Top 7 Landmine Leg Exercises for Lower Body Workout

Landmine exercises are a fantastic way to utilize a T-bar attachment. The most common landmine exercises target the back and shoulders. In this article, we will be looking at seven landmine leg exercises that you can add to your training program.

Landmine Leg Exercises

For all of these exercises, you are going to need a T-bar attachment. This will keep the barbell secure throughout the movement and won’t damage the walls in your gym.

1. Landmine Squat

The landmine squat is one of the best squat variations out there. Thanks to the unique position of the barbell, it helps you to keep your chest pushed out throughout the squat and makes it easier for you to keep your feet flat on the ground.

How to perform:

1. Stand in front of the T-bar with both hands gripping the end of the barbell. You want the end of the barbell to be at upper-chest height.
2. Place your feet shoulder-width apart with toes turned out very slightly. Push your chest out and pull your shoulders back.
3. Push your hips backward and lower your glutes until they are parallel to the floor. Keep your chest pushed out throughout this movement, with the bar resting on your upper chest.
4. Pause, and then drive back upwards until you reach your starting position.

2. Landmine Sumo Squat

While the landmine sumo squat sounds very similar to the regular landmine squat, it has a completely different setup. It’s an excellent variation and effectively works the adductor and abductor muscles.

How to perform:

1. Stand in front of the T-bar with both hands gripping the end of the barbell. You want the end of the barbell to be around waist height with your arms straight.
2. Place your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, with your toes turned out wide. Push your chest out and pull your shoulders back.
3. Push your hips backward and lower your glutes until they are parallel to the floor. Keep your chest pushed out throughout this movement.
4. Pause, and then drive back upwards until you reach your starting position.

3. Landmine Squat Press

While this is a collection of lower-body landmine exercises, the landmine squat press is a full-body exercise that is great for burning fat and building muscle.

How to perform:

1. Stand in front of the T-bar with both hands gripping the end of the barbell. You want the end of the barbell to be at upper-chest height.
2. Place your feet shoulder-width apart with toes turned out very slightly. Push your chest out and pull your shoulders back.
3. Push your hips backward and lower your glutes until they are parallel to the floor. Keep your chest pushed out throughout this movement, with the bar resting on your upper chest.
4. Pause, and then drive back upwards until you reach your starting position.
5. Once you are upright, keep driving the barbell upwards until your shoulders are fully extended.
6. Lower the barbell to chest height, and repeat the movement for a second rep.

Pro Tip: You can squat a lot heavier than you can press, so use a lighter weight than you would for a typical landmine squat. You can slow down the squatting movement to increase the difficulty.

4. Landmine Romanian Deadlift

The landmine Romanian deadlift is a fantastic exercise for the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. It gives you a lot of control while performing the movement, and it works amazingly for higher-rep sets.

How to perform:

1. Stand in front of the T-bar with both hands gripping the end of the barbell. You want the end of the barbell to be at waist height. Push your chest out and pull your shoulders back.
2. Place your feet shoulder-width apart with your feet facing straight forward. You want a slight bend in your knees. This is your starting position.
3. Bow forwards at the waist and push your hips backward, keeping your back straight until the weighted plate on your barbell almost touches the floor. Pause when your hamstrings are tight.
4. Push your hips forward as you rise back up to the starting position.

Pro Tip: Use smaller weight plates, as large plates will touch the floor too early due to their wide circumference (you can use several smaller plates rather than one large one).

5. Landmine Reverse Lunge

The landmine reverse lunge is a wonderful exercise for the glutes and quadriceps. It is ideal for anyone who finds lunges difficult due to balance issues.

How to perform:

1. Stand in front of the T-bar with both hands gripping the end of the barb. You want the end of the barbell to be at chest height.
2. Place your feet shoulder-width apart with toes facing forwards. Push your chest out and pull your shoulders back.
3. Keeping one foot in place, take a large step back with the other.
4. Drop your back knee until it is almost (but not quite) touching the floor, and keep your torso upright.
5. Bring your leg forwards as you rise back up to the starting position. Repeat with the other leg to finish the rep.

6. Landmine Reverse Lunge Press

Like the landmine squat press, the landmine reverse lunge press does an excellent job of combining an upper-body and a lower-body exercise. It’s great for circuits and burning fat.

How to perform:

1. Stand in front of the T-bar with both hands gripping the end of the barb. You want the end of the barbell to be at chest height.
2. Place your feet shoulder-width apart with toes facing forwards. Push your chest out and pull your shoulders back.
3. Keeping one foot in place, take a large step back with the other.
4. Drop your back knee until it is almost (but not quite) touching the floor, and keep your torso upright.
5. Bring your leg forwards as you rise back up to the starting position.
6. Once in the starting position, push the barbell forwards in a pressing motion. Return to your chest and repeat with the other leg to finish the rep.

Pro Tip: Use a lighter weight than you would for the landmine reverse lunge, as your legs can lift heavier weights than your shoulders.

7. Landmine Hack Squat

The landmine hack squat is a great hack squat variation, but not one that is suited to everyone. If you’ve not been lifting for long, then stick to the regular landmine squat instead.

How to perform:

1. Maneuver the barbell so that it is resting on your shoulders while you face away from the T-bar.
2. Bring your feet forward to a slight angle, and place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Squat down, bringing the barbell down with you as you do so.
4. Pause when your feet are parallel to the ground (you can go lower if you feel comfortable doing so) and then drive back up to the starting position.
5. Perform half the set with the barbell on one shoulder, and then swap onto the other shoulder for the remaining reps.

Want to try your own landmine lower body workout? Here is a quick lower body workout that utilizes most of the exercises in this article (we haven’t included the squat press and reverse lunge press).

Landmine Lower Body Workout

• Landmine Squats: 3 sets of 8-12 reps (rest 90 seconds)
• Landmine Sumo Squats: 3 sets of 6 reps (rest 90 seconds)
• Landmine Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets of 10 reps (rest 90 seconds)
• Landmine Reverse Lunges: 3 sets of 10 reps each leg (rest 90 seconds)
• Landmine Hack Squats: 2 sets of 20 reps (rest 90 seconds)

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need to have a T-bar attachment for landmine exercises?

No, you don’t need one. You can place the barbell in the corner of a room or place it so that the end is in the middle of a weight plate. But a T-bar attachment is much safer and more stable. It also won’t destroy the walls of your gym, which is always a bonus.

Are landmine exercises worth it?

Landmine exercises aren’t going to transform your results any more than regular barbell and dumbbell exercises. But they are a fantastic way to add some variety to your sessions. This can help reduce injury risk and prevent you from getting bored with the same old workouts. Landmine exercises are also fantastic for improving squat form.

Are landmine squats better than regular squats?

Landmine squats aren’t better than regular squats; they are different. They are great for people who struggle with their form while squatting. Like goblet squats, you can’t easily perform a landmine squat with a rounded back and shoulders.