Landmine Squat (low)
Summary
The landmine squat (low) is an excellent squat variation that can be used for beginners first steps towards more complex squatting variations.
Benefits of Landmine Squat (low)
The main benefits of the landmine squat (low) is the simplicity it offers while moving through the squat position with the barbell. This allows for strength and hypertrophy adaptations in the lower body, all while keeping movement complexity low.
Landmine Squat (low) Muscles Worked
The primary muscles worked during landmine squat (low) are the Quadriceps and Glutes muscles.
Instructions
- Start with the barbell head just in front of the hips.
- Squat down to the barbell head so that the hands can grip the barbell.
- Grip the barbell head with hands wrapped around the head of the barbell.
- Stand up with the hands around the barbell head, using your legs to lift the weight.
- Continue to perform the movement for the prescribed number of repetitions.
Coaching Tips for Landmine Squat (low)
Follow these cues to perform Landmine Squat (low) correctly:
- Squat down to start the exercise
- Interlock the fingers to secure the barbell
- Keep a neutral spine throughout with feet flat on the floor.
| Beginner | 5 Reps | 3 Sets | 20lbs |
| Intermediate | 8 Reps | 4 Sets | 45lbs |
| Advanced | 12 Reps | 4 Sets | 75lbs |
How To Add Landmine Squat (low) Into Your Programme
This exercise is for beginners learning to squat and take load whilst squatting. This exercise provides beginners with a low complexity variation while they build a base of strength in the legs. There may be some confusion for beginners who are performing this exercise whilst learning to hinge at the same time. It is very important that you explain the difference between a hinge and a squat and outline that this exercise is a squat, putting emphasis on bending at the knees and the hips then lowering the hips to the floor whilst keeping the torso as upright as possible. This is also a great exercise for athletes to use, although I prefer a hex bar deadlift to maintain strength in season, I don’t see why this wouldn’t also be very effective for weaker athletes like tennis players or golfers. For rugby or football players loading the appropriate weight will not be possible due to space on the bar.
Common Mistakes
- The most common mistake with the landmine squat (low) is using a hinge positioning, especially for the first repetition. It can feel very unnatural to squat down to the bar to pick it up.
- Not keeping the weight mid-foot or not keeping the foot on the ground. The weight should come through your mid-foot when squatting. The landmine squat (low) makes this challenging. Try and keep the weight mid-foot throughout the lift. If you look closley at the video you can see our model makes this mistake ever so slightly as she lowers the weight to the floor.
Equipment
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why Landmine Squat?
The landmine squat is a brilliant exercise for beginners who are looking to add load to their squat. Due to the loading ability of the barbell and landmine, you will be able to increase the amount of load your lifting whilst keeping the technical simplicity.
As an example, imagine you have just finished a few weeks of training with a Goblet Squat and are looking to progress both the complexity of the exercise and the amount of load lifted, but do not feel ready for a technically challenging back squat, well then the low landmine squat is the perfect exercise for your next cycle.
When Should I Transition From Landmine Squat to Back Squat?
This is very tough to say as every case is so individual but here are a few guidelines:
If both of these are true, then you are likely ready to be progressed. However you may want to consider using the other landmine squat variation before attempting the back squat.
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