Apr 14, 2017Safer with a Landmine
Performing squats as part of an athlete’s weekly weightroom workout is a great idea. They strengthen not only leg muscles, but also the core. That can help keep athletes healthy for practices and games, and give them the power they need to perform at their best.
But how do you make sure your athletes are executing the squat correctly? And what if you have an athlete who has lower back, knee, or shoulder issues? Athletes that are just starting out with the squat, or who are injured, might find that a front squat, or even a regular squat, is difficult and possibly even painful.
For these athletes, there is an easily implemented solution — the landmine squat. While similar to a regular squat, the landmine squat has the athlete lifting a weight that is attached to one end of a bar, with the other end of the bar held steady by propping it in a corner of the weightroom (or a landmine attachment). Strength Trainer Ben Bruno explains in an article for T-Nation that the arc of the barbell reinforces the squat pattern of sitting back and staying upright, while also helping to place less stress on joints.
“Since the arc of the bar travels back as you come down, you have no choice but to sit back, and you’re also forced to stay upright lest the bar jam into your sternum,” he writes. “…The landmine squat allows the lifter to stay much more upright with far less forward knee travel, making it more joint-friendly for the knees and lower back while still crushing the quads.”
According to Physical Therapist and Strength Coach Michael S. O’Hara, the landmine squat reduces compression and stress on the lumbar spine.
“Many fitness clients who are unable to squat with a barbell or kettlebell can landmine squat and remain pain-free,” he writes. “I have found six weeks of landmine squats produces the lower lumbar strength gains necessary to progress onto squatting with free weights.”
As with any exercise, you want to make sure that your athletes are using correct form when utilizing the landmine squat. Doing this will further reduce the chance of injury, and help them to better solidify the form for other types of squats. Here are some steps from O’Hara to help make sure that your athletes are getting the most from their landmine squats:
- Place one end of the bar on the floor in a corner of the weight room or in a landmine attachment (if available). Load a weight on the free end and place the same end at your sternum.
- Position your feet so that they are at least shoulder width apart. It is okay to have your toes pointed out at a slight angle.
- Brace your abdominal and upper back muscles, and use your hips to lower into a squat.
- Pause at the bottom of the squat, before pushing back up. Be careful not to let your knees fall inward. The bar will help lead you through the path of the movement.
Most experts suggest starting with just the barbell, and then adding a 45-pound weight on the end of the barbell closest to the chest as athletes build muscle. Strength Trainer Meghan Callaway suggests that if an athlete is struggling with the landmine squat, they can make it easier by utilizing a box or bench. Instead of going all the way down into a squat, your athletes will stop at the top of the box and push back up from there. She also suggests using less weight if needed, or adding more if athletes find the exercise too easy.
Bruno suggests doing 10 to 20 reps of landmine squats after completing heavier legwork in a workout. In order to not overdo the exercise, and to let muscles have time to repair, athletes should do the exercise one to two days a week. This will allow for training of the squat pattern and working of the muscles without putting too much pressure on the lower back and knees.
To see the landmine squat in motion, check out this video from Hoist Fitness.
