One-Arm Landmine Kneeling Shoulder Press
Also known as: Kneeling Landmine Press, Single-Arm Landmine Press, Tall-Kneeling Landmine Press, Landmine Press
Track One-Arm Landmine Kneeling Shoulder Press in SmartWorkout and watch your numbers go up
Log sets, weights and progress for free, with no workout limits.
Description
Kneel tall and press the end of a landmine bar up and forward with one arm: shoulder pressing that doesn't demand full overhead mobility. Your front and side delts carry the press, the upper chest helps off the bottom and the triceps finish the lockout. At the top, your shoulder blade glides forward around the ribs. With both knees down you can't drive with your legs or hide a lean-back, so your glutes and abs work hard just to keep the hips straight and the torso square. Pick it over the standing version when you want strict reps, and expect to use less weight.
How to Perform
- Slide one end of a barbell into the landmine pivot (or a towel-wrapped corner), load the free end and put a pad down for your knees.
- From half-kneeling, bring the bar end to the front of your working shoulder, then lower the other knee: both knees down, hip-width apart, facing the plate.
- Wrap your whole hand around the tip of the sleeve beyond the plate, palm turned in. The bar sits deep in your palm, wrist straight.
- Point the elbow down in front of your ribs with the bar end between collarbone and chin. Rest your free hand on your stomach.
- Squeeze your glutes until your hips are straight: shoulders over hips over knees, thighs vertical, ribs pulled down.
- Press up and forward along the bar's arc until your elbow is straight and your hand sits just above and in front of your head.
- At the top, let your shoulder blade reach up and forward around the ribs while your chest stays square to the bar.
- Lower it back to the front of your shoulder in about 2 seconds, without bouncing.
- To finish, go back to half-kneeling to switch hands or set the bar down. Never drop it from the top.
What Muscles Work
Primary Muscle:
Secondary Muscles:
Tips
- Press 5–8 reps per arm for strength and 8–15 (often 10–12) for size, usually after your main press.
- Add reps first: once both arms reach the top of the range in every set with a straight elbow and no lean-back, add weight and go back to the low end.
- Go up 1.25–2.5 kg at a time on the sleeve. The pivot carries part of the load, so each jump feels smaller in your hand than the plate suggests.
- The front and side of your shoulder work, along with the back of your arm and, at the top, the muscle along your ribs under the armpit. If your lower back is working, you're leaning back. A pinch on top of the shoulder means end the set and lighten the load.
- Can't stay upright? Drop to half-kneeling or use the empty bar. When strict reps get easy, move to the standing version for heavier sets, or to the One-Arm Kettlebell Overhead Press if you can get your arm straight overhead without arching.
- Substitutes: One-Arm Landmine Half Kneeling Shoulder Press (the closest swap, with a wider base), One-Arm Landmine Standing Shoulder Press (takes more weight) and Dumbbell Half Kneeling Shoulder Press if your gym has no landmine.
Common Mistakes
- Leaning back and arching your lower back to get the bar up: ribs flare and the hips drift behind the knees. Squeeze your glutes, pull the ribs down and take weight off until you stay stacked.
- Sitting back toward your heels so the hips bend. Push your hips forward until the thighs are vertical before the first rep, and keep the glutes tight until the set is done.
- Twisting toward the pressing side. Both hips and both shoulders face the bar; the free hand on your stomach tells you right away if your torso turns. If it keeps turning, go lighter.
- Elbow flared straight out to the side at the bottom. Start every rep with the elbow down in front of your ribs and your forearm under the bar end.
- Stopping with the elbow still bent, or with the shoulder blade pinned back. Straighten the arm fully on every rep and reach the bar end a little further up and forward.
Recommended Exercises
Explore exercises related to One-Arm Landmine Kneeling Shoulder Press for shoulders training and similar movement patterns.
Choose a workout plan or create your own for free
Ready-made plans for every goal, a free plan creator, hundreds of exercises and an advanced workout journal: all in SmartWorkout.
