To do the heck, you basically combine a chest-to-floor burpee with a double dumbbell snatch, but it’s more technical than it sounds. If you do it right, you’ll burn muscle groups all over your body and build a stronger core.
This high-intensity, full-body exercise is performed using a set of the best adjustable dumbbells or kettlebells, or you can adopt the single-arm variation using a weight if you prefer to alternate. The devil’s press is typically found in functional training and CrossFit workouts, not only to raise heart rate and test endurance, but also to build strength.
How did it get its name? Because it’s hellish, of course. Read on to learn how to perform the devil press with proper form, the benefits of building full-body strength, two variations to try, and the common mistakes we see.
Devil print – pluses
The strength and conditioning movement is classified as a compound exercise, targeting the back, chest, arms, shoulders, core, glutes, and leg muscles using a combination of the burpee and dumbbell snatch, while also adopting the hip snap motion used in kettlebell swings to engage the hips, core and glutes.
Adding movement to your workouts will improve cardiovascular fitness, endurance, explosive power, and full-body muscle strength, but first you’ll need to master it properly. Find out what happened when I did 50 Devil Presses a day for a week.
How to make the devil print
Start with two light dumbbells and progress as you build strength and endurance.
- Stand with both dumbbells right in front of your feet, shoulder-width apart, in a neutral grip
- Engage your core, grab both dumbbells and jump back up to a high plank
- Lower yourself to the floor between the dumbbells just like a burpee, with your chest and hips aligned
- Push back, then jump both feet just behind and over the dumbbells
- Lift your chest, lower both shoulders and keep your back flat
- Bend forward at the hips, send your butt behind you and swing both dumbbells through your legs like a kettlebell swing
- Snap your hips forward, straighten your legs and push the dumbbells up as you bend both elbows toward you
- Push the dumbbells overhead and lock both straight arms overhead
- Reverse these steps downward to swing the dumbbells through your legs, then return them to the starting position on the floor.
Try carrying the weights up and down between your legs in one smooth motion, but you may want to bring them back to your shoulders first if you prefer.
Devil press: Common mistakes
The move is supposed to strengthen various muscle groups, but a few simple mistakes could lead to back pain and injury. Here are some we see.
Lack of hip drive
The devil press uses explosive hip thrust, engaging your glutes and core muscles as you push the weights overhead. Drive the movement from the core and glutes without putting all the weight on the arms. If you’re having trouble generating power from your hips and glutes, try a lighter set of weights and practice the movement pattern in a mirror.
Adoption of a top view print
The devil press should flow smoothly rather than as two separate moves. As you push the weight between your legs overhead, he avoids putting the weight on his shoulders and pressing up or losing momentum.
The swing
Focus on the posterior chain muscles as you bring the weights between your legs. This means maintaining slight knee flexion and not allowing the dumbbells to travel below the knees. This way, your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings should be engaged rather than putting pressure on your back and putting extra strain on your spine.
Always remember the golden rule: compound contraction. Contract the muscles simultaneously using the three B’s: back, stomach and buttocks.
Devil press: Variations
Here are two variations to get you started.
Single arm devil press
To perform a single-arm Devil Press, use a weight and alternate each repetition. Unilateral training is great for ironing out muscle imbalances and weaknesses that may be responsible for your dominant side relaxing.
Clean devil and jerk
To perform a clean, jerk Devil Press, perform the movement as you would a regular Devil Press, but as you swing the dumbbells through your legs, bring them to your shoulders first, landing with a slight bend in the knees.
From here, perform a push press or jerk and finish standing with the weights overhead and legs straight. Here you can find the push press and other top press variations. But remember, this is a variation of the devil’s press, and otherwise you should aim to lift the weight between your legs.
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