How many reps of the landmine rotation should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 2 sets of 8 reps per side using an empty bar or a light plate, keeping the arc smooth and controlled at both ends. Add a set before you add weight, and only add weight once the hips and trunk are clearly driving the movement rather than the arms.

What can I do instead of the landmine rotation without a landmine attachment?

Wedge the bar into a padded corner instead, or use a cable machine set at chest height for the same rotational pull. A resistance band anchored low to a rack works too, though it trains the return phase less than the bar's own weight does.

What does the landmine rotation train, and who should avoid it?

It builds rotational power and control through a smooth, joint-friendly arc, which is why athletes in throwing and racket sports use it heavily. Avoid it during an acute low back flare-up, since loaded trunk rotation is one of the more provocative patterns for an irritated spine.

Intermediate

Landmine Rotation

The landmine rotation trains rotary power and control with a smooth, joint-friendly arc. Holding the end of a barbell anchored in a landmine, you sweep it overhead from one hip to the other so the obliques drive the turn while the hips help transfer force. It is a favorite for athletes because it loads rotation the way sport actually demands it.

Equipment: Barbell, Landmine
Body part: Abs
Type: Functional, Strength
Browse by muscle: Abdominal External Oblique
Browse by movement: Rotation

How to do it

1
Anchor one end of a barbell in a landmine or corner and load the free end.
2
Hold the top of the sleeve with both hands and stand with feet wider than shoulders.
3
Start with the bar out in front near shoulder height and arms extended.
4
Rotate your trunk and hips to sweep the bar down toward one hip.
5
Reverse the arc and sweep across to the opposite hip, pivoting the back foot.
6
Control the bar throughout rather than letting it swing on its own.

Tips

Let the hips and trunk turn together; do not rotate from the arms alone.
Pivot the trailing foot so the knee and low back are not forced to twist.
Keep the abs braced so the obliques, not the lumbar spine, produce the turn.

Variations

Common mistakes

The feet stay narrower than shoulder width, so the base is too small to control the bar's momentum once it swings past hip height.
The bar overshoots the target hip because the rep gets rushed instead of caught and controlled at the end of each arc.
Doing more reps on the dominant side than the other lets one hip and shoulder do all the rotational learning while the other side falls behind.
Gripping the sleeve too high near the end lengthens the lever arm and makes the shoulders muscle the weight instead of the trunk driving it.
The breath gets held through the whole rep, which stiffens the trunk in a way that fights the very rotation the exercise is training.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the landmine rotation should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 2 sets of 8 reps per side using an empty bar or a light plate, keeping the arc smooth and controlled at both ends. Add a set before you add weight, and only add weight once the hips and trunk are clearly driving the movement rather than the arms.
What can I do instead of the landmine rotation without a landmine attachment?: Wedge the bar into a padded corner instead, or use a cable machine set at chest height for the same rotational pull. A resistance band anchored low to a rack works too, though it trains the return phase less than the bar's own weight does.
What does the landmine rotation train, and who should avoid it?: It builds rotational power and control through a smooth, joint-friendly arc, which is why athletes in throwing and racket sports use it heavily. Avoid it during an acute low back flare-up, since loaded trunk rotation is one of the more provocative patterns for an irritated spine.

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