Landmine Lifts
Landmine lifts are underrated.
My love & admiration for landmine lifts has grown tremendously in the last 6 months.
My transition from “..ehh” to “YEAH” happened once I began incorporating that little piece of metal into accessory work with half-kneeling single arm overhead presses.
Since then, I have found there to be so many reasons to integrate them into my program & my clients.
They bring so much versatility to your traditional lifts (that some people may get bored with after a bit).
The equipment needs are minimal & you can “hack” the set-up if you decide the $20 attachment isn’t worth your money.
They offer simple modifications for lifts we want to (read: should) incorporate that may cause discomfort due to lack of mobility, previous injuries, etc.
So, obviously, today we’re diving into landmine lifts. You’ll walk away from this post understanding what they are, how to set them up, why you might do them & knowing some basic lifts you can get started with.
What is a landmine lift?
Landmine lifts are done with a small piece of equipment that typically looks like two pieces of metal tube connected together with a hinge. One metal piece is for you to insert & clamp one end of your barbell, the other is either for you to place inside the center hole of a plate/plate stack or into a hole on a rack/rig.
Sometimes you may find it as a metal tube connected to a base. In that case the base typically is to be connected to the base of a rack/rig.
If you don’t have access to an attachment & don’t want to buy one, you can “hack” your set-up by wedging the end of your barbell into a corner of the room, rig/cage or anywhere similar that is sturdy & will hold the bar in place for you. Keep in mind in some cases this has potential to damage that end of the barbell depending on the surface you’re working off of.
Why do landmine lifts?
I see two major reasons to perform landmine lifts aside from the easy access & low cost.
Swapping a traditional barbell lift for a landmine variation can be a great way to “switch things up” without changing too much from the previous stimulus.
Typically I encourage clients to follow a program for at least 4 weeks before we change lifts around; this gives the body time to recognize & adapt to the stressors of the session & (potentially) progress.
If you’re someone who gets bored easily, swapping a goblet squat for a landmine squat may be enough of a change to keep you interested while still incorporating a similar movement/stimulus for your body to work with.
Of course, these movements are different (movement path shifts forward with landmine squat, possible difference in load) but still similar enough that it can be useful to incorporate if your other option is to get bored & stop altogether.
Because using a landmine attachment generally shifts the bar/movement path, it can be useful to incorporate if you find some movements uncomfortable.
Let me say this now that discomfort is different from pain - if you are in pain when lifting, you should stop and talk to an appropriate health care professional & address what’s going on (primary care doc, physical therapist… definitely not a personal trainer & maybe not a chircopracter).
Now, if you are experiencing discomfort due to something like mobility issues or sleeping wrong, swapping in a landmine movement might be a perfect solution.
The change in movement path can slightly shift the emphasize of different working muscles or remove the need for mobility in certain joints.
Take the traditional strict barbell overhead press (OHP);
If you are someone who lacks shoulder mobility you may incorporate a landmine OHP that requires less shoulder flexion (reaching up overhead). Doing so can help you continue to target a primary movement pattern, vertical pressing, as you simultaneously work on improving shoulder mobility. As you work to improve mobility you can also continue to work on shoulder strength. Then once mobility improves you can progress back to the traditional OHP & won’t have missed a beat.
Landmine lifts I love:
To recap;
Landmine lifts are versatile, simple to modify & can keep things excited if you’re someone prone to boredom when following a progressive lifting program.
If you’re new to landmine lifts,
give ‘em a try!
Drop your questions below & comment your fav landmine lift or the one you’re going to try next!
Hey, I’m Kirsi!
Certified Personal Trainer & online fitness coach
I help women explore their strength & challenge themselves with simple programming & comprehensive coaching.
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