Exercise guide
Landmine Rear Lunge
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Rep-based
- Lower legs
- Upper legs
The landmine rear lunge is a unilateral compound movement that utilizes the barbell's fixed arc to provide stability while heavily taxing the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. It is particularly effective for improving balance and addressing strength asymmetries between legs.
Reviewed by the Crucible team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Secure one end of the barbell in a landmine attachment and stand facing the weighted end.
- Grasp the end of the barbell with both hands at chest height in a goblet-style grip.
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, leaning slightly forward so your weight is supported by the bar.
How to do it
- Inhale and take a controlled step back with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at roughly 90 degrees.
- Keep your front shin as vertical as possible and allow the back knee to hover just above the floor.
- Exhale and drive forcefully through the heel of your front foot to return to the standing position.
- Maintain a steady tempo, taking 2 seconds to descend and 1 second to drive upward.
Form checklist
- Keep your core braced and chest up to prevent the bar from rounding your upper back.
- Ensure the front knee tracks in line with your toes and does not cave inward.
- Maintain a slight forward lean into the bar throughout the movement to keep tension on the working muscles.
- Avoid letting the back knee crash into the floor; maintain control at the bottom.
Pro tips
- Think about 'tripping' the floor with your front foot to maximize glute and hamstring recruitment.
- Squeeze the barbell handles hard to create upper body irradiation, which increases overall stability during the lunge.
Make it harder
- Perform the exercise standing on a 2-4 inch platform (deficit lunge) to increase the range of motion and glute stretch.
- Hold the barbell with only the hand opposite to the working front leg to create a significant cross-body stability challenge.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the landmine rear lunge work?
- The landmine rear lunge primarily targets the calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and also works the erector spinae and obliques as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the landmine rear lunge?
- The landmine rear lunge uses barbell.
- Is the landmine rear lunge good for beginners?
- The landmine rear lunge is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.
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