3 landmine shoulder exercises to grow boulder shoulders

Shoulder exercises are an excellent way to build strength and improve posture. All you need are these three landmine shoulder exercises to hit all three heads of the shoulders, anterior, medial and posterior deltoids for complete shoulder development.

Deciding on which shoulder exercises to grow your shoulders can be challenging. 

In this article, we will discuss 3 landmine shoulder exercises to grow boulder shoulders that can help you improve your posture and build strength.

Benefits of landmine exercises for shoulders

The benefits of using landmine exercises start with you can easily work all planes of motion – frontal, sagittal and transverse. When you train with the landmine, you get vertical and horizontal loading, mimicking everyday movement more naturally than fixed machines can.  

Increased Shoulder Strength

Landmine exercises, such as the landmine shoulder press and the landmine lateral raise, are effective at building shoulder strength due to the angled position of the barbell.

This angled position allows you to work the shoulder muscles slightly differently than traditional exercises, resulting in improved muscle activation and strength gains.

It can help perform daily activities and sports that require overhead movements, such as throwing or lifting.

Improved Shoulder Stability

The angled position of the barbell requires you to engage your stabilizing muscles, including those in the shoulders, to maintain proper form and prevent injury. 

When you perform landmine exercises, your shoulders must work in concert with your core muscles to maintain proper form and stability. This improves the coordination between your shoulder and core muscles, allowing them to work together more efficiently during daily activities and sports.

Improved stability in the shoulder joint can also help to reduce the risk of shoulder injuries, such as rotator cuff strains or tears.

Targeted Muscle Activation

Landmine exercises can target specific shoulder muscles, such as the deltoids and rotator cuff, with greater precision than traditional weightlifting exercises.

The angled position of the barbell allows for a greater range of motion and a deeper stretch in the muscle, leading to greater muscle activation and improved muscle growth over time.

Helps prevent injury

Shoulder injuries can be common, especially in those who perform repetitive overhead movements or have poor posture. Landmine shoulder exercises can help strengthen the muscles around the shoulder joint, reducing the risk of injury.

Enhanced Core Activation

The angled design of the landmine attachment requires you to engage your core muscles, leading to improved core strength and stability, which can indirectly improve shoulder health.

Some examples of landmine exercises for shoulders include the landmine shoulder press, landmine lateral raise, and the landmine single-arm press.

Incorporating these exercises into your workout routine can help you achieve a more well-rounded shoulder workout and improve your overall shoulder health and function.

Anatomy of your shoulders

Your shoulders are made up of three parts (heads)

Anterior: It is located on the front of your shoulder. It is part of the shoulder that borders the chest muscles.

Its primary function is shoulder flexion; the main movements are raising your arms to the front and overhead. This muscle is targeted during front raises and bench press exercises.

Medial (middle): It is located on the outside of your shoulder. If developed, it gives the “capped” shoulder look.

The main function of the lateral deltoid is shoulder abduction. This movement is characterized by raising your upper arms upward at your sides. This muscle is targeted in the dumbbell lateral raise and upright row.

Posterior: The posterior deltoid is located on the back of your shoulder.

Its primary function is shoulder extension, which is characterized by pulling your upper arms backward and bringing your shoulder blades together. This muscle is targeted in the face pull, rear delt flyes, bent over row and other rear delt exercises.

Landmine shoulder exercises

The landmine is one of my favorite pieces of equipment. By changing how you stand and execute exercises, you can easily design a complete workout to build muscle mass fast while burning calories at the same time. 

Landmine exercises are a great alternative to upper body exercises to barbell and dumbbell variations.

Kneeling single-arm landmine press

Landmine presses are a great exercise that targets the front delts (shoulders) and upper back muscles. 

• Grab the end of the barbell with your right hand.
• Get into a half-kneeling position with your right knee on the ground and your left foot forward.
• Bring the barbell down to your shoulder and then push the barbell up and away from your body until your arm is fully extended.
• Slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
• Repeat desired reps and switch to the other side.

Tip: Kneeling can allow for a fuller range of motion, especially if you are taller.

Landmine lateral raise

Landmine lateral raise targets the medial delts (side shoulders) and upper back muscles. 

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell with an overhand grip. 
• Position the barbell at waist height and keep your elbows slightly bent. 
• Lift the barbell up and away from your body until your arm is parallel to the ground. 
• Slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
• Repeat desired reps and switch to the other side.

Tip: Focus on your arm crossing your body. Lead with your shoulder.

Landmine upright row

Upright row targets the rear delts (shoulders), which are often overlooked.

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell with an overhand grip. 
• Hold the end of the barbell and position it at waist height.
• Slightly bend at your waist.
• Lift the barbell and drive the elbow toward the corner of the room.
• Slowly lower the barbell band down to the starting position.

Tip: Think about driving with your rear delt. Don’t shrug.

Working out at home? Don’t have a landmine attachment?

You can use a standard barbell and wedge it into a corner of a room. It is a great way to use your barbell for landmine exercises without having the anchor to slide the end of the barbell into. 

Landmine exercises are single-arm barbell exercises are unilateral exercises that can switch up your training and get you doing more lateral movements, which more realistically mimic real life