7 Best Landmine Core Exercises for Strong Abs

  • Last Updated: April 2, 2026
Landmine Core & Ab Exercises

Whether you want to build six-pack abs or bolster your abdominal muscles, you can do various landmine core exercises.

The landmine machine uses a barbell anchored at one end that you can move freely in multiple directions, allowing you to perform rotations and anti-rotation abdominal exercises (such as oblique twists, sit-ups, and rollout).

In this article, I’ll show you how to train and strengthen your midsection (abs, obliques, and lower back) using the landmine bar.

After strengthening your core, you’ll have better stability and perform better in various activities, including weight lifting and athletic sports.

Contents show

7 Landmine Core Exercises to Bolster Abdominal Strength

  1. Turkish Sit Up
  2. Oblique Twist
  3. Rollout
  4. Russian Twist
  5. Hollow Body Hold
  6. Side Bend
  7. Plank Row

1. Landmine Single-Arm Turkish Sit Up


The Landmine Turkish sit-up or straight-arm sit-up involves lying on the floor and holding the landmine bar with your hand, then lifting your torso up until your abs are engaged.

It is an excellent exercise to hit your abs and obliques and build a thicker six-pack. It also works on arms and shoulders, strengthens the upper body, and improves athleticism.1Bae, Cho-Rong & Yan, Jin & Yoon, Bum & Kim, Nack-Hwan & Park, Kun-Woo & Lee, Sang-Heon. (2018). Effects of assisted sit-up exercise compared to core stabilization exercise on patients with non-specific low back pain: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation. 31. 1-10. 10.3233/BMR-170997, 2Halpern AA, Bleck EE. Sit-up exercises: an electromyographic study. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1979 Nov-Dec;(145):172-8. PMID: 161217, 3Park BJ, Jang MY, Seon SY. The effects of a 16-week periodized linear strength training program incorporating landmine exercises on physical performance in professional female volleyball players. Phys Act Nutr. 2025 Dec;29(4):75-82. doi: 10.20463/pan.2025.0037. Epub 2025 Dec 30. PMID: 41508644; PMCID: PMC12784033

If you’re bored with bodyweight crunches, include this exercise in your workout routine to challenge your core strength.

Steps for doing one-arm landmine sit-up:

  1. Set the babrell in a suitable place and lie on the floor with your feet together.
  2. Grab the bar’s other end with your right hand (arm straight).
  3. Keep the other arm straight beside your body.
  4. Brace your abdominal muscles and lift your torso off the floor until your abs are contracted and your upper body is straight.
  5. Pause for a moment and then lie back on the floor. That’s one rep.

Perform each rep in a controlled manner, contracting your abs. Perform an equal number of sets and reps on each side.

2. Landmine Oblique Twist


The landmine oblique twist involves holding the bar’s end in the standing position and twisting the torso from right to left and vice versa.

It works throughout the core, including obliques and the rectus abdominis, helping you build a strong and sculpted midsection.

This exercise also engages multiple other muscles simultaneously, such as the chest, arms, hips, and shoulders, and helps enhance balance, muscle coordination, and functional fitness.

The oblique twist exercises put less stress on the lower back compared to other core exercises, such as planks, curl-up, and bird dog, making it a good core workout option for people with spine issues.4 Calatayud J, Escriche-Escuder A, Cruz-Montecinos C, et al. Tolerability and Muscle Activity of Core Muscle Exercises in Chronic Low-Back Pain. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(19):3509. Published 2019 Sep 20. doi:10.3390/ijerph16193509 – International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Follow these steps to perform a landmine twist efficiently:

  1. Put the desired weight into the bar and grab it firmly with your hands.
  2. Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart, take a step back, and hold the bar at your head level with your arms straight.
  3. Slightly lean forward and keep your back straight and core tight; that’s the start.
  4. Twist the bar to your left side until it reaches your hip level.
  5. Pause for a moment and bring the barbell to the starting point.
  6. Twist the bar to the other side to complete the first rep.

Besides these instructions, try to focus on contracting your core muscles during the entire movement by rotating your torso only and keeping your hips and legs in a neutral position.

3. Landmine Rollout


The ab rollout is a great way to build core strength and endurance.

It strengthens the external oblique, lower abs, and the deepest abdominal muscle (transverse abdominis).5Hildenbrand K, Noble L. Abdominal Muscle Activity While Performing Trunk-Flexion Exercises Using the Ab Roller, ABslide, FitBall, and Conventionally Performed Trunk Curls. J Athl Train. 2004 Mar;39(1):37-43. PMID: 15085210; PMCID: PMC385260

If you want a well-defined midsection while improving posture and mobility, this exercise can be a great addition to your workout plan.

The Landmine Rollout involves the following steps:

  1. Insert a weight plate into the landmine bar and set it in a proper position.
  2. Sit on your knees on the mat, lean forward, and grab the bar with an overhand grip.
  3. Roll the barbell out in front of you until your abdominal muscles are stretched and contracted.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top and roll back to the start. That’s one rep.

Keep your back as flat as possible when you roll out and bring your hips forward.

The more you extend your torso, the more your abs feel the work.6 Hildenbrand K, Noble L. Abdominal Muscle Activity While Performing Trunk-Flexion Exercises Using the Ab Roller, ABslide, FitBall, and Conventionally Performed Trunk Curls. J Athl Train. 2004 Mar;39(1):37-43. PMID: 15085210; PMCID: PMC385260

4. Landmine Russian Twist


The Russian twist is another rotational core exercise you can do on a landmine bar.

It involves twisting the torso side to side while keeping the spine and head in place.

It targets your transverse abdominis (deep core), rectus abdominis (six-pack muscles), and obliques (love handles) and enhances your six-pack appearance.7Gangal, Nidhi & Oliver Raj, Joseph. (2025). Efficacy of Pall-of Press vs. Russian Twists on Core muscles of recreational athletes -A Randomized Trial. International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research. 7. 10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i02.42230

The Russian twist is performed in an unstable position, so it also helps improve balance and muscle coordination.

However, this exercise also puts stress on your lower back. So it’s best to avoid it if you have lower back pain.

The easy steps for doing the Russian twist effectively on a landmine machine:

  1. Sit on the floor in a suitable position and grab the barbell with a neutral grip.
  2. Bend your elbows and hold the bar above your hips.
  3. Slightly lean your torso back, bend your knees, and lift your feet off the floor. This is your starting position.
  4. Keeping your core and lower body tight, twist your torso to the right and then to the left.

Keep your spine and head in a neutral position throughout the movement.

Try not to lean back too far, as it can be taxing on your lower back and reduce your core involvement. Lower your torso until your body forms a 45-degree angle with the floor.

5. Landmine Hollow Body Hold


The hollow body hold is an isometric abs workout that requires you to hold in an unstable position.

The isometric exercise keeps your abdominal muscles under constant tension throughout the movement and increases your core muscle endurance.8 Saeterbakken AH, Chaudhari A, van den Tillaar R, Andersen V. The effects of performing integrated compared to isolated core exercises. PLoS One. 2019 Feb 27;14(2):e0212216. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212216. PMID: 30811444; PMCID: PMC6392278.

The hollow body not only strengthens your midsection but also engages quads, hip flexors, inner thighs, and erector spinae, helping you enhance your functional fitness.

The Landmine Hollow Body Hold involves the following steps:

  1. Lie on the floor with your legs straight in front of you.
  2. Grab the bar with your hands and hold it above your chest with straight arms.
  3. Slightly lift your upper back off the floor and raise your legs to a 45-degree angle.
  4. Keeping your core, thighs, and glutes engaged, hold in this position for as long as possible.

Keep your lower back in contact with the floor throughout the movement.

You must keep your core tight throughout the movement.

6. Landmine Side Bend


The landmine side bend is a good alternative to the dumbbell side bend, which hits the side muscles of your core, the internal and external obliques.

Strong obliques improve the torso’s rotational function and provide stability to your entire core muscles.

It is also a unilateral exercise, meaning it allows you to focus on each side of your oblique at a time and helps correct strength and muscle imbalance.

How to perform the side bend with the landmine bar:

  1. Put the desired weight into the bar and grab the end of it with an underhand grip with your right hand
  2. Holding the bar stand upright with your feet hip-width apart and your arm straight.
  3. Lower the bar to your right side until you feel the contraction in your oblique.
  4. Pause for a moment and extend your hips to complete the rep.
  5. Perform more reps and sets on the weaker side.

7. Plank Landmine Row


The plank row is a full-body functional exercise. It involves getting into a high plank position and rowing the free end while maintaining a straight back.

It mostly trains the upper body muscles, including the abs, back, rear deltoid, and arms.

Doing plank row consistently also helps improve balance, posture, and athleticism.

The steps are simple for doing the landmine plank row:

  1. Set the bar in a suitable position and get into a high plank with your arms straight below your shoulders and legs wider than shoulder-width apart.
  2. Grasp the barbell in your right hand with your palm underneath it.
  3. Pull the bar at your side and then return it to the start.

Keep your core engaged throughout the movement, and your head should be in a neutral position during the exercise.

The Bottom Line

You can build up your core in various ways with and without equipment, but if you’re looking for specific landmine core exercises, then you can try out the above workouts: sit-up, anti-rotation, Russian twist, rollout, hollow body hold, and side bend.

These exercises will help you work out each core muscle, such as rectus abdominis (six-pack abs), transverse abdominis (deepest abs), and internal and external obliques (sides of your core).

Solid core provides stability to your lower back, enhances athletic and lifting performance, minimizes the risk of injuries, and helps improve posture.

So, include the various landmine ab exercises in your workout program and do them once or twice a week to build thicker and defined six-pack abs.

References

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Murshid Akram

I’m a personal trainer, fitness blogger, and founder of thefitnessphantom.com. I help people achieve their best shape through my science-based and practical workout programs.
Learn more about me
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Picture of Murshid Akram

Murshid Akram

I’m a personal trainer, fitness blogger, and founder of thefitnessphantom.com. I help people achieve their best shape through my science-based and practical workout programs.
Learn more about me
Instagram X-twitter

About Me

Murshid Akram, Author at The Fitness Phantom

I’m Murshid Akram, a personal trainer, fitness blogger, and founder of thefitnessphantom.com. I primarily design workout plans and share science-based and practical information that can help you become stronger, functional, and healthier.

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