Landmine Hack Squat

How to do the Landmine Hack Squat

1. 1Set up a barbell in a landmine attachment fixed to the floor or rack. Load the free end with the desired weight and stand facing away from the anchor point.
2. 2Position the free end of the barbell between your legs at approximately hip height. Reach down and grasp the sleeve or collar with both hands, holding it close to your glutes.
3. 3Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward. Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and core braced.
4. 4Initiate the squat by pushing your hips back and bending your knees simultaneously, allowing the barbell to travel naturally along its arc as you descend.
5. 5Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor or as deep as your mobility allows, keeping your knees tracking over your toes throughout.
6. 6Pause briefly at the bottom, then drive through your heels and mid-foot to extend your hips and knees, pressing back up to the starting position.
7. 7Maintain an upright torso throughout the movement, letting the fixed arc of the landmine guide your path rather than forcing a vertical bar path.
8. 8Complete all reps, then lower the barbell under control back to the starting position before releasing your grip.

Form tips

• Let the landmine arc do the work — avoid trying to force the bar straight up and down; follow the natural diagonal path for a smooth, joint-friendly movement.
• Drive your knees outward in line with your toes throughout the descent and ascent to keep the adductor magnus engaged and protect the knee joint.
• Keep your grip close to your glutes at the bottom of the squat to maintain bar contact and prevent the weight from pulling your torso forward.
• Focus on pushing the floor away rather than pulling yourself up — this cue reinforces quad and glute engagement through the entire concentric phase.
• Elevate your heels slightly on plates if ankle mobility limits depth; this allows a fuller range of motion without compromising your upright torso position.

Common mistakes

• Letting the knees cave inward: Valgus collapse reduces adductor magnus contribution and places harmful stress on the knee ligaments — actively push your knees out throughout the movement.
• Rounding the lower back at the bottom: Losing lumbar neutrality shifts load away from the glutes and quadriceps onto the spine, increasing injury risk — brace your core and maintain a neutral pelvis.
• Rising onto the toes during the descent: Shifting weight forward onto the toes reduces heel-driven glute and quad activation and destabilises the movement — keep your feet flat and weight evenly distributed.
• Gripping the bar too far from the body: Holding the barbell away from your hips creates a long lever arm that pulls your torso forward, compromising posture and reducing lower-body muscle recruitment.
• Using excessive weight before mastering the pattern: Overloading the landmine hack squat before achieving proper depth and torso position reinforces faulty mechanics and limits quad and gluteus maximus development.

Frequently asked questions