How to Do Landmine Chest Press: Technique, Benefits & More

The landmine chest press is an excellent chest and shoulder builder for those struggling with a plateau or with shoulder issues. It mimics an incline bench press but has a different bar path - almost in the form of an arc.

If you want an exercise to stimulate your upper chest, scapular stabilizers, triceps, shoulders, and core in one go, add the landmine chest press to your workout routine.

The best part is that you do not need a bench or a weight rack. Find a corner of your gym or home, stick in a barbell, throw on some weight, and get started.

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Landmine Chest Press: Technique, Common Mistakes, Benefits & Variations

The landmine chest press should be a regular tool in every athlete's arsenal. It's routinely used as an assistance exercise to increase overhead press strength.

When done unilaterally, it's used by combat athletes to develop punching power. It's also an ideal alternative for people suffering from shoulder pain during the bench press.

Proper technique

• Place one end of the barbell into a landmine station or corner of the wall. If you're worried about damaging the wall, open up a tennis ball, and place your barbell in it.
• Add weights to the the end of the barbell facing you.
• Stand upright. Brace your core, and bend down at the hips to clean the barbell to chest height.
• Interlock your fingers, and grasp the end of the bar firmly.
• While keeping your back straight and glutes flexed, press the bar overhead. Lock out your elbows.
• The angle of pressing is diagonal, almost in an arc. As you press, you should feel your chest muscles contract. You should feel this contraction throughout the movement.
• If you do not feel any tension on your pecs, shift your foot position slightly.
• Lower the bar back to your chest. Repeat.

You can perform the landmine chest press while standing or on your knees depending on comfort. Standing up will require more core activation, but it will also take leg momentum out of the equation.

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Common Mistakes

1) Leaning too much into the press

Many people make the mistake of converting the landmine chest press into a shoulder exercise by leaning too forward as you press. Keep your upper body stationary as you press to keep the tension on your pecs.

2) Lower back arching

While arching the lower back can help you press more weight, it will reduce tension on the chest and shoulders. To avoid that, keep your glutes and abs engaged throughout the press.

3) Ego Lifting

The landmine chest press should be treated as an accessory exercise for the pecs and shoulders. As you get heavier, your lower back starts to arch, and you lose tension in the target muscles.

4) Faulty hand position

Cup the bar in your palm and the fingers tightly interlocked. Keeping your wrist straight throughout the press will help you avoid wrist pain and potential muscle strains.

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Benefits

1) Improves core stability

The landmine chest press can help increase core stability and anti-rotational strength due to its unique loading pattern.

2) Reinforces scapular control

The pressing angle forces the athlete to focus on scapular stabilization and control, which is necessary for developing overhead pressing strength.

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Variations

1) Single-arm Landmine Press

Instead of using both arms, use one arm to press the weight up. That will shift more tension onto the shoulders and triceps.

2) Single-arm Landmine Thruster

This is a combination of a single-arm landmine press and a landmine squat. To do it, drop into a squat with the barbell on your shoulders. On the way up, press the weight over your shoulders with an explosive movement,

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Takeaway

The landmine chest press is an athletic, explosive movement that can help you build core stability, scapular stabilization, and overhead pressing strength while growing your pecs. Perform it 2-3 times weekly to round off your push day or chest workout.