Landmine press
Learn the landmine press and landmine rotation: setup, pressing path, common faults and how beginners scale these angled barbell moves in CrossFit class.
What the landmine press is
The landmine press is a pressing movement where one end of a barbell is anchored to the floor and you press the other end up and forward from your shoulder. It trains the shoulders, chest, triceps and trunk on an angled path that many beginners find friendlier than pressing straight overhead. The landmine rotation uses the same setup to train the trunk by moving the bar end in an arc from hip to hip, and beginners start both with an empty barbell.
Why it is in class
The landmine is in CrossFit because the anchored bar creates an arcing path that is easy to learn and comfortable for shoulders that are not yet ready to press overhead. It builds pressing strength and teaches the trunk to resist twisting while one arm works. Landmine rotations train the trunk to turn with control and stop on purpose. In daily life, that carries over to pushing open a heavy door, lifting a suitcase into an overhead bin, pushing a stalled car, swinging a bat or golf club, or turning to set down a heavy bag without wrenching your back. It also lets returning athletes keep pressing while overhead mobility catches up.
Points of performance
What a good rep looks like, from setup to finish.
Set the anchor
Wedge one end of the barbell into a landmine attachment or a secure corner where it cannot slide. Load plates on the free end if needed, and always use a collar. Stand facing the free end, a little behind it, so the bar angles up toward you.
Shoulder start
For a single-arm press, hold the end of the bar just in front of your shoulder, elbow under the wrist and slightly in front of the body. Stand in a staggered stance or kneel on the knee of the working side. Squeeze your glutes and brace your midsection.
Press up and forward
Press the bar along its natural arc, up and away, until your arm is straight and your shoulder blade reaches forward around your ribs. Avoid leaning back to finish the rep. Lower with control along the same path back to the shoulder.
Rotation setup
For landmine rotations, hold the end of the bar with both hands, arms long, in front of your chest, feet about shoulder width. Lower the bar toward one hip by turning your torso and pivoting the back foot, then bring it up and across to the other hip.
Control the arc
In rotations, the arms stay mostly straight and the movement comes from hips and trunk turning together. Stop the bar at hip height rather than letting it drag you around. Slow and controlled teaches far more than fast, loose swings.
Common beginner faults, and the fix
Leaning back
What it looks likeThe lifter arches the lower back to get the bar up, ribs flared and hips pushed forward.
The fixBrace and squeeze the glutes, or kneel to take the lean away. Lighten the load until the press finishes without it.
Elbow flaring out
What it looks likeThe elbow points out to the side at the start, and the bar wobbles off its path.
The fixStart with the elbow slightly in front of the body and under the wrist. Think of punching up and forward.
Twisting during the press
What it looks likeThe torso rotates toward the working side to help push the bar.
The fixKeep hips and chest square to the bar. A half kneeling stance and a lighter load make the twist easier to control.
Arms doing the rotation
What it looks likeIn rotations, the arms swing the bar while the hips stay locked, and the bar whips past the hip.
The fixPivot the feet and turn the hips with the bar. Slow down and stop it at hip height on each side.
Where you start, and where it goes
Every movement in class has a version that fits you today.
Start here
Half kneeling single-arm presses and slow rotations with an empty barbell, or a lighter technique bar, in the landmine.
Next step when: You can do 8 to 10 smooth presses with each arm and several controlled rotations each side with a still trunk.
Building
Standing presses in a staggered stance and rotations with small plates added, keeping the same slow tempo.
Next step when: Your form holds as the weight rises, and both sides look and feel balanced.
Full movement
Landmine presses and rotations at a load chosen with your coach, for the sets written in class, including two-hand presses when programmed.
Next step when: You complete the written sets with full lockout and controlled rotations.
Beyond
Heavier presses, landmine push presses with a leg drive, and faster but still controlled rotations.
Next step when: This rung keeps going: add load and speed only while the trunk stays steady.
Landmine press in real classes
1 photo from the gym floor in San Clemente, shared by our coaches and members.
Learning it in your first classes
In your first coached classes, the coach will show you how the bar is anchored and loaded before you touch it. Expect to start half kneeling with an empty bar, pressing a few reps each side while the coach watches your elbow path, trunk position and finish. Rotations come next, slowly. The coach may use the landmine press on days when overhead pressing is not yet a good fit for you. Tell your coach about any shoulder, elbow, wrist or back history, and check with a doctor or physical therapist when a past injury is involved. Most beginners find the angled path feels natural within a few sets.
What your first class at O-SEA CrossFit is like · How On-Ramp teaches the movements
Questions beginners ask
Is the landmine press easier on the shoulders?
Many people find the landmine press more comfortable than pressing straight overhead because the bar travels on an angled path in front of the body. That is why coaches often use it while overhead mobility develops. It is not a treatment for shoulder pain. If you have a shoulder history, tell your coach and check with a doctor or physical therapist before training it.
What do landmine rotations work?
Landmine rotations work the muscles around your trunk that turn the body and stop it from turning, along with the hips, shoulders and grip. Because the bar end travels in an arc, you control it on the way down to one hip and on the way back across. Beginners keep the weight light and focus on turning from the hips.
Can I do a landmine press without a landmine attachment?
Yes, a landmine press can be done by wedging the end of a barbell into a secure corner, often with a towel to protect the wall. The end must not slide or roll. In a CrossFit gym, a coach will show you the right setup. Always collar any plates and check the anchor before each set.
How heavy should a beginner go on the landmine press?
Start the landmine press with the empty bar, which often feels heavier than expected because of the angle. Add small plates only when every rep moves smoothly with no lean. Your coach can help you choose a load. Increase it gradually, since a clean press with a light bar teaches more than a strained one with a heavy bar.
Related movements
Learn the landmine press with a coach beside you
Every class at O-SEA CrossFit is coached and every movement scales. Your first one is free.