A Fitness Road Less Traveled

As a personal trainer, I am always on the lookout for exercises that are effective, efficient, and safe for my clients. One exercise that ticks all these boxes is the landmine exercise. In this article, I will explain what landmine exercises are and share the top three benefits of including them in your workout routine.

What are Landmine Exercises?

Landmine exercises involve holding one end of a barbell in a landmine attachment while performing exercises that work various muscle groups. The landmine attachment allows for more natural and fluid movement patterns, reducing the risk of injury and making exercises more functional. There are many different landmine exercises you can do, including rows, presses, squats, and lunges.

Now, let’s dive into the top three benefits of doing landmine exercises:

Improved Core Strength and Stability

One of the biggest benefits of doing landmine exercises is that they can improve your core strength and stability. By holding the barbell at one end and performing various exercises, your core muscles are forced to work harder to stabilize your body. This not only helps improve your posture and balance but also can help prevent injury during other exercises and everyday activities.

One great example of a landmine exercise that targets the core is the landmine Russian twist. To perform this exercise, place the end of the barbell in a landmine attachment, grab the other end with both hands, and lift the barbell off the ground. Then, twist your torso to one side while keeping your hips facing forward. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. This exercise targets your obliques, rectus abdominis, and transverse abdominis, all important core muscles.

Increased Upper Body Strength and Power

Another major benefit of doing landmine exercises is that they can help you increase your upper body strength and power. Because you’re using a single arm to hold the barbell, you’ll be working each side of your body independently, helping to reduce muscle imbalances. Additionally, landmine exercises require you to move explosively, helping to build power and speed in your upper body.

One effective landmine exercise for building upper body strength and power is the landmine push press. To perform this exercise, start with the barbell in the landmine attachment and hold the other end at your shoulder. Dip down slightly and then explosively drive the barbell up overhead while pushing off your back foot. This exercise works your shoulders, triceps, and upper chest, helping you build overall upper body strength and power.

Joint-Friendly and Versatile Exercises

Finally, landmine exercises are joint-friendly and versatile, making them an excellent option for individuals with joint pain or limitations. Because the landmine attachment allows for more natural movement patterns, there’s less stress placed on your joints. This reduces the risk of injury. Additionally, there are many different landmine exercises you can do, making it easy to customize your workout routine based on your fitness goals and limitations.

One example of a joint-friendly and versatile landmine exercise is the landmine reverse lunge. To perform this exercise, start with the barbell in the landmine attachment and hold the other end at your shoulder. Step back with one foot and lower your body down until your front thigh is parallel to the ground. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. This exercise targets your glutes, hamstrings, and quads.

If you own dumbbells, but not plates, now you can use your dumbbells to do landmines.  The Dualbell dumbbell attachment lets you use your dumbbells like weight plates.  You can check out Dualbell here.