29-05-2025
The one strength training exercise Canelo, Dubois and Usyk's training regimes all have in common
A boxer is not a bodybuilder. Sure, many of them flex their biceps post weigh-in and look pretty good doing it, but their impressive physiques are merely a byproduct of their training. Their main aim in the gym is improving performance, not aesthetics.
As a fitness writer, a large part of my job is chatting with top coaches and taking a deep dive into the training regimes of elite athletes. Across every boxer I've written about, whether that's Canelo Álvarez, Daniel Dubois, Conor Benn or Johnny Fisher, one exercise has been ever-present: the landmine press.
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If you are unfamiliar, this exercise involves wedging one end of a barbell into the corner of a room (or another secure anchor point) then loading the other end up with plates and pressing it overhead with one arm from a standing position.
Here is how to do it, and four reasons why I think it is boxing's best-kept strength and conditioning secret.
How to do the landmine press
Place one end of a barbell on the ground wedged into the corner of a room. You can also place it in the hole of a weight plate or use a custom-built landmine attachment.
Load the other end of the barbell up with the weight plates you plan to lift.
Assume a staggered stance with your left foot forward and hold the very end of the barbell in your right hand with your knuckles facing away from you and your hand level with your right shoulder.
Brace your core then, rotating your body slightly, press the barbell overhead until your arm is fully extended.
Control it back down to the starting position.
There are a number of benefits arising from using the landmine press.
Ability to develop multiple portions of the force-velocity curve
The force-velocity curve describes the inverse relationship between the force a muscle can create and the speed at which it can move. In layman's terms: an athlete can move a light weight quickly, a heavy weight slowly, and a moderate-weight at a speed somewhere in between. Each of these actions develops slightly different attributes, and the landmine press can be applied to hit most of them.
You can load it up with heavy weights and perform up to five repetitions to develop maximal strength in the working muscles; a set of five to 30 repetitions at a moderate weight and tempo can be used to build size; a landmine punch (explosively throwing the barbell away from you) can be implemented to develop power.
The landmine punch is a favourite among boxers, and something I have seen in both Dubois and Canelo's training. However, all of these applications can find a place in a well-rounded workout programme.
Unilateral development and shoulder health
Unilateral exercises are those that target one side of the body at a time; think Bulgarian split squats or single-arm rows. Sport is inherently unilateral – a boxer throwing a punch with both hands simultaneously is as likely as a runner jumping forward with both feet – so it pays to train this way.
The landmine press offers more specificity to the sport of boxing than a standard barbell or machine overhead press, having you drive one arm forward at a time. It also allows your shoulder and scapula to move more naturally, developing smaller stabilising muscles like those in the rotator cuff while reducing stress on the joint.
These factors combine to create stronger shoulders which are far more resilient to injury – vital in a sport like boxing where huge demands are regularly placed on the joint.
Unilateral exercises can also be used to develop balance, coordination and iron out muscular imbalances, as an added bonus.
Operating in the transverse plane
The body operates in three planes of motion: sagittal (up, down, forwards and backwards), frontal (side to side) and transverse (rotational). Most strength and conditioning exercises are heavily sagittal-dominant, whereas most sports require you to access a wide range of movements.
The body also adheres to an informal 'use it or lose it' premise. By mostly training sagittal-oriented movements, the resultantly redundant muscles used in twisting or bending motions may weaken and tighten, leaving you stiff like a stereotypical bodybuilder rather than athletic like a boxer. To prevent this, training in all three planes of motion is key.
When the landmine press is performed with a slight rotation of the torso towards the barbell – the execution I've observed in most boxers' training – it mimics the torque required in a punch. It also strengthens the requisite muscles, tendons and ligaments, increasing the athlete's tissue tolerance and capacity in this movement. The result is a more athletic, powerful and mobile fighter.
Practicing power transfer and improving core strength
Your core musculature, found around the trunk and hips, acts as a power transfer centre between your upper and lower body.
In boxing, power is generated from the ground up, starting at the feet before transferring through the legs, into the core, then along your upper extremities. The more efficiently you can transfer power, the better this will translate to an effective punch.
The landmine press is an excellent exercise for developing this. By supporting a weight overhead and completing a twisting motion, it can strengthen core muscles such as the rectus abdominis (six-pack muscles) and obliques (which run down either side of your torso).
It also places you in a sport-specific split stance, giving you ground contact time to practice generating power through the floor, and developing the proprioception (awareness of the movement of your body) needed to do so.
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