Kneeling Landmine Press How to Exercise Guide

Build your upper chest and save your shoulders with the Kneeling Landmine Press.

Many people lack development in their upper pectorals. Use this lift to help bring your upper chest up to par with the rest of your body's development.

In this article, we will cover how you perform the Kneeling and Half Kneeling Landmine Press.

We will include video, image and a written step by step description on how to perform the exercise.

Its difficulty level, the equipment you need to do it. The different muscle groups that get worked when you use this exercise.

The benefits you get when adding it to your training routine. Also, some different training cues to use when you are performing it.

Kneeling Landmine Press How to Guide

Half-Kneeling Landmine Press Step by Step Description

Video Demonstration

Step 1: Place one end of an Olympic barbell into a landmine device. If you do not have one, you can position the end of the barbell at the corner of a squat rack. Or in the corner of the room. Just make sure to add some towels in the corner. Placing towels can help prevent the bar from marking the walls.

Step 2: Load weight plates on the opposite end of the barbell. Use a weight you can manage while perfecting your form. Move into a split stance (place one foot forward by one foot and the other leg back by two feet). Grab the bar with your hand on the opposite side of the leg in front of you. Use an overhand grip to hold onto the barbell. Keep your back straight, slightly lean forwards and hold the bar at shoulder height. You are now in the starting position.

Step 3: Exhale and push the weight upwards. When you reach the top point of the lift, you need to contract/squeeze your chest. Hold and Pause in this position for two to three seconds.

Step 4: Inhale as you slowly lower the weight back down to the starting position.

You have now completed one repetition. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Image Example

Kneeling Landmine Press Step by Step Description

Step 1: Place one end of an Olympic barbell into a landmine device. If you do not have one, you can position the end of the barbell at the corner of a squat rack. Or in the corner of the room. Just make sure to stack some towels in the corner. Doing this will help prevent the bar from marking your walls.

Step 2: Load weight plates on the opposite end of the barbell. Use a weight you can manage while you are perfecting your form. Move in front of the bar facing it and place both of your knees on the floor shoulder width apart. Grab the end of the barbell with both of your hands. Your palms should be facing one another. Interlock your fingers on top with the thumbs on the bottom of the bar.

Step 3: Keep your back straight and raise the bar just below your chin and slightly lean your body towards the bar. You are now in the starting position.

Step 4: Exhale and push the weight upwards. When you reach the top point of the lift, you need to contract/squeeze your chest. Hold and Pause in this position for two to three seconds.

Step 5: Inhale as you slowly lower the weight back down to the starting position.

You have now completed one repetition. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Difficulty Level

The Kneeling Landmine has a difficulty rating level of beginner.

This makes the lift suitable for people of all different fitness levels.

Equipment Required

To be able to do this exercise you will need an Olympic barbell and Weight Plates.

The other piece of equipment required is a device called a landmine.

If you do not have access to one, you can just place the end of a barbell into a corner to replicate the function of a landmine.

Muscles Worked

The primary muscles that are targeted by this lift are your Upper Chest, Delts, Triceps, and the Traps.

Multiple other muscle groups also get used as stabilizers. These are your Upper Back, Lats, and your Core.

Benefits of the Kneeling Landmine Press

If you experience back pain when you perform the overhead press, there are two common causes for this. The back pain is usually either caused by back problems or a weak core. The landmine press eliminates most of the problems since the lift is more similar to a high standing incline press.

Raising the weight upwards at an angle removes the tendency for a person to lean backward like the traditional overhead press.

The landmine press is a shoulder friendly exercise. Since your arm is not locked in a specific range of motion your shoulders plane of movement is anatomically less restricted.

Having a larger range of movement and not pressing directly overhead puts less stress on your shoulder joints.

The fact that your upper back does not get pinned to a bench allows your scapula to move freely when your arm rises and the elbow gets extended.

The movement path also makes the lift more functional than the traditional overhead press.

The lift is essentially done holding a fat handle ( the large part of barbell where weight plates get placed). Using Fat handles are an excellent way to help increase your grip strength.

An added benefit to the Half-Kneeling Landmine Press is that the position sets you up to have a more neutral lumbar spine. The Half-Kneeling Landmine Press achieves this since the split stance you use pulls at least half of your pelvis to a more posteriorly tilted position.

Inclosing

If you find that most overhead presses cause shoulder discomfort the Landmine press may be a useful replacement exercise. The arcing motion the bar uses significantly reduces the stress placed on your shoulder joint.

To train one arm at a time use the Half-Kneeling Landmine Press variation. For two arm training, you should use the Full Kneeling variation.

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