5 Landmine Tricep Exercises For Stronger Arms

Cable machines and dumbbells are often the choices to work the tricep muscles. That being said, there are a few good landmine tricep exercises too.

What resistance options you should choose will ultimately depend on things like what tricep workout equipment you have, your personal preferences, and your training goals.

1. Landmine tricep kickback

For this first landmine tricep exercise, you simply need the landmine setup and potentially a few light weight plates. Once you have these, take the following steps to do a landmine tricep kickback:

1. Set up the landmine and stand at the end of the barbell sleeve with one side toward the anchor. Put the hand closest to the barbell on the sleeve.
2. Raise the barbell off the ground, stand up with your knees slightly bent, and tilt your upper body forward as far as comfortable while keeping your spine straight. Point your upper arm up as far as comfortable and let your lower arm hang down for now.
3. Slowly stretch your arm with the barbell.
4. Lower your forearm back into the position of step 2 in a controlled motion.
5. Complete your set and do the same number of repetitions on the other side.

As the name implies, landmine tricep kickbacks are mainly a tricep isolation exercise. While this movement can be useful for this purpose, the cable machine version is typically preferred.

The main reason for this is that the cable tricep kickback allows your muscles to go through a larger range of motion under tension. This is generally beneficial for muscle growth and strength progress.

That aside, you can also do landmine tricep kickbacks while leaning with your chest on a weight bench.

This engages your lower back muscles less and really allows you to focus on engaging your tricep muscles.

2. Kneeling landmine tricep extension

While it is not essential, a soft pad to put your knees on can make this next exercise more comfortable. Take the following steps to do a kneeling landmine tricep extension:

1. Anchor the barbell and put on any weight plates if needed. Sit on your knees right next to the barbell sleeve with one side toward the anchor. You can put one foot flat on the ground for balance if needed.
2. Get the barbell in a position where the hand closest to the anchor is holding it. The arm of this side should be pointing more or less upward and should be slightly less than stretched. To get into this position you can use both hands.
3. After that, slowly lower the landmine behind you by folding the arm with the barbell as far as comfortable.
4. Raise the barbell again in a controlled motion.
5. Complete your set(s) and repeat the same number of repetitions with your other arm.

Tricep extensions at this angle are often done with equipment options like dumbbells, a cable machine, and resistance bands.

That being said, if you only have a barbell available, the landmine setup allows you to still work your tricep muscles on each side separately.

The different landmine upward trajectory will work your tricep muscles in a slightly different ratio but this difference will generally not make too much of a difference. Especially in the kneeling position.

3. Kneeling landmine shoulder press

Similar to the previous landmine tricep exercise, a soft pad will make the movement more comfortable on your knees.

Take the following steps to do a kneeling landmine shoulder press:

1. Anchor the barbell, put on the desired amount of weight, and sit on your knees right next to the barbell sleeve with your face toward the anchor.
2. Move the landmine to shoulder height and hold it with the hand closest to the anchor.
3. Raise the barbell in a controlled motion until your arm is slightly less than stretched. Point your upper arm forward at about a 45-degree angle from the center.
4. Slowly lower the weight to shoulder height again.
5. Complete your set(s) and repeat the same number of repetitions with your other arm.

The kneeling landmine shoulder press is the first compound tricep exercise on this list. You will also work your deltoids (main shoulder muscles). Especially the front part but also the side to some extent.

Landmine shoulder presses can be effective to train these muscles with the right weight, repetitions, and rest.

The landmine version can be great if you want to do shoulder presses unilaterally (each side separately) but don’t have any other equipment besides a barbell setup.

Even if you do have these other equipment options, you may prefer the feeling of the landmine trajectory.

4. Landmine skull crusher

This next exercise is typically done while lying down on the floor. Something like a good workout mat can make the movement more comfortable.

Take the following steps to do a landmine skull crusher:

1. Set up the landmine and add any weight plates if needed. Lie down right next to the barbell sleeve with your head just a bit farther away from the anchor than the end of the barbell and one side toward the anchor.
2. Reach behind you to pick up the barbell with the hand closest to the anchor and lift it up until the upper arm of that side is pointing slightly more forward than vertical. Keep this arm slightly less than stretched for now.
3. Slowly lower the landmine behind you by folding the arm with the barbell. Keep your upper arm at the same angle throughout the movement.
4. Raise the barbell again into the position of step 2 in a controlled motion.
5. Complete your set(s) and repeat the same number of repetitions on the other side.

You can also do skull crushers as a regular barbell tricep exercise.

However, even though it is easier to grip the more narrow barbell handle, the barbell is in a position that is a bit scarier than the landmine version.

Additionally, the landmine allows you to work each side separately. This can help you avoid using the triceps on one side more than the other which can lead to muscle imbalances.

5. Landmine chest press

Take the following steps to do a landmine chest press:

1. Anchor the barbell and put on the desired amount of weight. Stand in front of the barbell sleeve with your face toward the anchor. Put your hands on the barbell.
2. Lift the landmine explosively by stretching your legs and tilting your upper back backward while keeping your spine straight. Don’t stop at hip height and raise the bar to chest height.
3. Slowly push the barbell forward/upward until your arms are slightly less than stretched. Keep your upper arms at 45 degrees or less to your sides.
4. Return the landmine into the position of step 2 in a controlled motion.

As the name implies, the chest press is also a landmine chest exercise. At the same time, you also work your tricep and front deltoid muscles a lot. Especially in the two-handed version.

Two downsides of the landmine chest press are that it is challenging to get enough weight up to chest height and that your core muscles could fatigue too soon.

You can avoid these things somewhat by doing single-arm chest presses instead.

Besides these things, in the two-handed version, you work your triceps and front deltoids more because you have to do a close-grip push. This can be good or bad depending on your training goals.

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• 7 Effective Landmine Back Exercises