The landmine shoulder press is a standing two-handed press performed with the free end of a barbell anchored in a landmine, driving the bar up and away from the chest to train theshoulders. With both hands clasped around the sleeve there is no anti-rotation demand, so this is the landmine press you load heaviest: the arc lets you press a weight the shoulder could not push straight overhead, because the arm finishes angled forward rather than vertical. Coaches program it as the main press of a shoulder session or the second press after a bench.
What Muscles Does the Landmine Shoulder Press Work?
- Primary: Anterior deltoid (front shoulder), upper pectoralis major (upper chest)
- Secondary: Triceps brachii, serratus anterior, upper trapezius
- Tertiary: Rectus abdominis, gluteus maximus, forearm flexors
How Do You Set Up for the Landmine Shoulder Press?
Wedge one end of the barbell into the landmine sleeve and load the free end. Stand facing the landmine with your feet shoulder-width apart, close enough that the bar sits at your sternum when held. Deadlift the sleeve up and clasp the collar end in both hands, fingers interlaced, with the bar resting against the upper chest and the elbows tucked under it. Brace your abs, squeeze your glutes, and stand tall.
How Do You Perform the Landmine Shoulder Press?
- Set the bar against your sternum with both elbows under the sleeve and your wrists stacked over the forearms.
- Press the bar up and forward along the arc the landmine dictates, driving through the heels of both palms.
- Lock the elbows with the arms angled ahead of your face and the bar pointing at the ceiling corner; the ribs stay down.
- Hold the lockout for one count, reaching through the hands so the shoulder blades glide forward.
- Lower the bar under control along the same arc, bending the elbows until the sleeve touches the upper chest.
- Reset your brace with the bar against the sternum and the elbows tucked before the next rep.
What Are the Key Form Cues?
- Aim at the ceiling corner: Push along the line of the bar, not straight up, or the pivot fights you and the shoulders shrug.
- Exhale into the press: Letting air out as the bar rises keeps the ribs down and stops the lower back arching to finish.
- Squeeze both glutes hard before the bar leaves the chest so the hips cannot drift under the load.
- Drive the elbows forward and up rather than out, keeping them under the sleeve through the whole press.
- Let the shoulder blades wrap forward at lockout instead of pinning them back.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes?
- Loading until the press becomes a push press: dipping the knees to bounce the bar off the chest takes the delts out of the lift, so pick a weight you can press strictly for every rep.
- Leaning back to finish: an arched lower back turns the lift into an incline press and loads the lumbar spine in extension, so keep the ribs stacked over the hips.
- Standing too far from the landmine: distance flattens the arc into a forward chest push, so step in until the bar starts at the sternum.
- Flaring the elbows out to the sides: wide elbows pin the front of the shoulder under the load, so keep them tucked under the sleeve.
- Cutting the lockout short: stopping with bent elbows skips the serratus work at the top, so reach fully through the bar each rep.
What Are the Best Landmine Shoulder Press Variations?
- Kneeling landmine press: both knees down removes leg drive and hip lean, the easiest way to feel the arc.
- Single Arm Landmine Press: one hand on the sleeve adds an anti-rotation demand and halves the load.
- Landmine push press: a shallow knee dip drives the bar off the chest for heavier overload of the lockout.
- Split-stance landmine press: staggering the feet stiffens the hips for a stricter torso under heavy sets.
- Standing dumbbell shoulder press: the same two-arm pattern with a vertical path, for a lifter with full overhead range.
How Do You Progress the Landmine Shoulder Press?
- Add 5 to 10 pounds to the sleeve once you press all sets at the top of the rep range without leaning back.
- Work from 6 up to 10 reps per set before adding weight again.
- Add one set per session up to 4 sets, or a second pressing day per week.
- Pause two counts with the bar on the chest before each rep, or lower for a three-count, to remove any bounce.
How Should You Program the Landmine Shoulder Press?
Place the landmine shoulder press first in a shoulder session or second in an upper body session, after the bench press and before lateral raises. Train it 1 to 2 times per week for 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps, resting 90 to 120 seconds between sets. Pair it with a landmine row or a chest-supported row so the pressing volume is matched by a pull.