Landmine Press
Pressing power on the punching line
How to do it well
The set-up and the rep in full, then the cues the app shows on the exercise card — the short version, for the moment you are standing in front of the bar.
Set-up
Wedge one end of a barbell into a landmine or a corner, and load the other end. Stand facing it in a staggered stance, holding the end of the bar in one hand at the shoulder, elbow tucked in front of the ribs.
The rep
Brace, then press the bar up and forward along its arc to a fully straight arm, as if punching through it. Let the shoulder blade travel forward around the ribs at the end. Lower under control back to the shoulder. Finish the set on one side, then switch.
On the exercise card
- Punch through, not up
What goes wrong, and the fix
| What goes wrong | The fix |
|---|---|
| Pressing straight up | The bar travels up and forward. Punch through it, along the line it wants to go. |
| Leaning back | Stay stacked over the front foot. Leaning back turns it into an incline press driven by the lower back. |
| Twisting the trunk to help | The hips and trunk stay square. The arm does the pressing. |
Make it easier, or harder
- Easier
- Both hands on the bar, or a half-kneeling stance.
- Harder
- More load, or a split stance with a deliberate drive off the back foot.
How Train Smart prescribes it
The sets and reps below are the authored starting point. The actual weight you see is calculated from your own last top set and the week you are in within your four-week block.
The bar moves on the same up-and-forward line as a punch, which a vertical press does not. The boxing program uses it as the pressing strength exercise in the punch power and legs session, eight reps a side, so each arm builds its strength on its own.
| Program | Session | Sets × reps | Load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boxing | Punch Power + Legs | 3 × 8/side | Moderate |
If you cannot do this one
Rack taken, kit missing, or it does not suit you. These are the swaps the app offers, matched by movement pattern and body region — each with the reason it is a fair substitute.
| Alternative | Why it works as a swap |
|---|---|
| Push Press | Leg drive overhead — power + strength for throwers/strikers |
| Overhead Press | Strict vertical pressing strength |
| Split Jerk | Olympic-style overhead — explosive shoulders for combat athletes |
| DB Shoulder Press | Even both sides, shoulder-friendly |
| Seated DB Shoulder Press | Strict, no leg drive — pure shoulder mass |
| Arnold Press | Full shoulder sweep through rotation |
This exercise, in a program that knows why it is there
Train Smart puts this movement in the right session, at the right point in your block, at a weight calculated for you — and swaps it automatically if you do not have the kit.
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