What's a good rep range to start with for the standing landmine rainbow?

Start with 2 to 3 sets of 8 reps per side using only the empty barbell or a light plate on the end, focusing on a full overhead arc. Add weight on the end only once the back foot pivots smoothly and the bottom of the arc feels controlled, not rushed.

What can I use instead of a landmine setup for the barbell rainbow?

Wedge the end of the barbell into a sturdy corner if you don't have a landmine attachment, which works equally well. With no barbell at all, a single dumbbell or a light medicine ball swung through the same overhead-to-hip arc trains a similar rotational pattern.

What is the standing landmine rainbow good for, and when should it be avoided?

It builds rotational strength and trunk stiffness through a long, standing arc, which suits athletes who twist, swing, or throw and want power that carries over from the ground up. Skip it if you have lower back pain with rotation, since the standing stance and long lever put more demand on the spine than the kneeling versions of the same movement.

Intermediate

Standing Landmine Rainbow

Holding the barbell's end at arm's length, you sweep it in a wide rainbow from one side to the other, and your obliques control that whole arc. The long lever loads rotation heavily while the fixed pivot keeps the path honest. It is a favorite for building rotational strength and stiffness in athletes who twist, swing, and throw.

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

How to do it

1
Load one end of a barbell into a landmine or a corner and grip the far end with both hands.
2
Stand with feet a little wider than your shoulders and lift the bar to eye level, arms nearly straight.
3
Brace your abs and hinge slightly at the hips for a stable base.
4
Sweep the bar down and across in an arc to one hip, letting your trunk rotate and pivot the trailing foot.
5
Reverse the arc smoothly, carrying the bar overhead and down to the opposite hip.
6
Continue alternating for reps, keeping the movement controlled at the low points.

Tips

Let the back foot pivot so the twist comes from your trunk, not your knees or spine.
Keep the arms long but soft; the obliques steer the arc, the arms just carry the bar.
Slow down at the bottom of each arc where the leverage is hardest to control.

Variations

Common mistakes

The elbows bend to muscle the bar through the top of the arc instead of staying long, turning the sweep into an arm exercise.
The bar path cuts a short, straight line near the top instead of a full overhead arc, shrinking the range the obliques are supposed to control.
The hips shift into a big lateral lean to help carry the bar's weight instead of staying under the shoulders, turning rotation into a side bend.
The grip shifts to one hand doing most of the holding as the arc crosses overhead, loading one wrist and shoulder unevenly.
Grinding through reps on a heavy end-load without practicing the empty-bar arc first skips learning the path before adding leverage.

Frequently asked

What's a good rep range to start with for the standing landmine rainbow?: Start with 2 to 3 sets of 8 reps per side using only the empty barbell or a light plate on the end, focusing on a full overhead arc. Add weight on the end only once the back foot pivots smoothly and the bottom of the arc feels controlled, not rushed.
What can I use instead of a landmine setup for the barbell rainbow?: Wedge the end of the barbell into a sturdy corner if you don't have a landmine attachment, which works equally well. With no barbell at all, a single dumbbell or a light medicine ball swung through the same overhead-to-hip arc trains a similar rotational pattern.
What is the standing landmine rainbow good for, and when should it be avoided?: It builds rotational strength and trunk stiffness through a long, standing arc, which suits athletes who twist, swing, or throw and want power that carries over from the ground up. Skip it if you have lower back pain with rotation, since the standing stance and long lever put more demand on the spine than the kneeling versions of the same movement.

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