stability and core strength.

Muscles worked by the landmine press

As noted above, the Landmine Press mainly works your shoulder muscles as the primary movers. However, and as with most other exercises, many other muscles are involved as well. Let's see which muscles are worked when you do this exercise.

Primary muscle worked

The primary muscles worked by the Landmine Press are your shoulder muscles, in particular, the front or anterior deltoids.

Anterior Deltoids

The anterior, or front, deltoid is the main muscle worked during the Landmine Press, but the exercise does not isolate the front deltoids exclusively. Of course, the exercise also works the intermediate part of the deltoid (also known as the side or lateral deltoids), although to a slightly lesser extent than the anterior deltoid.

Your deltoids help in shoulder flexion, i.e., lifting your arm above up and in the air, which is exactly what you will be doing in the Landmine Press, except now you also need to push the weight of the barbell (including any weight plates) up.

Other movements that your shoulders are concerned with, are abduction (raising your arms out to your sides), extension (moving your arms to the back), and rotation (shoulder rotation from within your joint sockets) of your shoulders.

Secondary muscles worked

Numerous other muscles are activated in addition to the (front) deltoids. Below I’ll describe these other muscle groups:

Triceps

Your triceps are involved in extending your arms and they’re activated during the Landmine Press at the top of each repetition.

You can perform the Landmine Press with or without a lockout of your elbows in the top position (scroll to the Tips section below for more on this!).

If you do lock out your arms, you put on more tension on your triceps and relieve some tension from your shoulder muscles. Lock out your arms if you want to put more work on your triceps.

On the other hand, do not lock out your elbows if you want to keep most tension on your shoulders (your deltoids) instead. If you mainly want to focus on your shoulder muscles in the Landmine Press, then keep your elbows slightly bent at the top position (just slightly!).

To summarize:

Want more triceps activation in the Landmine Press? Then lock out your elbows!

Want more deltoid activation in the Landmine Press? Avoid locking out your elbows!

Pectoralis major (clavicular portion or upper chest)

The main chest muscle is the pectoralis major, which can be divided in an upper chest, or the clavicular portion… and a lower chest, or the sternocostal portion.

When performing a vertical pressing motion under an angle, such as when doing incline bench press or in this case, the Landmine Press, the upper chest (the clavicular portion of the pectoralis major) is involved too besides the shoulder muscles.

Depending on the angle with which you press the weight vertically, the upper chest portion of your pecs are more or less involved in assisting your deltoids.

The more vertical the movement is, the less your upper chest is targeted, while the less vertical the movement or exercise is, the more the upper chest will assist the deltoids.

If you understand the above sentence that’s highlighted in bold, you can slightly adjust your upper body position during the Landmine Press to activate your upper chest slightly more (hint: lean back a bit when performing the exercise to put more strain on your upper chest muscles).

Trapezius

The trapezius muscle is the big muscle in the upper middle part of your back and consists of a top, middle, and lower section (or more specifically, superior, middle, and inferior fibers of the trapezius, respectively).

The trapezius muscle's main function is stabilizing and moving your scapulae (i.e., your shoulder blades).

When doing the Landmine Press, as with most (perhaps, all?) shoulder press or shrugging exercises, you need to retract your shoulder blades during the whole exercise. This retraction of your shoulder blades is exactly where your trapezius muscle is involved indirectly.

So if you do the exercise right and with the correct technique, your traps are activated the whole time (because your shoulders are, if you’re doing it right, retracted during the exercise).

Check out my article on ”How to flex biceps” for more info on proper shoulder position and what it looks like to retract your shoulder blades!

Serratus anterior

The serratus anterior lies at the side of your body and is basically the side muscle of the chest, and its function is to your clavicula (i.e., your shoulder blade) forward and around your chest. You can see it when you have a low body fat percentage at the side of your chest over your ribs.

Core muscles (Abdominal External Oblique muscle)

Of your core muscles the Abdominal External Oblique muscle (or simple External Obliques) is activated when doing the Landmine Press in order to keep your stability, especially when doing the Landmine Press one arm at a time, and if you want to make this muscle work even more during the Landmine Press, do the exercise in a kneeling position.

Landmine Press variations

There are basically three variations of the Landmine Press, which are:

• Standing Landmine Press
• Kneeling Landmine Press
• Landmine Chest Press

The Standing Landmine Press is the variant that's most associated with the Landmine Press in general. You do this exercise, as its name suggests, standing and with one arm.

1. Standing Landmine Press

The standing (as well as the kneeling) Landmine Press is basically a shoulder press exercise done with a barbell. One end of the barbell rest on the floor (usually secured at its places with a Landmine attachment), while the other end is loaded with weight plates.

Simply put, you lift the loaded end of the barbell to shoulder height, and then push that end above and over your head with one or both arms.

The Standing Landmine Press is usually performed with one arm at a time.

2. Kneeling Landmine Press

The Kneeling Landmine Press is in fact the same exercise as the Standing Landmine Press, but performed with usually one knee on the floor (some people put both knees on the floor, which requires more core stability compared to having only one knee on the floor).

3. Landmine Chest Press

Then there is of course also, as some people call it, the Landmine Chest Press.

The Landmine Chest Press is in essence still a shoulder press exercise (like the other variations of the Landmine Press), but it is performed such that the upper chest is activated a bit more during the exercise compared to the other variants.

You do that by pushing the barbell from shoulder height with both arms, while just slightly leaning back with your upper body (again, just very slightly!).

This makes the angle of the motion slightly smaller, mimicking the biomechanics of the incline chest press exercise (but remember, it’s not the same exercise!).

Differences between the variations

Let’s describe the differences between these variations in a bit more detail:

Standing vs kneeling Landmine Press

In the standing Landmine Press, more demand is placed on your overall stability to maintain the correct posture and technique, compared to the kneeling Landmine Press. This is partly because the center of gravity in this variation is much higher than in the kneeling Landmine Press (think of a tall vs. a low object: the tall one has lower stability compared to the low object).

On the other hand, I find that when I perform the kneeling Landmine Press, although keeping my stability is now easier compared to the standing version, my core muscles are more activated to keep my posture correct.

Shoulder vs chest Landmine Press

We can split the standing Landmine Press further into two variations:

• The standing Landmine Shoulder Press
• The standing Landmine Chest Press

Both mainly exercise your deltoids as discussed above in the section about the muscles being worked, but the standing Landmine Chest Press puts a bit more emphasis on your (upper) chest muscles.

When comparing the standing Landmine Chest Press vs. the standing Landmine Shoulder Press regarding stability, then the standing Landmine Shoulder Press requires most attention to your stability.

Why?

Well, although both variants are done standing (and thus, the total center of gravity is higher compared to the kneeling Landmine Press), the Landmine Shoulder Press makes stabilizing your body even harder because the exercise is usually performed with only one arm at a time (in comparison, in the standing Landmine Chest Press you'll be holding the end of the barbell with both hands, which makes stability a slighlty lesser issue).

Let's describe how to perform these different Landmine Presses.

How to do the Landmine Press and its variations

Below I’ll describe how I do the standing and kneeling Landmine Press, as well as the Landmine Chest Press.

Assuming you have one end of the barbell fixed on the floor (either use a Landmine attachment or improvise by putting the end of the barbell in the corner of the wall) and the other end of the barbell loaded with the desired weight, stand before the loaded end, grab it, and lift that end of the barbell up (see the section 'Lifting and Lowering the barbell' for some tips on lifting the barbell up from the floor).

How I do the Standing Landmine Press

1. Starting position: Hold the loaded end of the barbell at shoulder height with one hand. Let the barbell 'rest' in the palm of your hand while your elbow is bent and in front of your abs. It shouldn't be too hard holding this position.
   
   Keep your feet shoulder width apart and hold one leg in front and the other to the back. This helps to keep your balance. Also keep your back straight at all times.
2. Press up (concentric phase): From the starting position, press the barbell up. Due to the nature of the exercise, the upward pressing movement should follow a slight forward trajectory.
   
   At the top position, you can either fully extend and lock out your elbow if you want to also engage your triceps more, or you can keep a slight bend in your elbow to keep your deltoids under maximum tension (in case you want to keep all focus on your deltoids).
   
   Whether you lock out your elbow or not, hold the barbell at the top position for a second or two, before lowering it.
3. Lower the barbell (eccentric phase): From the top position, lower the barbell slowly, smoothly, and in a controlled movement until you’re back at the starting position.
4. Repeat: Once you're back at the starting position, you’ve completed 1 rep. Repeat the exercise for the same arm for the required number of reps. After doing all reps with that arm, switch arms and repeat the exercise for the same number of reps.
   Doing both arms for the required number of reps constitutes one set.
   
   Finally, once you've done 1 set, lower the barbell to the floor again (see the section 'Lifting and Lowering the barbell' for tips on how to lower the barbell from the starting position to the floor).
   

How I do the Kneeling Landmine Press

1. Starting position: In the starting position, you'll have the barbell resting in the palm of your hands the same way as with the standing Landmine Shoulder Press. Everything else is also the same, except for your lower body.
   
   With the kneeling Landmine Press, you are kneeled down while you perform the exercise.
   
   You can have one knee on the floor and the other leg in front of you with the foot flat on the floor, or you can have both knees on the floor.
   
   Having both knees on the floor makes it even harder to stabilize. Most people (myself included), however, do the kneeling Landmine Press with only one knee on the floor and the other leg in front.
2. Press up (concentric phase): see standing Landmine Shoulder Press.
3. Lower the barbell (eccentric phase): see standing Landmine Shoulder Press.
4. Repeat: see standing Landmine Shoulder Press.

How I do the Landmine Chest Press

1. Starting Position: The starting position is the same as that of the Landmine Shoulder Press, except that now you hold the loaded end of the barbell with both hands. Again, let the barbell 'rest' in the palm of your hands. Your elbows are bent and in front of your abs.
   
   Your leg positions and back are the same as describe in the starting position of the Landmine Shoulder Press. Slightly lean back with your upper body for a bit more upper chest activation (again, just slightly!).
2. Press up (concentric phase): see Landmine Shoulder Press.
3. Lower the barbell (eccentric phase): see Landmine Shoulder Press.
4. Repeat: Since you’re use both arms to perform 1 repetition, it's evident that after completing the required number of reps, you have performed a full set. Hence, repeat the exercise for the required number of reps per set.
   
   Lower the barbell to the floor after completing a set (see the section 'Lifting and Lowering the barbell' on how to lower the barbell from the starting position back to the floor).

Getting into (and out of) the starting position

Before you even do the Landmine Press from the starting position as describe in the above variations, you need to get into the starting position first.

As a barbell is free-weight equipment, you need to somehow lift the barbell up into the correct position (and you need to be able to lower it on the floor again).

Below I'll give you some tips on how to lift and lower the barbell into and from the starting position as safely and as effectively as possible.

Lifting the barbell up from the floor

1. Position yourself correctly: Stand close to the barbell with your toes slightly under the bar.
2. Squat down and grab the barbell: Squat down fully as you would do a normal squat (keep your back straight) and grab the barbell with both hands.
3. Lift the barbell to your hip: Lift the barbell using your legs muscles only, until you’re standing straight and your arms are extended while holding the barbell in front of you. This is the first phase of the lift. Remember to keep your back straight!
4. Get into the standing Landmine Press: Dip down by slightly bending your knees, then extend your legs and pull the barbell with your arms up until around shoulder level. Also change grip of one of your hands to better grab the barbell (it doesn't matter which hand changes grip).
5. Optional: Get into the kneeling Landmine Press: If you want to do the kneeling Landmine Press, now is the time to kneel down with one knee (or both knees) on the floor. Again, maintain a straight back while kneeling down!
6. Get into the starting position: If you've changed your grip too much in the step 4a, once the barbell is at shoulder height and sits comfortable in the palms of both of your hands, now is the time to change your grip again until it's in the full stating position.
   
   If you are going to do the Landmine Chest Press, hold the barbell with both hands in your palms (with your fingers pointing up). Otherwise, let go of one hand.
   
   From this point on, follow the steps in the 'how to perform the exercise' in the previous sections.

Lowering the barbell to the floor

Lowering the barbell is usually easier than lifting the barbell up from the floor, as it naturally requires less strength. The main point to remember when lowering the barbell is to keep your back straight at all times!

Here are some guidelines for lowering the barbell:

1. Lower the barbell to hips height: After the last rep and once the barbell is in your hand in the starting position, grab the barbell firmly with both hands (you were already holding the barbell with both hands in case you were doing the Landmine Chest Press, of course).
   
   Then, lower the end of the barbell until it's around hips height and your arms are fully extended down.
2. If you were doing the kneeling Landmine Press: Simply lower the barbell further by bending at your hips but keeping your back straight, until the plates on the barbell rest on the floor again. You are now done.
3. 3. If you were doing the standing Landmine Press: Keep holding the barbell in front of your body with arms extended down, and squat down. Again, keep your back straight while you are squatting down. I can't stress that enough. Keep squatting down until at some point the plates are on the floor, and you're done!

Tips for performing the Landmine Press

Here are some extra tips to keep in mind when you perform the Landmine Press and its variations:

Keep your core tight

Keep your core muscles tight from start to finish during the Landmine Press to stabilize your body and minimize stress on your lower back. Focus on consciously contracting your abdominal muscles throughout the exercise to maintain proper form and stability.

Keep your back straight

Remember to maintain a neutral spine position to prevent excessive arching or rounding of your back. Ensure your spine stays aligned and straight throughout the movement, allowing the targeted muscles to engage effectively without unnecessary strain on your back.

To lock your elbows or not?

No lockout – you may avoid fully locking out your elbows at the top portion of the Landmine Press if you have elbow problems. Instead, maintain a slight bend in your elbows to reduce stress on the elbow joint. Another effect of not locking out your elbows is that you will place continuous tension on your shoulder muscles throughout the exercise (and thus, increasing time under tension).

Lock out – On the other hand, if you have no elbow problems you may lockout your elbows to activate your triceps more during each rep. If you want to make it really effective for your triceps, focus on fully contracting your triceps at the top position, i.e., when the bar is at the highest point and your elbow is locked out.

Perform controlled repetitions

Do each rep with control, precision and with maximum focus. Control the descending part of each repetition (the ‘eccentric’ part of the exercise) by lowering the weight slowly and smoothly, and perform the concentric part (pushing the barbell up) in an explosive yet controlled manner.

Avoiding uncontrolled rapid or jerky movements.

This controlled approach increases muscle activation and reduces the risk of injury by keeping your muscles engaged throughout the entire range of motion.

Alternatives to the Landmine Press

Alternatives to the landmine press that not only involve working your deltoids, but also engage other muscles to maintain stability, are:

• Standing, Single-arm Dumbbell Press., and
• Kettlebell Bottom Up Press.

An exercise that puts the main focus on the upper chest (yet still works the front deltoids to a large extend), but requires much less core engagement since stability is usually is not so much of an issue, is:

• Incline Bench Press.

1. Standing Single-arm Dumbbell Press

Just like to the Landmine Press, the Standing Single-arm Dumbbell Press targets your deltoids primarily. Yet, it also requires significant engagement of your core muscles for stability and balance, especially when you’re performing the exercise with one arm at a time.

Compared to the Landmine Press however, I find that the Standing Single-arm Dumbbell Press also requires more stability in my shoulder joint, especially when I go heavy. This is no surprise though. After all... in the Landmine Press, there is a fixed pivot point like a Landmine attachment (or the loose end of the barbell sits stable on the floor in the corner of a wall), in contrast to a dumbbell press which has no pivot point at all.

2. Kettlebell Bottom Up Press

The Kettlebell Bottom Up Press also mainly works your deltoids and requires a lot from the stabilizer muscles of your shoulder joint, forearm, and wrist. Your core muscles are yet again worked to keep your balance throughout your whole body, but most of the stabilization comes from your shoulder and wrist.

This exercise demands LOTS of stability and coordination with respect to your wrists, as you have to balance the kettlebell upside down throughout each rep!

The demands on your shoulder and wrist stability compared to the landmine press is significantly greater.

All of these alternatives are great if you want to target your deltoids, but they differ in their emphasis on muscle groups and stability requirements. The Standing, Single-arm Dumbbell Press and especially the Kettlebell Bottoms Up Press require a lot of stability in your wrist and shoulder muscles... more than the Landmine Press does.

On the other hand, the Incline Bench Press targets the upper chest primarily and demands less core and less shoulder stability compared to the Landmine Press or the other alternatives listed above.

3. Incline Bench Press

The Incline Bench Press primarily targets your upper chest muscles, but it also involves the front deltoids to a large extent. Unlike the Landmine Press, your deltoids play a secondary role in this exercise.

Compared to the Landmine Press though, the Incline Bench Press requires less core engagement and stability. This is because the bench itself provides support to your back, allowing you to focus more on pushing the barbell up using your chest (and deltoids) muscles without the same level of balance that is required in full standing pressing exercises.

Conclusion

I find the Landmine Press to be a a great shoulder builder that also requires full body stability, meaning it also works my core as well.

It's essentially a derivative exercise from the Barbell Shoulder Press, a vertical push exercise which is (as I regard it) the kind of shoulder pressing exercises.

You can use the Landmine Press (any of the variants discussed in this article) in a push workout, or use it during specific shoulder workouts.

A disadvantage of the Landmine Press, though, is the fact that you need to lift the barbell up from the floor before you can do this exercise (and lower it back to the floor after your set). Initially, this shouldn't be too much of a problem as you still don't have the strength to lift really heavy weight with your shoulders.

But as your shoulders get stronger and you’re able to push heavier weights, you find yourself loading the barbell heavier and heavier. The heavier the barbell becomes, the harder it will be to lift the barbell up to shoulder height just to be able to get in the starting position of this exercise.

All in all though, it's a great exercise to do with medium weight and focus on mind-muscle connection, or to hit your deltoids in a slightly different way while working on your stability as well.

So what do you think of the Landmine Press?