Landmine Complexes: How to Get Conditioned Without Hating Cardio
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In the latest episode of the Deadlifts & Pizza Podcast I discuss landmine complexes and why I love them for conditioning workouts.
Let’s get one thing straight right out of the gate: I am generally not a fan of conditioning. In fact, if I’m being totally honest, I usually find it somewhere between “mind-numbingly boring” and “completely insufferable.”
I know, I know. As a coach, I’m supposed to tell you that I live for the endorphin rush of a soul-crushing cardio session. But the reality is that I understand the benefits of conditioning, I just usually hate the actual doing of it.
It’s like categorizing a year’s worth of business expenses for tax season: It’s non-negotiable if I don’t want the IRS coming at me, but the sheer monotony of it makes me want to go alphabetize my spice rack just to do anything else.
Most people hear the word “conditioning” and their brain immediately goes to one of two places:
The Hamster Wheel: Spending forty-five minutes on a piece of cardio equipment that feels like a literal eternity. You’re staring at the clock, watching seconds tick by like they’re hours, and wondering if anyone would notice if you just laid down on the belt and let it carry you off into the sunset.
The “Survival Mode” Session: One of those high-intensity HIIT workouts where you’re doing so many burpees that you eventually stop caring about form and just start flailing toward the finish line. It’s less about training and more about just making it out alive. It feels like you’re auditioning for a stunt double role you never asked for, and you end up crawling to your car wondering if you can even survive another session like that.
The truth is you don’t need to be gasping for air, or bored to tears to see improvements. That’s great news right?
Enter Complexes. Specifically landmine complexes
Landmine complexes are the perfect bridge for those of us who want the results of conditioning without the "soul-leaving-the-body" feeling of a traditional HIIT class. It’s different. Let’s talk about why.
But first…
What else do we discuss in this episode:
The new Food Pyramid and our thoughts. What we like and don’t.
Protein Recommendations and what is actually a good macro split
Differences in generations, and how society has shaped us
The cost of living now. People are having fewer kids. How the standard of living has changed.
Wackiest Things I’ve Heard Influencers Say Part II: Will eating half an apple a day cause visceral fat gain? What am I really craving if I’m craving the carbs? Should you job your love?
The amount of misinformation on social media
Ok. Now let’s dive into landmine complexes and why they are great.
What Is a Landmine (And Why It’s So Good for Conditioning)?
If you're not familiar with a landmine, that actually makes sense. It's a wildly underrated piece of equipment.
A landmine is really very simple. It's basically a tube or sleeve that holds one end of a barbell at an angle, while the other end stays free for you to load with weight and move. Some people also use hacks like a cut-up tennis ball or just stick one end of the barbell in the corner of the room. Same concept, different setup.
Think of it like a joystick for your strength training. Because one end of the bar is anchored to the floor, the weight moves in a natural arc. It's like a hybrid between a free weight and a machine. You get the freedom to move in all different directions and angles, which makes it perfect for conditioning, power training, and building work capacity.
The landmine lets you lift, press, hinge, squat, rotate, and lunge in a way that feels more natural and athletic. Less "locked into a machine," more "my body was actually designed to move like this."
Why the Landmine Works So Well for Conditioning
The Flow
One of the biggest reasons I love landmine complexes is how effortlessly they flow from one exercise to the next. You’re not constantly resetting, changing equipment, or standing there trying to remember what comes next. The natural arc of the barbell and your body positioning make each transition feel intuitive.
Your heart rate stays elevated because you’re moving continuously, and your brain stays engaged because the sequence actually makes sense. I find this so much less boring than traditional cardio, which is a plus when staying consistent.
It's Kind to Your Joints.
Because of the way the landmine is structured, it tends to be much easier on your joints. You can push yourself hard without accumulating those nagging aches and pains that make you move like you’re 80 years old the next day.
This matters, especially if you’re also trying to maintain a real strength program. Conditioning shouldn’t sabotage your ability to lift. The landmine lets you train hard without accumulating that low-level joint irritation and inflammation that sneaks up on you over time.”
Elevated Heart Rate
The landmine makes it surprisingly easy to keep your heart rate in the right zone for conditioning. As long as you choose an appropriate weight for the goal of the session.
You’re not grinding through a max-effort load, and you’re not doing something so light it feels pointless. There’s a sweet spot where the weight, the movement, and the continuous flow naturally elevate your heart rate and keep it there.
It’s effective without the grinding feeling of a bootcamp class.
It's Translates to Real Life
Most cardio is linear. You go forward on a treadmill or up on a stair climber. But real life? Real life doesn't happen in a straight line.
Whether you’re wrangling kids, carrying awkward objects, moving furniture, or just navigating your day, you’re twisting, turning, stabilizing, and producing force from all kinds of angles. Landmine work forces you to move in multiple planes of motion and engage your core to control and resist rotation.
It’s functional, but not in that “balancing on a BOSU ball while juggling” way. It’s practical strength that actually prepares you for real life scenarios.
You’re not just building conditioning. You’re building strength, coordination, and resilience that carry over far beyond the gym.
Different Conditioning Methods (And What Each One Is Used For)
Conditioning isn’t one single thing. There are multiple methods, and each one trains your body in a slightly different way. None of these are inherently better than the others—they’re just tools with different purposes.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but these are some of the most common and useful conditioning methods.
LISS AKA Zone 2
Low-intensity steady state (LISS) is something you can perform for a longer duration at a consistent pace—usually 30–60 minutes.
Your heart rate generally stays around 120–140 bpm (roughly 60–70% of max heart rate, depending on fitness level). You should be able to hold a conversation without feeling breathless.
What it’s used for:
Building your aerobic base (your “gas tank”)
Improving cardiovascular health
Supporting recovery between harder training days
This style of conditioning is low stress, easy to recover from, and can be done frequently. It lays the foundation for everything else.
Tempo Intervals
Tempo intervals sit just above easy cardio but well below all-out intensity.
These are short efforts—10–15 seconds—at about 70–75% of max speed, followed by around 60 seconds of active recovery (walking or light jogging). You shouldn’t feel gassed, but you should feel like you’re working.
Depending on conditioning level, you might perform anywhere from 6 to 20 intervals.
What it’s used for:
Building aerobic capacity
Improving stamina
Increasing your ability to sustain moderate effort
Recovery
Tempo work is a great way to challenge your aerobic system without the fatigue cost of high-intensity training.
High Resistance Intervals (HRI)
High resistance intervals use external resistance to slow you down. It trains your body to recover quickly between intense efforts and works both your aerobic and anaerobic systems.
Examples include:
Running uphill
Pushing or pulling a sled
Using cardio equipment with increased resistance
Intervals are short—usually 5–10 seconds—followed by recovery until your heart rate drops back toward a zone-2 range. Because the efforts are brief, you can perform many reps, often up to 20.
What it’s used for:
Recruiting more fast-twitch muscle fibers
Improving overall conditioning
Training quicker recovery between intense efforts
This is also a safer way to introduce sprint-type work, since the resistance limits speed and reduces injury risk.
Explosive Repeats
This method focuses on muscular endurance and power output over short durations.
Efforts last 8–15 seconds using explosive movements, such as squat jumps or medicine ball throws. Rest intervals vary based on conditioning level, usually 30–60 seconds. These can be done for 10-20 sets.
Movement quality matters here. If power drops or form breaks down, it’s time to rest.
What it’s used for:
Building muscular endurance
Increasing mitochondrial density in fast-twitch fibers
Improving overall conditioning and power output
Enhancing power-endurance and the ability of fast-twitch fibers to regenerate rapidly
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT involves short bursts of near-maximal effort followed by rest. It’s extremely demanding and very effective.
What it’s used for:
Increasing VO₂ max (the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use)
Improving anaerobic capacity
Time-efficient conditioning
Because of the intensity, HIIT sessions are short and shouldn’t be done frequently. Recovery matters here.
Complexes
Complexes involve performing multiple movements back-to-back with minimal rest, using the same piece of equipment.
What they’re used for:
Building strength endurance
Developing work capacity
Metabolic conditioning that challenges all three energy systems
It’s a very practical way to get a high-quality session in without needing a lot of time.
What Are Complexes? (And Why They're Perfect for Conditioning)
If the word "complex" makes you think of a difficult math problem or a complicated relationship status, don't worry, in the gym it’s actually much less… well “complex.”
Complexes are just a series of exercises performed back-to-back with minimal to no rest until the whole sequence is done. You use the same weight and the same piece of equipment without putting it down, flowing from one movement to the next like a choreographed dance- except with more sweating and fewer sequins.
Think of it like a circuit, but intentional. You’re not bouncing between different machines or wandering around the gym looking for a free pair of dumbbells every five seconds. You stay with your one piece of equipment and you just keep moving.
You're Building Real Work Capacity.
Work capacity is your body's ability to handle work when it's tired and keep performing at a high level. Think of it like a battery. Some people's batteries drain quickly when they're working hard. Others can persist. Complexes train your battery to last longer.
When you're doing a complex, you can't rest between movements. Your body has to figure out how to keep moving while already being fatigued. That builds work capacity.
And the higher your capacity, the easier everything else feels. This includes both in the gym and in real life.
You're Training Your Whole Body at Once
A good complex hits several movement patterns in one shot: squats, pushes, lunges, hinges, pulls, and core work.
More muscles working at the same time means your heart has to work harder to supply oxygen and energy. That creates a higher metabolic demand, which is exactly what you want for conditioning. You’re not just running in place; you’re asking your entire body to contribute.
It Actually Builds Mental Toughness
With complexes, you have to stay engaged. You're remembering the sequence, maintaining quality, and pushing through fatigue while keeping your form tight. You're building the ability to think and perform under fatigue.
Why Landmine Complexes Specifically Work
The landmine's natural arc means your body isn't fighting the weight. You're not compensating or struggling with stability issues. That smooth, guided path lets you flow from one exercise to the next without it feeling clunky or awkward. That's why your heart rate stays elevated naturally and why the whole thing feels less like torture.
The Bottom Line
Complexes are simple: multiple exercises, one piece of equipment, minimal rest.
But that simplicity is exactly why it works. You’re building work capacity, training your entire body, driving a serious conditioning effect, and maybe—just maybe—finding a way to condition that you don’t absolutely dread.
Which, if you ask me, is a massive win.
Sample Landmine Conditioning Complex
Okay, so now that you understand why landmine complexes work, let me show you exactly what one looks like. This is the current complex I’ve programmed for myself, and I genuinely love it.
The Complex Workout
Here's the sequence. Do each movement back-to-back without putting the barbell down. Perform 6-8 reps of each exercise (6-8 per side for unilateral movements). Once you finish the whole sequence, that's one round.
1. Landmine Squat to Press
Hold the end of the bar at chest height with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Squat down, then drive up and press the bar overhead in one smooth motion. That’s one rep.
2. Single-Arm Press Take a staggered stance, press the bar up with one arm. Keep your core tight and avoid rotating as you press.
3. Reverse Lunge
Keep the bar at chest height. Step back into a reverse lunge. Complete all reps on one leg, then switch sides.
4. Landmine Anti-Rotation
Hold the bar with both hands, arms extended in front of you. Rotate the bar toward one hip, then guide it back through center and toward the other side while keeping your chest facing forward. Your core’s job here is to resist rotation—not create it.
5. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift to Row Rotate your body so you’re perpendicular to the bar. Stand on one leg, hinge at the hips, and pull the bar off the floor into a single-leg RDL.
Go right into a row on the same side. Stay in that hinged position and pull the bar toward your ribcage.
Complete all reps on one side, then switch legs and repeat.
That's one round. Rest 60-90 seconds in between rounds
Ways you can structure this
AMRAP: Perform as many rounds as possible in the allotted time. Set a timer (for example, 30 minutes) and complete as many rounds as possible, resting 60–90 seconds between rounds.
For Time: Choose a set number of rounds and time how long it takes to complete them.
Keep it Simple: Or just give yourself a number of rounds you want to complete and don’t worry about the time. Focus on movement quality and taking minimal breaks
Tips
You do not need a ton of weight for these. Complexes are sneaky. What feels “too light” in the first round can feel very different by round four or five. Start conservative. You can always add weight later.
Remember this is conditioning. We’re not going for maxes here.
If your form breaks down, your weight is too heavy, or you need more rest in between rounds.
Go through the entire sequence without stopping. Your heart rate will climb, you'll be breathing hard, but you won't feel like you just survived a death march.
You’re first round may be slower as you get used to the sequence, but you should catch on quick. Then it will feel very natural.
The goal isn’t to collapse on the floor afterward. The goal is to finish feeling worked, capable, and like you could technically do at least one more round… even if you really don’t want to.
How to program:
Use landmine complexes 1–3 times per week.
They work great:
at the end of a strength session
as a standalone workout
or an added conditioning piece to a workout.
Currently, I’m doing them at the end of my power training workout.
Scaling It
Complexes are easy to scale for any fitness level. You can:
increase the weight
add more rounds
reduce rest time
extend the time if doing AMRAP
As with any training method, progressive overload matters. Once it starts to feel easy, scale one variable at a time so you continue to see progress.
Who Is This Good For?
You hate traditional cardio. If the thought of 45 minutes on a treadmill makes you want to fake an injury, this is a better option.
You're doing a strength program and need conditioning without wrecking recovery. Complexes build conditioning without the lingering fatigue that sabotages your heavy days.
You have joint issues. The landmine is gentle but still challenging. You can push hard without accumulating nagging inflammation.
You're short on time. You get serious conditioning work done in 15-20 minutes.
You need mental engagement. If you get bored easily, the sequence and flow keeps your brain in the game.
You want to build work capacity. Training your body to perform when it's tired is a real skill.
This might not be your best choice if:
You're purely building aerobic base. LISS (zone 2 cardio) is more effective for that specific goal.
You're in acute injury recovery. Give yourself time to heal first.
You prefer dead-simple programming. This requires you to pick your weight, remember the sequence, and manage rounds.
The best workout is one you'll actually do. If this sounds like something you'd want to do, you've found your answer.
The Bottom Line
Here's what I want you to remember: conditioning doesn't have to suck.
You don't need to be gasping for air on a treadmill. You don't need to feel like you're auditioning for a survival show. You don't need to dread the conditioning day because it's going to destroy you.
Landmine complexes give you a way to build serious work capacity, elevate your heart rate, and actually enjoy the process. They're challenging without being punishing. They're engaging without being complicated. And they deliver results without wrecking your ability to lift heavy things.
I spent years thinking conditioning had to be miserable. Then I branched out and started trying new methods. And guess what? I don’t actually hate it anymore.
Now go try this out and report back. Your conditioning just got a lot better.
Want more fun ways to use the landmine?
My Power Training Template shows you how to program power into your workouts using smart, athletic movements. It includes a simple framework, tons of exercise options (including plenty of landmine work), and a sample workout so you can plug things in and train with purpose.
Frequently Asked Questions
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For most people, 1–3 times per week is the sweet spot.
They’re challenging enough that doing them every single day is usually overkill, especially if you’re also strength training. Sprinkle them in as a finisher, a standalone conditioning workout, or on a lighter training day and you’ll get plenty of benefit without running yourself into the ground.
More is not always better.
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Lighter than you think.
Better to start lighter, and you can always add weight if you need to.
If your form starts to fall apart, you’re muscling through reps, or you’re taking breaks mid-sequence, the weight is too heavy.
Remember this is conditioning, not a max-effort strength test.
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Absolutely, with the right setup.
Beginners should start with:
fewer exercises in the complex
fewer rounds
longer rest periods
very manageable weights
The movements themselves are joint-friendly and intuitive, which makes them beginner-friendly. The mistake is trying to do too much too soon. Build confidence first. Then build capacity.
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That depends on your goals.
If you’re trying to improve general conditioning, work capacity, and cardiovascular health while strength training, landmine complexes can absolutely cover a lot of that ground.
If your main goal is building a strong aerobic base (zone 2), long steady cardio still has a place. This doesn’t have to be an either-or situation. You can do both and be very well-rounded.
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Most sessions land somewhere between 15–30 minutes, including rest, or less if using as a finisher or added conditioning piece.
If it’s turning into an hour-long ordeal, you’re either resting too long, doing too many rounds, or massively overthinking it. Conditioning doesn’t need to dominate your life. Get in, work hard, get out.
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If programmed correctly, no. They may actually support recovery.
They’re joint-friendly and self-limiting, which makes them a great option when you still want to lift heavy during the week.
If your strength numbers are tanking, you’re probably doing too much.
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Better for some people. Different for others.
HIIT is effective, but it’s also very demanding and not something most people should do frequently. Landmine complexes give you a hard conditioning stimulus without the same recovery cost.
If HIIT makes you dread workouts or skip them altogether, landmine complexes are the better choice. The best method is the one you’ll actually stick with.
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Trying to turn them into a suffer-fest.
Too much weight. Too little rest. Too many rounds. Chasing exhaustion instead of quality.
The goal isn’t to collapse. The goal is to build capacity, finish feeling worked, and come back ready to train again.
Do them well, not recklessly.
