Landmine Rotation — Half Kneeling: A Complete Guide
Quick Intro
Landmine Rotation — Half Kneeling is a rotational strength exercise performed by kneeling in a half-kneeling stance, gripping the loaded end of a landmine barbell with both hands at chest height and rotating it from hip to hip in a controlled arc with the back knee down anchoring the hips. Anchoring the back knee removes hip rotation entirely, making this a useful regression that isolates the trunk’s own contribution before standing up into Landmine Rotation.
Equipment Needed
A barbell and weight plates are required, set up in a landmine attachment or wedged securely into a corner.
Why It Matters
The movement asks the trunk alone to control a loaded arc with no help from hip rotation, the back knee staying anchored on the ground. This is a compound movement centered on the trunk rotators: the obliques and lats guide the bar’s arc while the shoulders and chest stabilize the grip. It works well early in a session as a technique-focused warm-up, or as a beginner entry point into landmine rotational work.
When to Do It
Fits well early in a session as a technical warm-up, or anywhere in a beginner’s program as a first introduction to the landmine rotational arc. Anyone with a diagnosed hip or knee condition should check with a doctor or physical therapist before kneeling under this kind of rotational load.
Getting Ready
A few slow, empty-arc practice rotations from the half-kneeling position, without much weight on the bar, confirm the path before working with a full load.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Set up in a half-kneeling stance, one knee down, the other foot planted in front.
- Grip the loaded end of the barbell with both hands at chest height.
- Rotate the bar from hip to hip in a controlled arc, keeping the back knee anchored the entire time.
- Pause briefly at the far end of the arc, then reverse the movement.
- Return to center with control, then repeat for the set before switching the kneeling leg.
How Many, How Often
| Level | Reps (per side) | Sets |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 6-8 | 2 |
| Intermediate | 8-10 | 2-3 |
| Advanced | 10-12 | 3 |
A smooth, controlled arc matters more here than the weight loaded on the bar. Once the back knee starts lifting or shifting to help drive the arc, that’s a sign the trunk rotators, not the hips, should still be doing the work.
Modifications and Variations
Harder: Landmine Rotation. Standing instead of half-kneeling lets the hips contribute to the rotation, adding power and a bigger range of motion to the same arc.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Letting the back knee lift to help drive the arc. The whole point of the half-kneeling stance is removing hip rotation from the movement. A knee that lifts or shifts is compensating for trunk rotators that haven’t yet built up enough control on their own.
Rotating with the arms alone instead of the trunk. The bar’s arc should be guided by trunk rotation, with the arms simply holding and directing it. An arm-only arc misses most of the exercise’s value.
Rushing through the arc instead of controlling it. A fast, sloppy rotation loses the isolated trunk work this exercise is built around. A controlled pace with a clear pause at each end matters more than speed here.
After Your Set
Linking the hands behind the back and drawing the shoulder blades together opens the shoulders and chest that just stabilized the grip. About half a minute on each side is plenty.
Going Deeper
The plateau here is keeping the back knee anchored while the trunk does all the work, not the weight on the bar: once the arc feels smooth but the back knee starts quietly lifting to assist, that’s a sign the trunk rotators need more isolated work before adding load. Slowing the tempo down and focusing on a dead-still back knee does more for progress than simply adding weight to the bar.
How to Know You’re Improving
- The back knee stays anchored through every rep, with no lifting or shifting.
- The bar’s arc stays smooth and controlled from hip to hip.
- The pause at each end of the arc feels stable.
- Both sides rotate with roughly even control and range.
- Standing up to try Landmine Rotation feels like a natural next step, not a struggle to keep the back knee down.
Muscles Worked
- Obliques (the muscles along the sides of the waist, driving the rotational arc)
- Anterior Deltoid (the front of the shoulder, stabilizing the grip through the arc)
- Transverse Abdominis (the deep core muscle that wraps around the trunk like a corset, keeping the hips anchored)
- Latissimus Dorsi (the broad muscle across the back, helping control the bar’s arc)
- Pectoralis Major (the chest muscle, helping stabilize the bar at chest height)
- Erector Spinae (the muscles running along the length of the spine, keeping the torso tall through the kneeling position)
FAQ
How is this different from the standing version? Landmine Rotation lets the hips contribute to the rotation, adding power and range, while this half-kneeling version anchors the hips so the trunk rotators alone have to control the arc.
Is this a good starting point for someone new to landmine training? Yes. Removing hip rotation from the pattern makes it easier to feel what trunk-driven rotation should look and feel like before adding the hips back in with the standing version.
Why does the back knee matter so much here? Anchoring the back knee on the ground removes any way for the hips to contribute rotational force, so the trunk rotators have to generate and control the entire arc on their own.
Which knee goes down? Either, and both are worth training, so swap the kneeling leg between sets. Whichever leg is forward, the front foot stays flat and the back knee stays planted, so the arc comes from the trunk and not from the hips shifting. A folded mat under the down knee makes the position easier to hold.
How much weight should be on the bar? Light, especially at first. This version is about isolating and learning the trunk’s rotational control, not about moving maximum weight through the arc.
When should I move to the standing version? Once the half-kneeling arc feels fully controlled, with the back knee staying anchored through every rep, standing up and letting the hips join the pattern is a reasonable next step.
Related to Landmine Rotation, the harder standing version.