Landmine Sumo Squat
The Landmine Sumo Squat is a lower-body strength exercise performed with a barbell anchored in a landmine attachment and held between the legs. By utilizing a wide stance and anterior loading, it effectively targets the glutes, quadriceps, and inner thighs while reducing compressive stress on the spine compared to traditional back squats.
Since landmine exercises shift the center of gravity forward, they are excellent for unloading the spine; the AI analyzes your history of back pain and recovery data to recommend this variation when your lower back needs a break from heavy vertical loading. By tracking your RPE and rep performance, the app can adjust the weight to ensure you are stimulating the adductors and glutes sufficiently without compromising form as you fatigue. Additionally, if your HRV or sleep data indicates lower systemic recovery, the AI may prioritize this stable, self-limiting exercise over more technical compound lifts like the barbell back squat.
Form Cues
- Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width and toes flared out 30-45 degrees
- Interlace fingers securely around the end of the barbell sleeve
- Keep your chest upright and proud throughout the entire movement
- Drive your knees outward to track directly over your toes
- Squeeze your glutes firmly at the top of the movement
- Don't let your knees cave inward as you drive upward
- Don't round your upper back or shoulders forward
- Don't lift your heels off the ground at the bottom of the squat
- Don't let the barbell swing away from your body
- Don't hyperextend your lower back at the top lock-out
Common Mistakes
- Rounding the upper back
- Knees caving inward (valgus)
- Stance too narrow for hip mechanics
- Hinging at hips instead of squatting
- Holding the bar too far from the body
Muscles Worked
This exercise is a powerhouse for the lower body, placing primary emphasis on the glutes and quadriceps. The wide 'sumo' stance significantly increases recruitment of the adductors (inner thigh muscles), while the front-loaded position forces the core and upper back extensors to work isometrically to maintain an upright posture.
Primary
Secondary
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