Learn the best landmine exercises, which you can do at home or at the gym, to strengthen your back and protect it from injury
If you have a desk job – or if you just sit a lot – chances are that your back isn’t as strong as it should be. And because we don’t use it as much anymore, our backs start to weaken and shorten. This puts us at risk for injury and lower-back pain.
What’s causing this? The typical office job doesn’t require much movement. We sit all day, which makes our backs weaker. This means that the muscles usually used to support our backs are slowly missing out on exercise, so they can’t work as well as they should.
This is why you should do some exercises to strengthen your back muscles. They won’t be able to work properly without them, which will help you prevent injury and relieve lower-back pain naturally.
What is a Landmine?
One of the best ways to strengthen your back is by using a landmine. If you’ve never used one before, it isn’t as complicated as it sounds – and there are plenty of exercises you can do with it.
A landmine is essentially a weight that’s attached to a long pole and balanced on the floor. It’s like having a barbell that’s nailed into the ground: You can use it for various exercises, such as shoulder presses, squats, and more. The landmine is a great tool to exercise your back and core while also protecting your body. If you’ve ever injured your back and had to stop working out, it’s one of the best (and quickest) ways to build some strength and move right along with your workout again.
Benefits of Landmine Exercises
Landmine exercises are great because you’re protected while working out. This is because the weight of the landmine is on the ground, so if you lose your balance or fall, there’s more cushion for your fall. Here are several benefits of using a landmine for back exercises:
- Improved Balance and Stability: The core muscles located in the middle of your body (along with some smaller muscles) help stabilize your back and increase balance.
- Strength and Muscle Growth: Using the landmine will help you strengthen your stabilizer muscles, which is good for protecting your back and improving overall strength. This will also give you more power and improved muscle growth (which is great for building definition and reducing body fat).
- Reduced Back Pain: Because of the muscles used to stabilize your back, landmine exercises help to protect you from injury and lower-back pain. By strengthening these muscles, you’re less likely to get injured when falling or pushing.
- Injury Prevention: Even if you’re not on your feet all day, landmine exercises can also help prevent foot and ankle injuries. It’s important to strengthen the muscles around your feet and ankles to protect them from overuse and injury.
The overall benefits of landmine exercises are fantastic. By doing them correctly, you’re going to get a great workout and strengthen your muscles. This will help protect you from injury and other issues while also improving your overall strength.
Incorporating landmine exercises into your routine can help improve balance, stability, and functional strength. Combine this with walking in place for cardio to aid weight loss and overall fitness. Your body will thank you for the added endurance and power.
8 Different Landmine Exercises
Landmine exercises are surprisingly valuable for people who suffer from back pain, and they’re also great for regular exercise routines. They are usually used to strengthen the deep back muscles, decrease stress in your lumbar region, and protect your spine.
If you ever wanted to do more with the landmine exercise, here are some other ideas that you could try.
Landmine Squat
This exercise is perfect for building strength in your lower back and getting rid of back pain. You’ll be squatting in a way that lessens the stress on your lower back and helps build strength in your glutes.
Stand straight with your feet close to the landmine with your knees slightly bent. Squat down as low as possible, making sure your knees stay over your toes and that you don’t lean forward. Make sure that once you’re in a squat position you don’t lock out your knees or let them go over your toes. Stand back up to complete one rep, and repeat the movement for the desired amount of reps.
Incorporating landmine squats into your routine can help improve your leg strength and stability. Pair it with jump higher exercises for a well-rounded workout to take your athletic performance to the next level. This exercise will add serious muscle to your legs and glutes, while also helping you develop power and explosiveness.
Landmine Hack Squat
This exercise is one of the best for strengthening your glutes and protecting your back. If you suffer from back pain, this movement is perfect for you.
Place your feet about hip-width apart and about 1 foot from the bar. Your feet should be at an angle with your heels out, keeping your knees pointed forward throughout most of this movement.
Move back about 2-3 inches with your hips straight and lower down into a squat position. Hold this position for a few seconds, then slowly return to the starting position.
Landmine Lateral Squat
Like the Hack squat, this exercise is great for strengthening your glutes and protecting your back. It works more of your lower body than the Hack squat does.
Target your legs with lateral squats; keep them straight throughout most of this exercise. Squat into a position that’s about chest height, then rise up by bending at the knees and hips. Keep the knees bent as you rise up, allowing your hips to rotate backward. Then return to the starting position.
Landmine Row
Landmine row is a great exercise to strengthen the muscles on the front side of your back. In addition to that, it can improve posture and protect your spine from stress.
It’s a really simple exercise. Mount a barbell in a landmine rack, grasp the cable with both hands, and pull it towards you until it touches your chest. Your elbows shouldn’t move forward when you row the weight. Be sure to move slowly for maximum results.
Landmine T-Bar Row
This exercise strengthens back muscles and helps relieve pains from disc injuries. It is a great way to build up your resistance without having to buy weights or dumbbells.
Set the weight on the T-bar with your arms straight and bent at 90 degrees. Tilt your hips backward, bend forward, and bend down until there is tension on the cable. Pull the cable up towards your chest, returning to your original position. Keep an eye on your lower back throughout the whole movement for safety.
If you’re interested in seeing what famous individuals share the Cancer zodiac sign, check out our article on 50 Famous Cancer Zodiac Celebrities in Hollywood 2021. You can also try incorporating the Landmine T-Bar Row exercise into your workout routine for a full-body workout that engages multiple muscle groups.
Landmine Meadows Row
This movement is great for developing your trapezius muscles as well as the muscles of your upper back. If you’re looking for a better-looking upper body, you’ll definitely want to include this exercise as part of your routine.
Position yourself on one side of the barbell and hold it at chest level with both hands. Dropdown until your elbows are almost below shoulder level and quickly return to the starting position. Move your back leg forward so that it comes parallel to the ground. Your front hip should be held closer to your core and your heel should drop down towards the floor. Before moving back, you have to be sure that you’re facing forward again.
Landmine Thruster
This exercise works your whole body, including your core, arms, and glutes. It’s an explosive movement that helps you develop power and strength quickly.
Place the barbell in the landmine. Stand about 3 feet away from the barbell. Keep your feet hip-width apart and slightly turned out. Hold the weight at your chest with your elbows bent under the barbell. With control, lower down into a squat position by bending at the hips first followed by bending at the knees. After squatting down, press upwards using your legs to lift the barbell up in front of you, then quickly push your body back to the starting position.
Landmine Reverse Lunge
This is another move that will strengthen your glutes and lower back. This movement is beneficial for women who want to prevent knee injuries and other bum-related issues. The lunge variation is great for building strength in the core and legs, but it also works your glutes and hamstrings nicely.
Position the bar above your right shoulder and position yourself about 2 feet away from it. Before moving forward, you have to be sure that your back is facing straight to the ground. Move your back leg forward so that it comes parallel to the ground. Your front hip should be held closer to your core and your heel should drop down towards the floor. Before moving back, you have to be sure that you’re facing forward again.
Landmine exercises are surprisingly valuable for people who suffer from back pain, and they’re also great for regular exercise routines. They are usually used to strengthen the deep back muscles, decrease stress in your lumbar region, and protect your spine. So consider adding them to your workouts especially when you suffer from any kind of back pain.
To build strength and stability in your legs, try the landmine reverse lunge. This exercise targets your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. For more leg workouts specifically designed for basketball players, check out these basketball leg workouts to help improve your performance on the court.
FAQs
Why is a landmine better than a regular weight?
Landmines are more convenient because you can train your entire body with just one piece of equipment. Other than that, they are not inherently better or worse than other types of resistance. It is entirely up to you as to how you want to use them.
Do landmine exercises have an effect on my hip flexor?
Yes, of course. When you are sitting down, the ligaments of your hip flexors become too tight. You can prevent further injury by doing some landmine exercises to loosen up these muscles before sitting down again.
What are the risks of landmine exercises?
The risk of any exercise is that you may injure yourself in an uncontrolled manner, especially if you have not done enough preparation for it. If you have never done these types of movements before, look into how to protect your joints and use lighter weights until you slowly increase resistance to prevent further injury or strain.
How do I perform landmine exercises safely?
It is very important when attempting landmine exercises to control your body with proper form. Never sacrifice form for quantity. Just like in the gym, you should use lighter weights until you get the hang of it and then slowly increase the weight over time to build strength. Make sure you have someone to spot you in case anything happens. If possible, use a mirror so you can see yourself doing the exercise correctly.
What is the best time to do landmine exercises?
Landmine exercises are better done at the end of a workout because you will have worked out all your other muscle groups beforehand.
Can I make landmine exercises harder by adding more weight?
Yes, you can. If you can do 3 sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds rest between sets, then try to increase the number of sets and the weight until you get to 7-8 sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds rest between sets. The last set can be at 50-60% of your one-rep max if needed.
How long do landmine exercises take?
You can easily do these with 5-10 minutes per day, with a day being at least a week. If you have the time, you might want to do them once a week with 2-3 sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds rest between sets. You can also leave your landmine exercises for a while if you have a busy schedule that requires you to exercise more often.
How long should it take to see results?
We all know that training your back is very important because it supports your body whenever you move. Although, by targeting the muscles in different ways, you can delay or prevent injury. It is not possible to gain muscle size only by doing landmine exercises. They are mostly for increasing strength and endurance that can protect your back from injury.
What kinds of Shoes for Landmine Exercises?
The kind of shoes you should wear for Landmine exercises is a pair of cross training shoes. It is best to use a pair of shoes that are lightweight and flexible for landmine exercises.