Landmine press: a shoulder friendly pressing option

Plenty of people want to press overhead but find that pushing straight up leaves their shoulders sore or pinchy. Instead of forcing it, or giving up on pressing altogether, the landmine press offers a middle path. You wedge one end of a barbell into a corner or a landmine holder, hold the other end, and press up and slightly forward on a diagonal. That angle keeps your arm in a position most shoulders handle more comfortably, while still building your front delts, triceps, and upper chest. It is not magic and it is not a cure, but for a lot of lifters it is the pressing they can actually do without pain.

The short version

The landmine press moves on a diagonal, up and forward, rather than straight overhead, which keeps your arm closer to a position your shoulder tends to tolerate.
Pressing in line with the shoulder blade, rather than dead vertical behind the head, is a widely recommended way to load the shoulder with less pinching for people who are sensitive to overhead work.
Set up in a staggered stance, brace your core, and press the bar up and slightly across so your arm finishes near your ear.
It builds the front delts, triceps, and upper chest, and the offset load makes your core work hard to resist twisting.
It is a friendlier option, not a fix. Sharp or lasting shoulder pain still means back off and, if it persists, get it assessed.

Why the landmine press is easier on shoulders

A strict overhead press asks your arm to travel dead vertical, ending up behind your head. To do that without pinching, your shoulder needs good mobility and a well controlled shoulder blade. Many people, especially those with a history of shoulder niggles, do not have that range, so the top of the press is where things start to hurt.

The landmine changes the bar path. Because one end is pinned, the bar travels on an arc that goes up and forward rather than straight up. Your arm finishes on a diagonal, roughly in line with your shoulder blade, instead of stacked behind your head. That position, sometimes called pressing in the plane of the scapula, keeps more room in the joint and is a long standing recommendation for loading the shoulder with less pinching.

Why this belongs in your program

The landmine press lets you keep pressing, and keep progressing, when a strict overhead press flares your shoulder. You still train the front delts, triceps, and upper chest, and the offset load turns it into a genuine core exercise too. For sensitive shoulders it is often the difference between pressing something and pressing nothing.

The setup, step by step

You can do this one arm at a time, which is the most common version, or two hands on the end of the bar. Single arm is where the shoulder friendly benefit and the core work are strongest. Wedge the far end of the bar into a landmine holder or a padded corner so it cannot slide.

Load and shoulder the bar. Bring the free end up to the front of your shoulder, holding it in your hand with your elbow tucked in front of your body, not flared out to the side. Stand facing the pinned end.
Take a staggered or square stance. Feet about hip to shoulder width. Many people put the opposite foot slightly forward when pressing single arm. Get stable and tall, chest up.
Brace your core hard. The offset load will try to twist and bend you. Squeeze your abs and glutes so your torso stays square and upright. This bracing is half the exercise.
Press up and slightly across. Push the bar up and forward along its natural arc until your arm is nearly straight, finishing with your bicep close to your ear. Do not lean back to heave it up.
Lower under control. Bring the bar back down to your shoulder on the same path, keeping the elbow tracking in front of you. Reset and repeat without letting your torso sag or rotate.

The cue that keeps your shoulder happy

Think press up and in toward the midline, elbow leading in front of your body. If your elbow flares out wide and the bar drifts behind you, you have lost the friendly angle and put yourself back into the pinchy position you were avoiding.

The common mistakes and how to fix them

The landmine press is forgiving, but these faults quietly undo its benefits. Find yours and fix it.

Mistake	What it looks like	The fix
Leaning back to press	Torso arches back to fling the bar up	Lighten the load; brace and press with the shoulder, keep the torso tall
Elbow flares out wide	Elbow points out to the side, bar drifts behind you	Keep the elbow in front of your body and press up and in
Twisting to one side	Torso rotates toward the working arm each rep	Brace abs and glutes harder; drop the weight until you can stay square
Half range at the top	Stopping short of a straight arm	Press until the arm is nearly locked with the bicep near the ear
Feet too narrow	Wobbling and losing balance under the offset load	Widen or stagger the stance for a stable base

An honest caveat

The landmine press is a friendlier option, not a guarantee. It suits many sensitive shoulders because of the angle, but shoulders are individual. If pressing on this arc still causes sharp pain, rather than normal effort, stop the set. Persistent shoulder pain is a reason to see a physiotherapist or doctor rather than to keep pushing through.

How to use it in your training

You can slot the landmine press in as your main press or as an accessory alongside other pressing. It scales from rehab-light to genuinely heavy.

Use it as a main pressing movement if overhead work bothers you, in the 6 to 12 rep range for a couple of hard sets per arm.
Or run it as an accessory after bench or overhead work, in the 10 to 15 rep range, to add front delt and upper chest volume.
Train both arms evenly, and let the weaker or crankier side set your working weight so you do not overload it.
Progress by adding small weight to the bar end, or by slowing the lowering phase, rather than by chasing big jumps that wreck your torso position.

The honest bottom line

The landmine press is one of the most useful tools for anyone who wants to press but finds strict overhead work uncomfortable. Set up staggered, brace against the offset load, and press up and in on the natural arc. You get real pressing strength and shoulder-friendly positioning in one lift, plus a core workout you did not ask for.

Questions people ask

Is the landmine press better than overhead press?

Neither is simply better. A strict overhead press builds more raw vertical pressing strength and trains the shoulder through a bigger range, which is valuable if your shoulders tolerate it. The landmine press trades some of that range for an angle that is easier on cranky shoulders and adds a strong anti-rotation core demand. If overhead work hurts, the landmine is the more useful choice. If it does not, doing both is fine.

What muscles does the landmine press work?

Mainly the front deltoids, triceps, and upper chest, the same muscles as most pressing. Because the load is offset to one side when you press single arm, your core, especially the muscles that resist twisting and side bending, works hard to keep your torso square. That core demand is one of the exercise's underrated benefits.

Can I do the landmine press if I have a shoulder injury?

Many people with sensitive shoulders find it more comfortable than straight overhead pressing because of the angle, but a real injury is a medical matter. If you have a diagnosed shoulder problem or ongoing pain, get individual advice from a physiotherapist or doctor before loading any press, including this one. Comfort during the movement is a signal, but it is not a substitute for a proper assessment.

Should I press with one arm or two?

One arm at a time is the classic version and gives you the biggest shoulder-friendly and core benefits, plus it lets you train each side evenly. Two hands on the bar end is more stable and lets you handle a bit more weight, which some people prefer as a main strength lift. Start single arm to learn the path, then choose based on your goal.

References

Reinold MM, Escamilla RF, Wilk KE. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. Current Concepts in the Scientific and Clinical Rationale Behind Exercises for Glenohumeral and Scapulothoracic Musculature. 2009. doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2009.2835
American College of Sports Medicine, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy Adults. 2009. doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181915670

Last reviewed 18 July 2026. We check health-condition articles against current guidelines and update the date above when we do.