StrengthIntermediate

Close-Grip Landmine Row

A landmine row with a tight neutral grip that hammers mid-back and lats while keeping the shoulders happy.

GIF · Demo Close-Grip Landmine Row

What is the close-grip landmine row?

The close-grip landmine row uses a barbell anchored in a landmine attachment with a V-handle clamped around the bar. You straddle the bar, hinge into a row position, and pull the handle up to the lower chest with the elbows tight to the ribs. The landmine angle adds a fixed arc that stabilizes the path and makes it easy to load heavy without spinal strain. Brilliant for thickening the upper back without aggravating shoulders.

How to do the close-grip landmine row

Set up the landmine

Wedge the barbell in a landmine attachment or a corner. Load plates on the free end. Clamp a V-handle just behind the sleeve.

Get into rowing position

Straddle the bar, feet shoulder width, hinge at the hips with knees soft. Chest over the handle, neutral spine, abs braced.

Pull elbows to the ribs

Drive the elbows back and slightly down. The handle should hit just below the sternum. Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top.

Lower under control

Lower over 2 seconds, let the lats stretch at the bottom without losing the hinge. Reset and pull again.

Coach tip

The close grip makes the lats the prime mover. If you feel it more in the upper traps, you're shrugging the load up instead of rowing it back. Drop the elbow angle and pull lower.

Common mistakes

Rounding the lower back. Easy to do with heavy load. Brace the abs and keep a flat back, even if it means dropping the weight.
Elbows flaring wide. Wide elbows shift load to rear delts and rob the lats. Keep elbows brushing the ribs as they travel back.
Pulling with the biceps. If forearms burn before the back fatigues, you're curling the weight. Lead with the elbow, not the hand.
Cutting the range short. Short reps with heavy load look impressive but build half the muscle. Full stretch at the bottom, full contraction at the top.

Variations & progressions

Easier

Chest-supported landmine row

Lie chest-down on an incline bench placed over the bar. Removes the hinge stability demand so you can focus on the pull.

Harder

Pause and slow eccentric

Pause 1 second at the top contraction, lower over 4 seconds. Stripped momentum, brutal hypertrophy stimulus.

No landmine?

Dumbbell bent-over row

A dumbbell row with a neutral grip targets the same muscles. Cleaner setup, slightly less stable bar path.

How to program it

Three protocols by goal. Pick one per cycle and aim for progression on load or distance.

Goal	Sets × Distance	Load	Rest
Hypertrophy	4 × 10-12	30-50 kg + bar	90 s
Strength	5 × 6	50-80 kg + bar	2 min
Back thickness	3 × 8 with 2 s pause	40-60 kg + bar	90 s

Log every rep

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Close-Grip Landmine Row FAQ

Why a close grip instead of wide?

Close grip lets the elbows travel back further and pulls the load closer to the body, which biases the lats and lower traps. Wide grip biases rear delts and upper traps. Most lifters already overdevelop the upper traps and need more lat work, so the close grip is the better default.

Is the landmine row safer than a barbell row?

For most lifters yes. The fixed arc means the bar can't drift forward and the spine stays in a more constant position. It's also easier to load heavy without hunting for a clean rep. Use it as your primary row if you have lower back history or want more weekly back volume without spinal fatigue.

How heavy can I go on this row?

Heavier than you'd expect. Because the landmine angle takes some of the load through the anchor, the perceived weight at the handle is lower than the plates suggest. Strong intermediates load 60 to 100 kg on the bar without form breakdown. Stop adding weight the moment the lower back rounds.