Landmine Squat
With one end of the bar pinned in a landmine, the arcing bar path acts like a built-in counterbalance that guides you into a deep, upright squat almost automatically. Holding the sleeve at chest height loads the quads much like a goblet squat but lets you add real weight without a rack, making it a fantastic teaching tool and a joint-friendly option. It is easy to learn, easy to bail, and ideal for beginners or higher-rep leg work.
- Body part
- Quads
- Type
- Strength
- Browse by muscle
- Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis
- Browse by movement
- Squat
- Target
- Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis
- Secondary
- Gluteus Maximus, Adductor Magnus
- Tertiary
- Upper Rectus Abdominals, Erector Spinae
How to do it
- 1
Anchor one end of a barbell in a landmine or a corner and load the free sleeve.
- 2
Cup the end of the sleeve in both hands and hold it against your upper chest.
- 3
Set your feet shoulder-width with the toes turned slightly out.
- 4
Brace your core and squat straight down, letting the bar guide you as your elbows track between your knees.
- 5
Descend until the thighs are at least parallel while keeping the chest tall.
- 6
Drive through the mid-foot to stand, keeping the sleeve pinned to your chest the whole time.
Tips
- Stand close enough to the anchor that the bar path keeps you upright rather than pulling you forward.
- Let the counterbalance help you sit straight down into a deep squat you might not reach unloaded.
- Keep the ribs down and core braced so the front load does not arch your lower back at the top.
Variations
Common mistakes
- Wedging a bare bar into a corner without securing it. The bar walks sideways as you push and can pop out; use a landmine sleeve, or trap the end under a loaded plate.
- Loading the sleeve without a collar. The bar arcs as you stand, which tips the plates, and once they start sliding they come off the end and onto your feet.
- Letting the sleeve slide down toward the belly as your arms tire. The chest drops with it and the movement quietly turns into a hinge instead of a squat.
- Pressing the weight up with the arms out of the bottom. The arms only hold the sleeve in place; when they start lifting, the legs stop being the thing that finishes the rep.
- Pushing the hips back as if setting up for a deadlift. The arcing bar path is there to let you sit straight down, so let the elbows pass inside the knees and use the counterbalance.
Frequently asked
- How many sets and reps of the landmine squat should a beginner do?
- Three sets of eight to twelve is the sweet spot, because the weight sits at your chest and the position is easy to hold for moderate reps. Add a small plate when you finish all three sets at the top of the range with the sleeve still pinned to the chest. Since the load is limited by what your arms can support, most people are better off adding a fourth set or slowing the descent than hunting for a heavier bar.
- What can I do instead of the landmine squat if I have no landmine attachment?
- Wedge one end of a barbell into the corner of a room with a folded towel around it to protect the wall and the bar, and trap the end under a heavy plate so it cannot slide out, which is how most people did this before attachments existed. A heavy goblet squat with a dumbbell or kettlebell trains the same upright, quad-dominant pattern, and a front squat does it with more load if you have a rack and the wrist mobility for it.
- What is the landmine squat good for and who is it for?
- The counterbalance walks almost anyone into a deep, upright squat, which makes it an excellent teaching tool for beginners, a joint-friendly option for higher-rep leg work, and easy to bail out of when a set goes wrong. It suits home gyms with no rack. It is a poor choice once you need real load, since your arms and upper back cap the weight long before your legs do, and the chest-height hold is uncomfortable for some shoulders.
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