V Bar Landmine Row
Also known as: landmine t-bar row, landmine t bar row, v grip landmine row, landmine row with v handle, landmine row v bar, v handle landmine row
In SetGrip: Landmine Row (V Bar)
- Primary muscleUpper Back
- EquipmentMachine
- DifficultyIntermediate
- TypeIsometric
Hooking a V-handle under the bar sleeve converts the landmine into a homemade T-bar row: neutral close grip, elbows tracking tight, torso hinged over the load. The narrow handle biases the lats and mid-back while your legs and hips hold the position, since there is no chest pad here. Small-diameter plates noticeably extend the stretch at the bottom.
How to do the V Bar Landmine Row
- Adjust the seat height and position yourself facing the machine.
- Grasp the v-bar with an overhand grip, keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent.
- Pull the v-bar towards your abdomen, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then slowly release the weight back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: On holds, squeeze hard and end the set before the position degrades; on rows, pause for a beat with the handle at your torso on every rep.
Muscles worked
Primary
Upper Back · Back
On rows the rhomboids and mid traps pull the shoulder blades together and should feel the strongest contraction at the top of each rep.
Common mistakes
- Losing the set position — whether it is a hold or a supported row, set the torso once and keep it there; when the position starts to drift, the set is over.
- Holding the breath — breathe steadily and brace on each exhale instead of trapping air.
- Shrugging on rows — pull the elbows back and down, keep the shoulders away from the ears and squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top.
- Chasing time or reps over quality — a 20 second hold with everything tight beats a minute of drifting, and a paused row rep beats three thrown ones.
Where it fits in a workout
Machine and landmine rows work as a main pull movement, while holds go after the main lifts as accessory work. Pair a row with a press for a push and pull superset.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without machine
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
Track the V Bar Landmine Row in SetGrip
All 1,100+ exercises with animations are in the app. No account, no sign-up — your history stays on your iPhone and in your private iCloud. Works with Apple Watch.
More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.