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Landmine Row – Powerful Benefits, Technique Tips and Muscles Worked

Build a strong, powerful and injury resistant back now.

This guide will teach you how, when and why you should include the Landmine Row into your training.

What is the Landmine Row?

The Landmine Row is a barbell pulling exercise that builds significant upper body strength and muscle.

Table of Contents

Muscles Worked by the Landmine Row

Benefits of the Landmine Row

How to do the Landmine Row

Technique Tips

Landmine Row Variations

Landmine Row Alternatives

Muscles Worked by the Landmine Row

The Landmine Row Primarily targets the muscles of the upper back.

  • Latissimus dorsi
  • Rhomboids
  • Teres major and teres minor
  • Erector spinae
  • Posterior deltoid
  • Trapezius
  • Infraspinatus
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The exercise also works the arms and grip including the:

  • Brachialis
  • Brachioradialis
  • Biceps Brachii

The rowing motion will even recruit your lower chest muscles, developing the lower pectoralis major.

The body must also stabilise the movement which forces the core to work hard. This results in greater core strength and stronger abs.

Benefits of the Landmine Row

The Landmine Row provides many benefits.

Builds Impressive Strength for the Upper Back

As a heavy Row, the exercise is incredibly effective for strengthening the upper back and shoulders.

The Exercise is an Effective Muscle Builder

If you want to pack on muscle mass on your upper body and back then add this exercise into your training. Stick to 3 – 5 sets or 8 – 12 reps for maximum hypertrophy.

Can be Easily Adapted into a Unilateral Exercise

Once you have set up your equipment, the Landmine Row can be performed as both a bi and unilateral exercise. Switching between these options allows you to hit your body from many different angles and maximise your gains.

Different Grips and Attachments Vary the Stimulus

A great advantage of the exercise is that you can switch grip by using different types of handles and attachments. Gripping the barbell directly places the hands in a neutral position. Using a cable grip will situate them wider apart.

Other pieces of equipment can allow you to perform the exercise with a supinated or pronated grip as well. Each variation will help your body improve in a slightly different way, allowing you to uncover and destroy any weaknesses you may have in your body.

Reduced Impact on the Joints and Spine

In comparison to the Barbell Row the T Bar Row places less pressure on the shoulders and spine. If you need to lessen the impact or protect your body for a specific reason then the Landmine Row can be a great stand in for the Barbell Row.

The best way is to incorporate both into your programming to optimise your results.

How to do the Landmine Row

Firstly, you must set up the barbell. There are three ways you can do this.

  1. Secure the barbell in the Landmine Row attachment
  2. Push the end of the barbell into a corner of the gym, on the floor, where two walls meet
  3. Place the end of the barbell into the hole of a bumper plate. Place another bumper plate on top to fasten the barbell in place

Now you are ready to go to work.

  • Stand over the barbell with one foot on either side. Face towards the end which is loaded with weight
  • Bend down and grip the barbell with both hands
  • Bend your knees slightly and keep your back straight
  • Inhale and brace your core, glutes and grip
  • Pull the barbell up towards your chest
  • Try to squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top
  • Pause for a second and tense your back and shoulder blades as tightly as you can
  • Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position
  • Exhale at the bottom of the range of motion
  • Repeat for the desired number of reps

Technique Tips

Keep the elbows close to the body at all times. Don’t let them flay out to the sides.

Stay tight at all times. Keep your breath and body strong and tense.

Always have a neutral spine. If the weight is causing your form to break down and your body to hunch forward then immediately lessen the load.

Think about tempo. Don’t forget to lower the weight slowly. This will maximise time under tension and optimise your muscle growth.

Try adding a Dead Stop. To make the exercise even harder, allow the weight to completely stop on the floor between every rep. This will test and improve your strength.

Landmine Row Variations

There are a few different variations you can try with this exercise.

Single Arm Landmine Row

Fairly self-explanatory, with this version you use one hand instead of two.

This will improve your unilateral strength and is especially useful for finding weak spots and strength imbalances.

Make sure to lift the barbell on the side of the arm that you are using and not in-between your legs as before.  

For example, if you are lifting with your right arm, make sure that your body is positioned with the barbell on the right side of your body.

Supported Landmine Row

With this variation you support the body with your knee by placing it on a flat bench.

The bench and body will be perpendicular to the barbell itself. This is useful because the landmine attachment forces the range of motion into an arc. This will be a useful training challenge for your body to adapt to.

Landmine Row Alternatives

The following alternatives provide similar stimuli and hit many of the same muscles as the Landmine Row, but in slightly different ways.

  • Dumbbell Row
  • Inverted Row
  • Cable Row
  • Deadlift
  • Pendlay Row
  • Seal Row
  • Pull Ups
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FAQs

Got more questions?

Is the Landmine Row Effective?

Yes, it is an exceptionally effective exercise for forging muscle, mass, strength and protecting your body against injury. The movement minimises stress on the joints whilst maximising results.

What do Landmine Rows Do?

Primarily the exercise builds strength and muscle in the upper back and arms. It also strengthens the core and shoulders and augments pulling power.

This extra force will transfer over to other exercises and functional movements in general

Do Landmine Rows Work Lats?

Yes, the Landmine Row is a rowing exercise so it does strengthen and improve the lats.

Make sure to activate your lats during the movement by tensing them hard at the top of the range of motion (imagine you are trying to hold a golf ball between them). This will help you to maximise your results.

Learn More

Add the Box Squat or Front Squat into your training. Or shake it up by adding the Decline Bench Press, Pendlay Row and Preacher Curl.

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