Landmine Cossack Squat
Landmine Cossack Squat Exercise Description
The landmine Cossack squat is a lateral squat performed while holding the end of a barbell anchored in a landmine, using the implement as a counterbalance for control and torso alignment. It targets the adductors (groin), gluteus maximus, and quadriceps, while the gluteus medius and core musculature stabilize the pelvis and trunk in the frontal plane. The wide stance and side-to-side shifting train hip mobility and strength with an emphasis on keeping the working heel grounded and the knee tracking over the toes. The counterbalance helps many lifters maintain an upright torso and achieve usable depth without sacrificing neutral spine. Use a controlled range that preserves heel contact, knee alignment, and a stable, braced torso throughout the movement.
- Muscle Groups: Glutes, Hips, Quads
- Target Muscles: Adductor Magnus, Gluteus Maximus, Vastus Lateralis
- Assisting Muscles: Adductor Longus
- Stabilizing Muscles: External Obliques, Gluteus Medius, Internal Obliques, Quadratus Lumborum, Transversus Abdominis
- Body Area: Lower Body
- Body Parts: Hips, Legs, Upper Legs
- Body Surface: Back, Inner, Side
- Body Symmetry: Unilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Squat
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Hip Adductors, Hip Extensors, Knee Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Glutes, Inner Thigh, Outer Quad
- Movement Direction: Lateral
- Muscle Position: Lateral, Medial, Posterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Landmine Cossack Squat Exercise
‘- Set a barbell in a landmine and stand facing the sleeve; take a wide stance with toes slightly out.
– Cup the barbell sleeve with both hands at chest height, elbows tucked; keep the bar close to your sternum.
– Brace your core; ribs stacked over pelvis; create a “tripod foot” on each side (heel, big toe, little toe).
– Shift toward the working leg and sit the hips back and down over that side.
– Keep the working heel flat; knee tracks over the second–third toe; torso tall and neutral.
– Keep the non-working leg straight with the heel on the floor; dorsiflex toes up as needed to allow depth.
– Descend only as far as you can maintain heel contact, neutral spine, and knee alignment.
– Press through the whole foot of the working leg to return to center without jerking the bar away from your chest.
– Repeat to the opposite side, moving smoothly and maintaining balance.
– Avoid: knee collapsing inward, heel lifting, rounding the lower back, or letting the bar drift forward from the chest.
Landmine Cossack Squat Tips
‘- Take a wide stance with toes slightly out before you begin shifting side to side.
– Cup the barbell sleeve at chest height, keep it close to your sternum, and keep your elbows tucked.
– Brace your core with ribs stacked over your pelvis before and during each rep.
– Maintain a “tripod foot” on each side—heel, big toe, and little toe all in contact.
– As you shift to the working leg, sit your hips back and down over that side.
– Keep the working heel flat and let the knee track over the second–third toe.
– Keep the non-working leg straight with the heel on the floor, dorsiflexing the toes up as needed for depth.
– Descend only as far as you can while maintaining heel contact, neutral spine, and knee alignment.
– Press through the whole foot of the working leg to return to center without jerking the bar away from your chest.
– Move smoothly side to side and avoid the knee collapsing inward, heel lifting, lower-back rounding, or the bar drifting forward from your chest.
Landmine Cossack Squat Beginner Introduction
The landmine Cossack squat is a lateral squat variation performed with a barbell secured in a landmine attachment, using the weighted end as a helpful counterweight. Holding the bar close to the chest encourages an upright posture while moving the hips down and to one side. This sideways pattern challenges the inner thighs, glutes, and front of the thighs, while the outer hip muscles and core work hard to steady the pelvis and upper body.
Because the stance is wide and the body moves from one leg to the other, the exercise blends hip strength with controlled mobility. The working leg supports most of the load with the heel planted and the knee traveling in line with the toes, while the opposite leg stays long to allow depth. The anchored barbell assists with balance, often making it easier to explore a deeper position without losing spinal alignment or upper-body control. Overall, this movement highlights deliberate tempo, centered pressure through the foot, and smooth transitions between sides.