Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

Landmine 180: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The landmine 180 is a rotational core exercise performed with a barbell anchored at one end. It targets the abs and obliques, requiring the lifter to swing the barbell in an arc from side to side, engaging the core, hips, and legs for stability and power.

Primary muscles
Abs
Secondary muscles
Obliques , Quads
Equipment
Barbell
Level · type
Intermediate · Compound
Demonstration of the landmine 180
Front view: muscles worked by the landmine 180. Primary: abs. Secondary: obliques and quads.
Back view: muscles worked by the landmine 180. Primary: abs. Secondary: obliques and quads.
Primary Secondary

How to do the landmine 180

  1. Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell with both hands in front of your chest.
  2. Step 2: Bend your knees slightly and rotate your torso to the right, swinging the barbell down towards your right hip.
  3. Step 3: As you reach the bottom of the movement, quickly reverse the motion and rotate your torso to the left, swinging the barbell up and across your body towards your left shoulder.
  4. Step 4: Continue this twisting motion, alternating sides, for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the landmine 180 by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Landmine 180 alternatives

More exercises that train the abs as their main target:

More abs exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.