Landmine Quadruped Hip Extension

The landmine quadruped hip extension is a single-leg glute isolation exercise performed on all fours with one foot pressed against a barbell loaded into a landmine attachment. The landmine's arcing resistance path loads the hip through extension similarly to a cable kickback, letting you train each side independently and add progressive resistance beyond a bodyweight donkey kick. Because the exercise is performed from a stable quadruped base, it isolates hip extension at the working leg while the core holds the spine still. It's typically used as an accessory movement for glute development.

Muscles Targeted

• Primary: Gluteus maximus
• Secondary: Hamstrings (biceps femoris, semitendinosus)
• Tertiary: Core stabilizers (transverse abdominis, multifidus)

Starting Position

Load a barbell into a landmine attachment and position it directly behind you. Get into a quadruped position with hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips, back flat and neutral. Place the sole of one foot flat against the underside of the barbell sleeve with the knee bent to roughly 90 degrees, and brace your core before beginning the set.

Execution Steps

1. Set your base on hands and knees with a neutral spine and your foot pressed against the landmine bar
2. Brace your core to keep your back flat and prevent your hips from rotating
3. Drive your heel back and up by extending the hip, pressing the bar through a controlled arc
4. Extend until your leg is fully straightened, with the movement coming from the hip rather than the lower back
5. Pause briefly at full extension, squeezing the glute of the working leg
6. Return under control to the starting 90-degree knee position without letting the bar slam back
7. Complete all reps on one leg before switching sides

Form Cues

• Keep your back flat throughout - don't let your lower back arch to generate the extension
• Drive the movement from the hip, not by kicking or swinging the lower leg
• Keep your hips square to the floor; don't let the working-side hip rotate open
• Squeeze the glute hard at full extension rather than just reaching the top position
• Keep your neck neutral, looking down at the floor between your hands

Common Mistakes

• Arching the lower back to generate range of motion, which shifts stress off the glutes and onto the spine - stop the extension at the point where your back would start to arch
• Using too much weight on the landmine, which forces momentum and reduces control - start light and add load gradually
• Rotating the hips open during the extension, reducing glute isolation - keep both hips square to the floor
• Kicking rather than pressing, using momentum instead of muscular control - move the leg at a controlled, even pace throughout
• Letting the knee drift wide or narrow instead of driving straight back - keep the leg tracking in line with the hip

Variations

• Bodyweight donkey kick: the same quadruped hip extension pattern without external load, useful for beginners
• Cable kickback: performed at a cable stack with an ankle cuff for constant tension through the range of motion
• Standing landmine hip extension: performed standing and hinged forward instead of quadruped, for less spinal load
• Banded quadruped hip extension: a resistance band replaces the landmine for a portable, lighter-load option

Tips for Progression

• Increase the load on the landmine gradually once you can control the full range of motion without back arching
• Add a 2-3 second pause at full extension to increase time under tension
• Increase reps to 15-20 per side before adding additional load
• Progress to a standing landmine hip extension for a more dynamic, functional variation

Training Notes

Include the landmine quadruped hip extension 1-2 times per week as a glute-focused accessory movement, typically for 10-15 reps per leg with light to moderate load. Rest 45-60 seconds between sides, and place it after compound lower-body lifts like squats or deadlifts, using it to finish glute work with focused, controlled tension.