Landmine Bicep Curl

The landmine bicep curl is a standing curl performed with both hands on the free end of a barbell anchored in a landmine, curling the bar toward the chest to train thebiceps. Because the plates sit far from the pivot, the bar is heaviest when it lies closest to horizontal, at the bottom of the curl, and lightens as the sleeve tilts up toward your chest. That loads the stretched biceps, the opposite of a cable curl. Lifters program it as a late arm accessory when the wrists dislike a straight bar.

What Muscles Does the Landmine Bicep Curl Work?

• Primary: Biceps brachii (long and short head)
• Secondary: Brachialis, brachioradialis (upper forearm)
• Tertiary: Forearm flexors, anterior deltoid, rectus abdominis

How Do You Set Up for the Landmine Bicep Curl?

Wedge one end of the barbell into the landmine sleeve and load the free end lightly. Stand facing the landmine with your feet hip-width apart and the sleeve in front of your thighs. Bend your knees, cup the collar end from underneath with both hands, palms up and fingers interlaced, and stand tall. Pin your elbows to your ribs, pull your shoulders back, and let the arms hang straight so the plates leave the floor.

How Do You Perform the Landmine Bicep Curl?

1. Lock your elbows to your ribs with the bar hanging at arm's length and your wrists neutral, not bent back.
2. Curl the sleeve toward your chest by bending only at the elbows, letting the bar follow the arc the landmine dictates.
3. Stop when the sleeve touches the lower chest and your forearms are angled up along the bar; the elbows have not left your sides.
4. Squeeze the biceps for one count with the knuckles pointing at the ceiling and the plates hanging still.
5. Lower the bar under control along the same arc for a slow three-count until the elbows are fully straight.
6. Let the bar settle at arm's length with the plates hovering above the floor before the next rep.

What Are the Key Form Cues?

• Curl toward you, not up: The pivot pulls the sleeve back toward your chest as it rises, so let your hands trace that curve.
• Squeeze the sleeve hard: A tight grip on the collar keeps the wrists neutral and stops the bar rolling in your palms.
• Push your elbows back into your ribs as the bar nears the chest, when they most want to drift forward.
• Feel the plates get heavy at the bottom and lengthen the biceps there instead of bouncing.
• Keep the plates still at the top; swing means the torso did the work.

What Are the Most Common Mistakes?

• Loading the sleeve until the hips rock: a thrust at the bottom hides the heaviest part of the curve from the biceps, so drop plates until every rep starts from a still hang.
• Standing too far from the landmine: the bar starts low and the arc pulls your hands past your chest, so step in until the sleeve sits in front of your thighs.
• Letting the elbows drift forward: the front delts take over and the curl becomes a front raise, so keep the upper arms vertical.
• Curling the wrists at the top: bending them back onto the collar shifts the finish to the forearm flexors, so keep the knuckles up.
• Dropping the bar into the bottom: a fast descent onto straight elbows unloads the biceps and yanks the elbow at its longest point, so lower for three counts.

What Are the Best Landmine Bicep Curl Variations?

• Kneeling landmine curl: kneeling in front of the sleeve removes hip swing and shortens the arc, the easiest entry point.
• Single-arm landmine curl: one hand on the collar, heavier per arm and fighting the bar's pull toward the midline.
• Landmine hammer curl: a neutral grip around the sleeve shifts the work to the brachialis and brachioradialis.
• Landmine drag curl: pulling the sleeve up your torso with the elbows travelling back emphasises the long head.
• Hammer Curl: the same elbow flexion with dumbbells on a free path.

How Do You Progress the Landmine Bicep Curl?

• Add a 2.5 or 5 pound plate to the sleeve once you complete all sets at the top of the rep range without hip swing.
• Build from 10 to 15 reps per set before adding the next plate.
• Add one set per session up to 4 sets, or a second arm day per week.
• Pause two counts at the bottom hang, or lower for a five-count, when plates are no longer the limiting factor.

How Should You Program the Landmine Bicep Curl?

Place the landmine bicep curl at the end of an upper body or pull session, after rows and pulldowns have already loaded the biceps. Train it 1 to 2 times per week for 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps, resting 45 to 60 seconds between sets. Pair it with a landmine or rope tricep extension in a superset so the arm work stays at one station.