Landmine Press
What Is the Landmine Press?
Landmine Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders and also engages the upper chest, triceps and serratus anterior. It is a beginner-level movement in which you stand facing a barbell anchored at one end in a landmine and press the free end up and forward with both hands clasped together at the center of your chest.
Because the far end of the bar is fixed to the floor, the free end travels along a diagonal arc rather than straight up. That path sits between a bench press and an overhead press, so you build pressing strength through the front of the shoulders without having to raise your arms fully overhead. Coaches use it for lifters whose shoulders do not tolerate overhead pressing, and as an accessory press on upper-body or full-body days. Reaching the bar all the way out at the top lets the shoulder blades glide forward and up around the rib cage, which is where the serratus anterior earns its place on this lift.
Holding the bar end with both hands keeps the elbows in front of the body, so this version shares more of the work with the upper chest than the Landmine Single-Arm Press does, and it usually lets you handle more weight. Since the load sits on your midline, there is little twisting to resist, and the core works mainly to keep the ribs down and the lower back from arching. The single-arm version is the next step when you want each side to work on its own and the core to resist rotation as well.
The two-handed Landmine Press suits beginners learning to press, lifters with limited overhead mobility and anyone returning to pressing after shoulder irritation has settled. The empty bar is often enough load to start with. If even that feels hard to control, build pressing strength first with Incline Push-Ups and then the Push-Up.
Muscles Worked
- Deltoid
- Primary
- Pectoralis Major
- High
- Serratus Anterior
- Medium
- Erector Spinae
- Minimal
Instructions
- Secure one end of a barbell in a landmine base and load any plates onto the free end.
- Stand facing the free end with your feet parallel and about shoulder-width apart, knees soft.
- Lift the end of the bar to your upper chest and wrap both hands around it, one hand cupped over the other, with your elbows pointing down and slightly out.
- Brace your abs, squeeze your glutes and keep your ribs down, letting your body lean slightly toward the bar.
- Press the bar up and forward along its arc until both arms are straight.
- At the top, let your shoulder blades reach forward with the bar while your shoulders stay down away from your ears.
- Lower the bar under control back to your upper chest, keeping your wrists straight and your elbows under the bar end.
- Repeat for the planned reps, then bend your knees and lower the bar end to the floor.
Common Mistakes
Leaning back and arching
Tipping the torso back to make the press more vertical arches the lower back and shifts stress away from the shoulders and onto the spine.
Flaring the elbows
Letting the elbows drift wide to the sides at the bottom strains the front of the shoulder and weakens the press, so keep them pointing down and slightly out under the bar end.
Cutting the reach short
Stopping with the elbows still bent and the shoulder blades pinned back skips the top of the press, where the shoulder blades should glide forward with the bar.
Dropping the bar
Letting the bar fall back to the chest instead of lowering it under control loses tension and risks the bar end hitting your chest or chin.
Bending the wrists back
Letting the bar end fold the wrists back loads the wrist joints instead of stacking the bar over the forearms.
Loading too heavy too soon
Adding plates before the form is solid makes the hips and lower back drive the bar, turning a strict press into a loose push.
Injuries
Landmine Press is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The pivot guides the bar along one fixed arc, and the diagonal path keeps your arms below the fully overhead position that many irritated shoulders complain about, which is why physical therapists and coaches often use it when overhead pressing hurts.
The usual strain points are the lower back, the front of the shoulder and the wrists. Leaning back to make the press more upright arches the lower back and lets the ribs flare, so brace your abs, squeeze your glutes and let your whole body lean slightly toward the bar instead. Flaring the elbows wide at the bottom puts the front of the shoulder in a less comfortable position, so keep them pointing down and slightly out under the bar end. Keep your wrists straight rather than letting the bar bend them back, and lower the bar under control so it never drops into your chest or chin.
To make it easier, use a lighter load and a shorter range, stopping where the movement stays comfortable. Once strict two-handed reps feel solid, progress to the Landmine Single-Arm Press, then to the Landmine Single-Arm Push Press or the Landmine Squat and Press when you want to add leg drive.
Stop the set if you feel a sharp or pinching pain in the front or top of the shoulder, pain or tingling that travels down the arm, or pain in the lower back. If the pain returns on the next session, get it checked by a qualified clinician before you load the movement again.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How is the two-handed Landmine Press different from the single-arm version?
Holding the bar with both hands lets you press more weight, keeps the load on your midline and shares more of the work with the upper chest. The Landmine Single-Arm Press trains each side on its own and makes the core resist rotation, because the load sits off to one side.
- Q: Can the Landmine Press replace the overhead press?
For most lifters whose shoulders do not tolerate the Barbell Overhead Press, it is a good stand-in, because it trains the same pressing muscles along a diagonal path that does not need full overhead mobility. It does not train strength in the fully overhead position, so athletes who need that should return to overhead pressing when their shoulders allow it.
- Q: Do I need a landmine attachment?
No. You can wedge one end of a barbell into a corner, with a towel to protect the wall, or against a heavy plate on the floor. A landmine base keeps the end from sliding and lets the bar pivot smoothly, so it is the better option when you have one.
- Q: How much weight should I start with?
Start with the empty bar. The floor end carries part of the bar's weight, so the end you press feels lighter than the bar's full weight. Add small plates once you can do 12 clean reps with no lean back.
- Q: How many sets and reps should I do?
Three or four sets of 6 to 12 reps works well for building strength and muscle. Use it after your main lift of the day, or as your main press when overhead pressing is off the table.