Landmine Row
The landmine row is a single-arm row in which you hinge over and pull the loaded end of a barbell, anchored at the floor, up along an arc towards your hip. It works the lats and mid-back, with the rear shoulders and biceps assisting, and it is hardest at the stretched bottom of the rep.
Also called: Landmine Rows, Single Arm Landmine Row, One-Arm Landmine Row, Landmine Bent-Over Row · Equipment: barbell · Pattern: pull
Step by step
- Anchor one end of a barbell in a landmine unit or a corner and load the free end.
- Stand beside the loaded end in a staggered stance, with the leg on your rowing side back. Hinge at the hips until your torso is close to parallel with the floor and rest your free hand on your front thigh or a bench.
- Grip the bar just behind the plates, or a handle attached to it, and let your arm hang straight so you feel a stretch through the side of your back.
- Brace your trunk and keep your hips and shoulders square to the floor.
- Row the bar up and back along its arc, driving your elbow towards your hip. Finish by pulling your shoulder blade back and down, not up towards your ear.
- Bring the bar back down under control until your arm is straight and your back is fully stretched.
- Complete the reps on one side, then change sides.
- Elbow to your hip
- Full stretch at the bottom of every rep
- Shoulder blade back and down at the top
- Hips and shoulders square to the floor
- Free hand braced, chest down
- Control the bar all the way down
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Latissimus dorsi | Prime mover | C |
| Trapezius: middle | Prime mover | C |
| Rhomboids | Prime mover | C |
| Teres major | Secondary | C |
| Posterior deltoid | Secondary | C |
| Biceps brachii | Secondary | C |
| Trapezius: lower | Secondary | D |
| Brachialis | Secondary | D |
| Erector spinae | Stabiliser | C |
| Forearm flexors | Stabiliser | D |
| Obliques (internal/external) | Stabiliser | C |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Twisting the torso to heave the bar
Fix: Brace your free hand, keep your shoulders square and pick a load you row without twisting.
Shrugging at the top
Fix: Lead with the elbow and finish by pulling the shoulder blade back and down.
Cutting the bottom short
Fix: Let your arm hang fully straight at the bottom of every rep.
Standing too upright
Fix: Hinge until your torso is close to parallel with the floor and keep your chest down.
Grip giving out before the back
Fix: Use lifting straps or a neutral handle so your back sets the working load.
What the research says
Muscle growth · first choiceGeneral fitness · first choiceStrengthRehab & prehabSport performanceEnduranceFat loss & conditioning
- Load by goal — Research comparing loads finds maximal strength favours heavier loads, while muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure.
- Effort — Studies show sets that finish a few reps short of failure capture most of the size benefit, and strength gains appear largely insensitive to how close to failure you train.
- Stretched position — An 8-week trial on the biceps found training at longer muscle lengths produced more growth in part of the muscle than training at short lengths. The landmine row is hardest at the stretched bottom, but no study has tested it directly.
- Volume and frequency — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns, and training a muscle about twice a week is a common way to spread that volume.
- Sets and reps — A common approach is 3–4 sets of 8–15 reps per arm, often after a main pulling lift.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the landmine row in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.