A landmine station can work wonders when it comes to focusing on core stability and rotational power, but this versatile tool can be used to target any muscle group you’re looking to strengthen.
And with the ability to perform so many compound, multi-muscle group movements, landmines are quite effective when it comes to full body workouts.
You can get a full workout in by switching from one move to the next or simply add a landmine exercise into your routine here or there for a little added variety.
Either way, implementing landmine exercises into your workouts can be an interesting way to keep things fresh.
So, if you’re convinced and ready to join the landmine revolution, keep reading.
In this article, I’ll go over some of the best landmine exercises we can do to target every muscle group in our bodies.
After reading, you’ll be ready to get started with you own workouts.
Let’s roll.
A Few Quick Words On Landmines
If you’re reading this on purpose, I have to assume you already know what a landmine station is, so we can skip reviewing the definition.
But I do want to say that landmine stations (aka “landmines”) are awesome.
I didn’t start doing landmine exercises on the reg until more recently.
I was familiar with ’em and had seen plenty of people use ’em at the Gold’s I used to go to, but it wasn’t until I got a power rack (Force USA’s X15 Pro) that had an included landmine station that I started giving ’em a try for myself.
Having the anchored point gives you a lot of available motion, which is largely why these setups are so versatile.
They’re kinda like a makeshift functional trainer, minus the expensive equipment.
Speaking of equipment, if you don’t have a power rack or a stand alone landmine station, don’t worry – all you really need is a barbell and some plates.
If you have the space for it, you can always anchor a barbell in the corner of a room, but you can also put one end of the barbell in a plate on the floor to keep it posted.
And if you’re looking for something a little more proper, you can always invest in an affordable barbell anchor.
But there’s really not much you can’t do with a landmine station – I bet you can find a way to do a landmine version of any strength training move out there.
Speaking of which, let’s get to the good stuff already.
The below exercises aren’t exactly listed in any particular order (other than my personal preference), so don’t feel the need to prioritize the ones at the beginning over the ones at the end.
And again, you could make a beast of a workout and do all of these or simply pick a couple that you like best.
Enjoy.
The 7 Best Landmine Exercise For a Full Body Workout
#1 Landmine Squat Thrust
The squat thrust is a great exercise no matter how you do it, but it lends itself exceptionally well to the landmine station because the anchored bar makes for improved balance and the reduced shoulder range of motion makes it more comfortable.
And when it comes to full body moves, it’s gonna be hard to find a single exercise that works more muscles at once.
The squat thrust (or “thruster”) is basically the combination of a squat and a shoulder press, so it hits everything in your legs and shoulders at the same time.
But you’ll find your core is working really hard too, especially as you squat down.
You’ll also find it doesn’t take long for your heart rate to go up with this one, so you can get a great cardio workout as well.
Make sure you keep your feet nice and wide and try to maintain a neutral back throughout the movement.
You can do this exercise with both hands at the same time or one arm at a time for more variety.
#2 Landmine Oblique Twist
This is the landmine exercise I probably use most, although I do a fair amount of squat thrusts too.
I like the oblique twist because it targets the core, but it really gets the shoulders burning too – and since we’re working multiple muscle groups, that heart rate up is going to climb as well.
With this move, be careful with how much back rotation you use – keep it comfortable and don’t push past your limits.
Also, you don’t need much weight with this one.
This exercise is all about core stability and keeping your back in a safe position. If you start feeling pain, it’s time to drop weight, reposition, or skip this move all together.
That said, it’s a great exercise to help prevent back issues.
I also like to keep a little bend in my knees for added comfort and of course, keep that core tight throughout the movement.
#3 Landmine Half-Kneeling Shoulder Press
This exercise is surprisingly difficult.
The idea is simple enough, but maintaining a half-kneeling position works you balance and core harder than you might think.
This exercise targets the shoulders, but again, your core will be working pretty hard on this one too.
And if you have any shoulder issues that make other exercises uncomfortable, you might fine the landmine to be a more comfortable alternative.
You might have to wiggle around a little to find the optimal distance from the bar and using a pad under your knee helps too.
This exercise would make a great finisher for shoulder day.
#4 Landmine T-Bar Row
I’ve done standing barbell rows for years because it’s such a great back exercise, but I’ve found myself doing a lot of landmine T-bar rows these days.
Honestly, I’ve been using them because they’re more comfortable for my elbows (I have issues with both medial and lateral epicondylitis, very tedious), but it’s still a great exercise.
This move targets your back (rhomboids, lats, erector spinae), but your glutes, hamstrings, and core will get some action too.
When doing this exercise, make sure you’re initiating by squeezing those shoulder blades together and try to make sure you keep ’em low and away from your ears.
Also try to avoid rounding your back, as that will increase risk of back injury.
Overall though, great exercise.
Oh, and if you don’t have a landmine attachment for this move, you can use a narrow cable handle like the gentleman in the video does.
#5 Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
I have a love/hate relationship with this exercise (and any other Romanian deadlift variety for that matter) – I love how effective it is, but I kinda hate doing it.
But if you’re looking for a great leg/core move, it’s worth trying.
The landmine makes this challenging move a little more doable because having the anchored bar makes the balance aspect a little easier.
But just like the dumbbell variety, this exercise is going to hit your glutes and hamstrings hard.
Make sure you’re hinging from the hip and keeping your spine neutral and focus on keeping that belly button in to activate your core.
And even though this is the Romanian variation, make sure you keep a little bend in that knee for safety.
#6 Reverse Lunge With A Press
This move is similar to the squat thrust in that it combines a classic leg move with a shoulder press, but this one adds a little extra balance flavor.
Kinda like the difference between traditional squats and lunges.
And doing one leg at a time means you get 2x as many total reps, which’ll be great for burning more calories.
This exercise targets the legs and shoulders, but again, your core is gonna have no choice but to kick in to make sure you don’t topple over.
And since this is a lunge, all those adductor and abductors will get a little more involved too.
If you’re like me, you won’t need a lot of weight with this one – I like to keep the weight light and focus on higher rep counts.
#7 Shoulder to Shoulder Press
Rounding out my list here is a classic shoulder move.
It’s likely the easiest exercise on this list, but it works great as a shoulder finisher when you’re trying to work your delts to failure.
And moving the weight from side to side will get your core working too.
Since we’re using two hands on this one, you’ll be able to add a little more weight and don’t forget that each side equals 1 rep.
Again, I like to use this exercise at the end of my shoulder workout, but you could also use it as a warm up.
And if you’re working out with a friend, it would be a fun exercise to have a friendly competition with – you know, see who can get the most reps in with the same weight.
I like to do it standing, as shown in the video, but I don’t see why you couldn’t do this from a kneeling position if you wanted to.
Final Thoughts
Well, there ya have it, 7 great landmine exercises to help ya get a great fully body workout.
Landmine stations are highly versatile and there are a ton of other great exercises that could’ve easily made this list.
I ultimately chose the above moves because I think they hit most of the major muscle groups and most of ’em work several muscle groups at once.
That, and the fact these are exercises I personally like to perform.
As I was writing this, I realized none of these exercises do much for the pecs.
Personally, I don’t fine landmines especially helpful for doing pec exercises, but if you wanted to get on the floor or slide a bench near one I guess you could do some ipsilateral chest presses…
Anyway, I hope you found this guide helpful.
And as always, if you know of any great landmine exercises that deserve a spot on this list, please share – just leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you shortly.
