Exercise Tutorial: Landmine Row
Table of Contents
What Is a Landmine Row
The Landmine Row is an exercise designed to build strength in the back and upper arm. The Landmine Row is a pulling movement that is easily transferable to other exercises. There are many ways you can perform the Landmine Row as we will discuss later in this article. However, regardless of the Landmine Row variation you choose, you will certainly build strength in the upper posterior chain!
How to Do a Landmine Row
Learning how to do a Landmine Row doesn’t have to be intimidating! All you need to perform the Landmine Row is a Barbell and Landmine Row attachment. If you do not have access to a Landmine Row attachment, you can place the end of the barbell in a corner of a wall and perform the Landmine Row as usual.
To learn how to do a Landmine Row, follow these simple steps!
Secure the barbell in the Landmine Row attachment or place the end of the barbell in a corner of the floor where two walls meet.
Step over the barbell so that the barbell is in-between the legs. Your back will be facing away from the Landmine Row attachment or wall. Hold the barbell with both hands and get into the position to perform a bent-over row. This means that you will have a slight bend in the knees, and be bent forwards at the hips with your back in a neutral (straight) position.
To perform the Landmine Row, use both hands to pull the barbell towards the chest. Be sure to engage the shoulder blades and squeeze them together as you pull up. Keep the elbows close to the body.
Return to the starting position by extending the arms. Repeat the movement for the required amount of reps and sets.
You have now learned how to perform the Landmine Row!
Landmine Row Form
The Landmine Row can appear as a simple pulling movement however, errors are common when you do not have the correct Landmine Row form. To have the proper Landmine Row Form, make sure you,
Keep the elbows close to the body
Pull with the elbows
Maintain a neutral position with the spine
Begin with a lightweight if new to the Landmine Row
Inhale on the way up, exhale when lowering the barbell
Do not bend the neck, keep a neutral gaze
Landmine Row Benefits
Landmine Row Benefits can be very impressive! When performed correctly and consistently over time, the Landmine Row can allow you to achieve large strength gains. Some Landmine Row Benefits include,
Increased muscular strength in the upper posterior chain
Can train one arm at a time
Has many variations
Can use an attachment if you do not want to hold the barbell
Can reduce stress on the joints when compared to other shoulder exercises
Builds full body-strength
Has a high metabolic demand
Why Is The Landmine Row Useful
The Landmine Row is useful because of its many variations. With just the use of a barbell, you can strengthen the muscles of the posterior chain and achieve a full-body workout. If you are thinking about building a home gym but do not want to spend money on costly machines, the purchase of one barbell will leave you with multiple training options. As well, the Landmine Row is useful for building power and strength which will translate to other pulling movements.
Landmine Row Muscles Worked
The Landmine Row engages multiple muscles in the upper back and arm. Some of the muscles worked while doing the Landmine Row include,
The Landmine Row will also engage stabilizing muscles such as the Long Head of the Triceps Brachii.
Landmine Row Alternative
If all of these Landmine Row benefits didn’t convince you about how great this exercise is, there are some Landmine Row Alternatives. The Landmine Row Alternatives include other types of rows such as the Inverted Row, Dumbbell Row and Cable Row. As well, other exercises such as the Pull-up and Deadlift are useful Landmine Row Alternatives.
Landmine Row Variations
A major benefit to the Landmine Row is its many variations. Check out some Landmine Row variations below:
Single Arm Landmine Row
Landmine Bent Over Row
Landmine Single Arm Row
Single Arm Landmine Row
The Single-Arm Landmine Row is when the Landmine Row is performed using one arm. This Landmine Row variation will help to increase unilateral strength. For the Single Arm Landmine Row, the barbell will be on the outside of the body on the side that you are performing the row on. For instance, if you are performing the Single Arm Landmine Row with the right arm, the barbell will be on the outside of the right leg.
Landmine Bent Over Row
The Landmine Bent Over Row is the variation that we originally described step-by-step above! The addition of Bent Over to the exercise name is simply just describing the exercise further.
Landmine Single Arm Row
The Landmine Single Arm Row can also be performed with the body perpendicular to the barbell. To perform the Landmine Single Arm Row stand in front of the barbell so that your feet are perpendicular to the barbell. The end of the barbell will be beside the arm that will be performing the row. Enter the bent over row position and proceed to perform the Landmine Row with one arm holding the end of the barbell.
Supported Landmine Row
You can perform a Single-Arm Landmine Row with support. For example, you can support the knee by placing it on a flat bench as you complete the Landmine Row. The bench and body will be perpendicular to the barbell. Another Supported Landmine Row is the chest supported Landmine Row. This is another single-arm variation but this time the bench is parallel to the barbell and set at an incline. The barbell should be outside of the bench on the side of the body that is performing the Landmine Row.
Landmine Row Attachment
There are different types of Landmine Row Attachments. There is Landmine Row handle attachment, which will vary from close grip to single-arm attachments. There are also Landmine Row Attachments to anchor the barbell itself. These attachments generally fit into the bottom of a squat rack or, you can stack 45 lbs plates and insert the end into the middle of the plates.
One Arm Landmine Row
The One Arm Landmine Row has multiple variations as we described above. In summary, you can perform the One Arm Landmine Row parallel to the barbell, perpendicular to the barbell or chose a Supported Landmine Row variation.
Landmine Row Handle
The Landmine Row Handle comes in a variety of different options. This is great for those who do not want to hold the barbell itself or would like to have a different grip on the bar. Some Landmine Row Handle options include a narrow grip, fat grip, wide grip, one arm, parallel handles, angled grip or there are even handles that have multiple grip options. A quick google search will provide you with examples of each type of Landmine Row Handle.
T-Bar Row Landmine
The T-Bar Row Landmine is another term for the Landmine Row.
Landmine T-Bar Row
The Landmine T-Bar Row is another variation for the Landmine Row exercise.
Landmine Row Exercise
Overall, the Landmine Row Exercise can be a great addition to your workout routine if you are looking to increase strength in the upper back. If you are building a home gym, the Landmine Row can be a great place to start due to its many variations! Additional variations of the Landmine Row include the Landmine Shoulder Press, Landmine Kneeling Shoulder Press and you can even perform a Landmine Squat with the Landmine Row!
If you are new to performing the Landmine Row, begin with an unloaded barbell to ensure you have the proper form. Next, add a load as you progress. Try starting with 3-5 sets of 10-12 reps.
