Landmine Press
A standing two-handed press of a barbell anchored at one end, driving the bar up and away along a fixed arc.
How to do it
- Wedge one end of a barbell into a landmine sleeve or a padded corner.
- Load the free end and stand facing it with your feet hip-width apart.
- Cup the loaded end with both hands and bring it to chest height.
- Brace your core, squeeze your glutes and hinge very slightly at the hips.
- Press the bar up and away along its arc until both arms are straight.
- Hold briefly, then lower the bar back to your chest under control.
Key technique cue
Press along the arc of the bar, not straight up; ribs down, no back arch.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Pressing straight up instead of following the bar's arc, which fights the anchor and stalls the rep.
- ✕ Letting the ribs flare at lockout, which turns the press into a lower back extension.
- ✕ Holding the bar loosely so it slides in the hands, which ends the set on grip rather than shoulders.
- ✕ Using an unsecured corner setup, which lets the bar skate sideways under load.
Benefits
- ✓ The fixed arc presses in front of the body, which suits lifters short on overhead range.
- ✓ Needs only a barbell and an anchor, so it works in gyms without a landmine attachment.
- ✓ Bracing against a forward load keeps the core working on every rep.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Landmine Press
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Step 2
About the exercise
A landmine is a barbell with one end pinned to the floor, so the loaded end travels through an arc instead of a straight vertical line. For the standing press you cup that end with both hands at chest height, brace the core and glutes, hinge slightly at the hips and press up and away until both arms are straight. The deltoids lead the press with the chest, triceps, core and glutes supporting, and the fixed arc keeps the work in front of the body, which suits lifters who cannot get comfortably overhead.
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