Barbell Landmine 1 Handed Press

Target muscles

The anterior and lateral deltoids drive the press through a path that's somewhere between a horizontal bench press and a strict overhead press. The triceps lock out the elbow at the top. The serratus anterior holds the scapula stable as the bar travels overhead and slightly forward. Because it's a single-arm press, the contralateral obliques and quadratus lumborum fire continuously to resist lateral trunk flexion — a strong anti-lateral-flexion stimulus that often shows up the day after as a one-sided ab soreness. The upper back stabilizes throughout.

How to perform

Setup

Anchor a barbell in a landmine attachment (or wedge it into a corner with a folded towel under the working end). Stand at the free end of the bar in a slightly staggered stance — the leg opposite the working arm slightly back. Grip the bar at the very end with one hand, the bar resting on the front of the shoulder. Free hand at your side or planted on your hip. Big breath, brace.

Execution

Press the bar up and slightly forward along the natural arc of the landmine. Lock the elbow at the top — the arm should reach a near-vertical position, not a true vertical because of the angled path. Resist the temptation to twist the torso to the working side; keep the trunk square, eyes forward. Lower the bar back to the shoulder under control, feeling the eccentric in the lateral delt and the trunk re-engaging to stop the descent. Complete all reps on one side before switching.

Common mistakes

• Twisting the torso to "help" the press. The trunk should stay square — the value here is the anti-rotation demand.
• Letting the lower back arch as the bar reaches the top. Brace and tuck the ribs to the hips.
• Standing too close to the landmine, which forces an unnatural press path. Step back enough that the bar travels a clean arc.
• Same load both sides without checking. Unilateral lifts demand you let the weak side cap the working weight.
• Lockout on a stiff arm with the shoulder shrugged. Press to a soft lockout with the trap relaxed at the top.

Progressions and regressions

Regress to the two-handed landmine press (both hands on the end of the bar) for less stability demand. Start with an unloaded bar to learn the press path before adding plates. To progress, work the half-kneeling landmine press (kneeling on the same-side knee as the pressing arm — bigger anti-extension demand), the standing single-arm version with a press-and-rotate (pressing while pivoting through the back foot), or add reps under tempo (2-second descent).

Programming notes

Excellent for lifters with shoulder issues that prevent strict overhead pressing — the angled path is much friendlier to most cranky shoulders. 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps per side, two days a week. Use as a primary pressing movement on a non-bench day or as an accessory after horizontal pressing. Build the load slowly; the leverages of the landmine make it feel lighter than equivalent dumbbell loads, but the trunk demand catches up quickly.