Landmine Chest Press: Muscles Worked, Benefits, Form

No doubt, the bench press is the ultimate chest exercise, but it’s not uncommon for this exercise to cause or highlight shoulder pain. A lack of shoulder mobility often causes this pain.

The landmine chest press is the best alternative to the bench press. The angled path of the barbell is a little easier on the joints without compromising strength and muscle size benefits. It is perfect if you’re prone to injury or just want to lift pain-free.

The landmine chest press is not a popular exercise, yet it is a good exercise to strengthen your chest (mainly the inner and upper chest). It also recruits your triceps, deltoids core, and even legs (if you’re doing the standing version).

If you have a landmine attachment, that would be good, as it makes the setup a bit easier. Otherwise, the landmine chest press can be performed with a barbell. One end of the barbell is secured at the corner of the wall.

Landmine Chest Press Muscles Worked

Knowing which muscles worked during the landmine chest press can help you plan workout routines. Also, no one would do this exercise if it didn’t work any muscles, so here they are.

• During the landmine chest press, the main muscles worked are the chest, specifically the inner and upper chest.
• Secondary muscles worked: Triceps, Deltoids and Core Muscles (abs, obliques, lower back)
• Stabilizing muscles: Back, Glutes, Scapular stabilizers and Rotator cuff muscles

How To Do Kneeling Landmine Chest Press

It can be performed in a kneeling position, which increases core involvement and can improve core stability and abdominal muscle strength.

1. Place one end of a barbell in a landmine attachment or securely in a corner of a room.
2. Then add weight plates to the free end of the barbell.
3. Kneel facing the barbell, with your knees about shoulder-width apart. Grasp the end of the barbell with both hands, with your thumbs around the bar for a secure grip.
4. Lift the barbell and bring it to your upper chest, just below your collarbone. Y
5. Your elbows should be close to your body and pointing down towards the floor
6. press the barbell upward and slightly forward until your arms are almost fully extended. Do not lock out your elbows.
7. Slowly lower the barbell back to your chest, maintaining control and avoiding letting it drop quickly.

Form and Tips

• Keep a neutral spine while you do the movement to prevent injury.
• To secure the barbell, you can interlock your hands around the bar.
• Do not lock out your elbows at the top to maintain tension on the muscles.
• Lean your body forward slightly and engage your core muscles to help with stabilization.
• Exhale on pushing movement, and inhale when returning to the starting position.
• If you find the barbell uncomfortable on your chest, try using a towel or pad for cushioning.
• Try performing the exercise with one arm at a time for an added challenge.
• Select the sets, reps, and weight (intensity) as per your fitness level and goal. The below guidelines are simply recommendations and can be altered to fit your specific goals.

Best Variations of the Landmine Press

1. Standing Landmine Chest Press

When standing, your entire core has to work harder to stabilize your body. This makes the chest press a full-body exercise, so you get more out of your workout.

Standing challenges your balance and proprioception, which help improve athleticism and functional strength.

When I first switched from kneeling to standing landmine presses, I was shocked at how much more challenging it felt. My legs were shaking, and I could feel my abs working overtime.

2. Single Arm Landmine Press

The single-arm landmine press is a press variation that targets the upper chest and shoulder muscles. It also indirectly works the triceps and traps muscles.

The unilateral nature of the exercise forces your core muscles to work harder to stabilize your body and prevent rotation. Additionally, it provides a greater range of motion and a more natural shoulder movement pattern.

This will help you easily identify any strength or mobility imbalances between your sides, address these imbalances, and prevent future injuries.

How To Do 

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your spine neutral.
2. Lift the barbell with one hand and put your other hand on your waist to keep your spine straight.
3. Once the barbell is in place, take a deep breath and press as high as possible by extending the elbow and flexing the shoulder.
4. Slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position on your shoulder.

3. Landmine Squat To Press

The Landmine Squat to Press is a compound exercise that combines a squat and an overhead press. It targets the legs, glutes, core, chest, shoulders, and triceps and provides a comprehensive workout in one movement.

Due to its compound nature, the Landmine Squat to Press can help burn more calories than isolated exercises, making it beneficial for fat loss and conditioning.

How To Do It

1. Set up the landmine attachment in a corner of the gym.
2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, facing the landmine.
3. Hold the barbell with both hands at chest level, palms facing your body.
4. Lower into a squat by pushing your hips back and bending your knees. Keep your chest up and your back straight.
5. At the bottom of the squat, explode back up while simultaneously pressing the barbell overhead.
6. Repeat the squat-to-press movement for the desired number of reps.

There are many variations depending on what you are looking for. With these alterations, you can keep your training fun and varied.

• Alternating Shoulder Landmine Press
• Landmine Twist
• Banded Landmine Press

Landmine Chest Press Benefits

Landmine exercises have many benefits and can be used to add variation to your chest workout. Here are a few of the benefits of the Landmine Press.

• The landmine chest press allows you to stack weight plates high. If you’re up to the challenge, this exercise has a high loading potential, and with increased resistance comes increased hypertrophy.
• The landmine press is a killer for building your upper body and also a shoulder-friendly exercise. It is a little easier on the joints without compromising strength and muscle size benefits.
• When doing a standing landmine press, the core must work hard to keep the body stable and balanced. For that reason, the landmine chest press benefits the core, mainly the strength of the obliques.
• It not only trains your chest muscles but also effectively maintains the upper body muscles, such as the triceps and deltoids.
• Any exercise that offers a lot of variety is perfect for us. The landmine is an excellent way to add variety to your workouts and work muscles from a different angle.

FAQs

What does the Landmine chest Press Work?

Landmine Presses develop upper body strength uniquely with slightly different angles and ranges of motion. They work the shoulders, arms, core, back, and glutes.

Are Landmine Presses Effective?

Yes. They are a great exercise for burning fat, building muscle, and protecting your shoulders against injury.

Does Landmine Press Work Upper Chest?

Yes, landmine press exercise works the upper chest, arms, shoulders, back, core, and glutes. The curving bar path and neutral grip make it easier on your shoulders than the standard press.

Manish Kumar

Manish is a NASM-certified fitness and nutrition coach with over 10 years of experience in weight lifting and fat loss fitness coaching. He specializes in gym-based training and has a lot of knowledge about exercise, lifting technique, biomechanics, and more.

Through “Fit Life Regime,” he generously shares the insights he’s gained over a decade in the field. His goal is to equip others with the knowledge to start their own fitness journey.