Intermediate

Landmine Row

The landmine row splits the difference between a T-bar and a barbell row: the anchored bar pivots on a stable arc, so you get heavy loading with a friendly, self-correcting path. Pulling with a close V-handle keeps the elbows tucked and the lats loaded through a long range. It's a versatile mid-back builder that suits most intermediate lifters.

Body part
Back, Lats
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Horizontal Pull
Muscles worked
Target
Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius Middle
Secondary
Trapezius Lower, Deltoid Posterior, Infraspinatus, Biceps Brachii Long Head, Biceps Brachii Short Head
Tertiary
Erector Spinae

How to do it

  1. 1

    Anchor one end of a barbell in a landmine and load the other end with plates.

  2. 2

    Straddle the bar, hinge over, and hook a V-handle under the loaded sleeve.

  3. 3

    Set a flat back with knees bent and the torso hinged forward.

  4. 4

    Row the handle toward your lower chest by driving the elbows up and back.

  5. 5

    Squeeze the shoulder blades together, then lower under control to a full stretch.

  6. 6

    Keep the chest up and the spine neutral on every rep.

Tips

  • Keep the handle path close to your body for a lat-focused pull.
  • Push the floor away and keep the hips set so the back does the work.
  • Brace hard and avoid rounding as you fatigue.
  • A towel or V-handle around the sleeve keeps the grip secure under load.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Straddling too far up the bar, so the plates hit your chest before the shoulder blades have finished coming together. Step back until the sleeve arrives at your ribs at the end of the pull, not before.
  • Loading one large plate, which sits so wide that the sleeve stops well above the floor and cuts off the bottom of the range. Two or three smaller plates keep the stretch available.
  • Leaving the free end of the bar loose on the floor instead of in a landmine sleeve or wedged into a corner. Under a hard pull the bar walks, and it takes your footing with it.
  • Rowing from a nearly upright torso. The landmine arc only feels like a row when you are hinged over it; standing tall turns it into a shrug against a light lever.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the landmine row should I do?
Three or four sets of 8 to 12 fits it well. One thing to know before loading it: the anchored end carries part of the weight, so plates on a landmine are not the same as plates on a barbell row and the number reads high. Track it as its own lift rather than comparing the two. Add a small plate when you finish 12 on every set with the hinge unchanged and the handle still arriving at your lower chest.
What can I do instead of the landmine row if my gym has no landmine attachment?
Wedge one end of a barbell into an empty corner with a towel around it to protect the wall and the sleeve, and the movement is identical. A T-bar row machine is the same pattern on a fixed path. Without a barbell, a chest-supported dumbbell row on an incline bench trains the same close-elbow pull, and a two-kettlebell bent-over row covers it at home.
What is the landmine row good for, and when is it a poor choice?
It suits intermediate lifters who want heavy mid-back work without steering a free barbell, since the anchored arc corrects the path for you and the close V-handle keeps the elbows tucked and the lats loaded through a long range. It is a good swap for people whose lower back complains after barbell rows. It is a poor choice if you have nowhere safe to anchor the bar, and it still asks you to hold a hinge under load, so it is not the answer if you need a row with no lower-back demand at all.

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