7 Landmine Ab Exercises To Try Out

A barbell landmine setup can be a fun way to switch up your workouts. Find out what landmine exercises you can do to work your abs.

One thing to note first is that the movements below are not always the ultimate best in terms of effectiveness and convenience. For these goals, other workout equipment is often more convenient.

At the same time, enjoying your ab workouts more can help you stay more consistent and in turn, help you see more results.

1. Landmine ab rollouts

To do this first workout you just need a landmine setup and one weight plate that is strong enough to hold your weight. Additionally, a soft pad for your knees can improve comfort a lot.

Once you have these things, take the following steps to do a landmine ab rollout:

1. Put the barbell in the landmine anchor and a weight plate on the other sleeve. Let the weight plate rest on the ground.
2. Put the pad right next to the barbell sleeve, sit on it with your knees, hold the barbell sleeve with both of your hands, and keep your body straight from your knees to the top of your head during the rest of the exercise.
3. Roll the barbell forward in a controlled motion. Preferably until your stomach hovers above the ground but besides that, as far as you can keep your body straight.
4. Slowly roll back into the position of step 2.

Regular ab rollouts are typically done with an ab wheel or a barbell with two weight plates.

By using a landmine setup you will roll slightly sideways which works your oblique muscles more than the straight version.

At the same time, landmine rollouts will still work your abs a good amount. Individuals who are more experienced with core training could consider wearing a weighted vest to challenge their abs even more.

2. Landmine rotations

Landmine rotations require a similar setup as the previous exercise but you may need more weight to make the movement challenging enough. That being said, take the following steps to do a landmine rotation:

1. Put the barbell in the landmine anchor and the desired number of weight plates on the other sleeve.
2. Face toward the landmine base. Clean, aka do an explosive deadlift, the sleeve up to chest height. Push the sleeve up until your arms are slightly less than stretched and slightly more forward than in one straight line with your upper body.
3. Tilt the barbell sleeve to one side as far as comfortable while keeping your arms more or less straight. Keep your spine about straight.
4. Move back into the position of step 2.
5. Repeated step 3 toward the other side.

Landmine rotations, aka twists, are a popular landmine exercise that mainly works your oblique core muscles but also your abs to a nice extent to keep your upper body from bending backward.

Additionally, your shoulder muscles will have to work to some extent to raise your arms and stop them from falling down.

This is definitely more of an ab compound movement which can be helpful if you are also interested in overall core strength.

3. Landmine crunches

To do the next ab exercise a soft surface like a yoga mat can make things a lot more comfortable. Once you have that, take the following steps to do a landmine crunch:

1. Put the barbell in the landmine anchor and the desired number of weight plates on the other sleeve.
2. Lay down your yoga mat right next to the weight plates on the ground at a distance where you can follow the next steps easily.
3. Lie down on the mat (or another soft surface) with your feet toward the anchor and flat on the ground, lift the weighted sleeve above you, and hold the sleeve with slightly less than stretched arms.
4. Slowly raise your shoulders off the ground as far as comfortable while keeping your lower back on the ground. Keep your neck in one line with your upper body.
5. Lower your shoulders back to the ground in a controlled motion.

This exercise is basically a weighted crunch with the resistance coming from the landmine set-up.

While landmine crunches definitely have the ability to grow and strengthen your abs, you do want to keep in mind that barbell or weight plate crunches could do the same with a more convenient setup.

4. Landmine Russian twist

This next movement is another example of an exercise where a soft surface to sit on will be a big help. That aside, take the following steps to do a landmine Russian twist:

1. Put the barbell in the landmine anchor and the desired number of weight plates on the other sleeve.
2. Lay down the soft surface next to the weight plates, sit down on it, and lift the landmine above you.
3. Tilt your upper body backward until it is at about 45 degrees with the ground. Keep your spine straight. And raise your feet slightly so that they are hovering above the ground.
4. Slowly twist your upper body as far as comfortable to one side while keeping your spine straight and your arms at the same angle to your body.
5. Return to the position in step 3.
6. Repeat the movement from step 4 but to the other side.

Make sure you turn your head with your upper body and your spine straight. However, even with the right technique, landmine Russian twists may not be for you if you have any back or neck issues.

That aside, landmine Russian twists will work your ab muscles to keep your upper body tilted at the right angle. Additionally, your oblique muscles will have to work a good amount to twist you back and forth.

Russian twists are somewhat similar to landmine rotations but slightly more challenging for your abs. On the other hand, the rotations are somewhat easier to do with a safe technique.

5. Landmine hollow body hold

Bodyweight hollow body holds are already challenging enough for many people but more experienced lifters can consider a landmine setup to make the movement hard enough.

Take the following steps to do this exercise:

1. Put the barbell in the landmine anchor and add weight plates if needed.
2. Lay down a soft surface like a yoga mat next to the barbell sleeve on the ground.
3. Lie down on the mat (or another soft surface) with your feet toward the anchor, lift the free sleeve above you, and hold the sleeve with slightly less than stretched arms.
4. Push your lower back against the ground with the help of your ab muscles and slightly raise your legs and shoulder.
5. Hold this position for a certain amount of time.

One important thing to note about landmine hollow body holds is that they are an isometric exercise. In simpler, words, you work your muscles in a static way.

On the other hand, you have isotonic exercises like crunches where you actually move to work your ab muscles. In general, these more dynamic exercises are more effective for muscle growth.

Even so, landmine hollow body holds can still be helpful for people experienced with resistance training who still want to improve ab muscle endurance.

6. Landmine sit-ups

Take the following steps to do a landmine sit-up:

1. Put the barbell in the landmine anchor and add any weight plates if needed.
2. Lay down something like a yoga mat right next to the weight plates on the ground.
3. Lie down on the mat (or another soft surface) with your feet toward the anchor and flat on the ground, lift the weighted sleeve above you, and hold the sleeve with slightly less than stretched arms.
4. Curl up your shoulders and tilt your body forward until your upper body is more or less next to your knees. Keep your neck in one line with your upper body.
5. Curl down to the ground in a controlled motion.

In landmine sit-ups, you really want to focus on raising your shoulders first and only then raising your lower back off the ground. This makes it so you work your abs more than just tilting your body forward.

Sit-ups look somewhat similar to crunches and still work your abs but because of the bigger range of motion, you work your oblique and hip flexor muscles to a larger extent.

This can be good or bad depending on your training goals.

7. Landmine plank roll

Similar to landmine ab rolls, this next exercise uses the landmine setup as support, not as extra weight. That means you just need the landmine setup and a weight plate that works for this purpose.

Once you have the right gear, take the following steps to do a landmine plank roll:

1. Put the barbell in the landmine anchor and a weight plate on the other sleeve. Let the weight plate rest on the ground.
2. Sit on your knees in front of the weight plate with your face toward the anchor. Put your hands on the barbell sleeve and your shoulders above your hands.
3. Step back with your feet until you are in a straight line from the top of your head to your heels.
4. Slowly roll the landmine left as far as comfortable.
5. Roll the landmine right as far as comfortable in a controlled motion.
6. Switch between steps 4 and 5 for an extended period of time.

Similar to regular planks, plank rolls work your abs and obliques a nice amount. Mostly in a static way to improve core muscle endurance.

By adding the landmine setup, you will work your obliques to a larger extent and in a somewhat more dynamic way.

You can also use the landmine setup to do other plank variations like landmine renegade rows which will work your upper back muscles and obliques more than the regular version.