Landmine Rotation

The Landmine Rotation is a core strength exercise where you pivot your torso and move a barbell anchored in a landmine through an arc across your body. It mainly targets the obliques and the rest of your core, while your shoulders and hips work to control the motion.

Stand facing the landmine with your feet about shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Hold the end of the bar with both hands close together near the front of one shoulder. Keep your chest tall, ribs down, and arms ready to press out in front of you.

Press your arms out long, then pivot your feet, hips, and shoulders together to arc the bar down and across your body to the opposite side. Move smoothly and under control, pause briefly at the end of the arc, then reverse direction and bring the bar back to the start. Repeat on the other side.

Take a breath in and brace your midsection before each rep, then exhale as you complete the arc. To make it easier, shorten the range of motion or use a lighter bar. To make it harder, slow down the lowering phase or add a brief pause at the end of each arc.

Fault: You bend your arms and pull the bar with your shoulders instead of turning from your torso. Fix: Keep your arms long and push the bar away from you so the rotation comes from your core.

Fault: Your shoulders twist but your hips stay facing forward, forcing your lower back to take over. Fix: Rotate your feet, hips, and shoulders together as one unit throughout the arc.

Fault: You let the bar drop or fall toward the end of the movement. Fix: Brake the bar by decelerating as you near the finish of each arc rather than dumping the load.