Landmine side lunge and press

The landmine side lunge and press is a combination movement that links a lateral lunge with a landmine press, using a barbell anchored at one end in a landmine attachment. It trains the quads, glutes, and adductors of the lunging leg while the press works the shoulders and triceps, with the core bracing throughout to control the shifting load. Because the bar's arc reduces shoulder strain compared to a straight vertical press, the exercise combines lower-body and upper-body work without adding excessive joint stress. It is commonly used in functional and athletic training to build strength through a lateral plane of motion that many standard programs neglect.

Muscles Targeted

• Primary: Quadriceps, glutes, anterior deltoids
• Secondary: Adductors, hamstrings, triceps
• Tertiary: Core stabilizers, obliques

Starting Position

Anchor a loaded barbell in a landmine attachment. Stand roughly three to four feet to the side of the anchor point with your feet hip-width apart, holding the free end of the bar at shoulder height with both hands, elbows tucked and wrists stacked. Keep your chest up and your core braced before initiating the lunge.

Execution Steps

1. Step laterally away from the anchor point into a wide stance, keeping the bar racked at your shoulder
2. Sit your hips back and down into the lunging leg while keeping the opposite leg straight and the foot flat
3. Lower until your lunging thigh is close to parallel with the floor, keeping your torso upright
4. Drive through the lunging leg to return to standing, pushing the floor away
5. As you reach full standing, press the bar upward along its arc using leg drive to help initiate the movement
6. Lower the bar back to shoulder height under control as you reset your stance
7. Repeat for the desired reps, then switch to the opposite side

Form Cues

• Keep the lunging knee tracking in line with the toes rather than caving inward
• Sit the hips back and down instead of letting the knee drift forward past the toes
• Keep the torso upright during the lunge to avoid excessive forward lean
• Time the press so it occurs as you stand, letting leg drive assist the movement
• Keep the core braced to resist rotation from the offset load

Common Mistakes

• Rushing the lunge and losing balance: reduces control and lunge depth; slow the descent and control the step
• Pressing the bar before fully standing: shortchanges leg drive and stability; press only once upright
• Letting the lunging knee cave inward: increases knee stress; actively keep the knee tracking over the foot
• Using too much weight for the press: forces poor timing and form on the lunge; scale the load to what you can press cleanly
• Letting the trailing leg collapse instead of pushing back to center: reduces control on the return

Variations

• Landmine reverse lunge and press: replaces the lateral step with a rear step for less lateral stability demand
• Lateral lunge and landmine press performed separately: builds a base in each pattern before combining them
• Landmine split squat and press: uses a static split stance for more controlled loading
• Static lateral lunge hold with landmine press: isolates the upper-body press while holding a fixed lunge position
• Goblet lateral lunge: swaps the landmine press for a held dumbbell or kettlebell to simplify the movement

Tips for Progression

• Master the lateral lunge and the landmine press as separate movements before combining them
• Increase lunge depth gradually as hip mobility improves
• Add load in small increments once the combined movement feels smooth
• Progress from a two-hand press to a single-arm press for added core demand

Training Notes

Use the landmine side lunge and press one to two times per week in a full-body or lower-body/functional session, performing 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps per side with light to moderate load. Rest 60-90 seconds between sets. It works well early in a session to reinforce movement quality, or as an accessory paired with heavier squat or press work.