Exercise
Dumbbell Devils Press
How to Perform - Dumbbell Devils Press
- Start in a standing position with a dumbbell in each hand positioned on the floor in front of your feet, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Hinge at the hips and bend your knees to reach down and grip the dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing each other), keeping your back flat and core engaged.
- Perform a burpee by jumping your feet back into a plank position while keeping the dumbbells in your hands, maintaining a straight line from head to heels with your core braced.
- Lower your chest to the ground in a push-up position while keeping your elbows close to your body, exhaling as you descend.
- Push back up to the plank position by pressing through your palms and engaging your chest and triceps, then jump your feet forward toward the dumbbells.
- From the crouched position, explosively stand up while simultaneously pulling the dumbbells upward to shoulder height with elbows bent, using momentum from your legs.
- As the dumbbells reach shoulder height, immediately press them overhead in one fluid motion, fully extending your arms while maintaining a stable core and proper shoulder alignment.
- Lower the dumbbells back to the ground with control by first bringing them to your shoulders, then hinging at the hips to place them on the floor, ready for the next repetition.
Important information
- Keep your core engaged throughout the entire movement to protect your lower back, especially during the burpee and overhead press portions.
- Scale the exercise by using lighter dumbbells before attempting heavier weights, as this is a complex, full-body movement.
- Make sure your wrists remain straight and locked during the overhead press to prevent strain.
- Breathe out during the most challenging parts of the movement: during the push-up and when pressing the weights overhead.
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The Dumbbell Devil's Press is a formidable full-body exercise that has gained immense popularity in HIIT and CrossFit communities. This intermediate-level movement combines the explosive power of a burpee with the strength demands of a dumbbell snatch, creating a challenging compound exercise that delivers serious results. When you tackle the Devil's Press, you're engaging multiple major muscle groups simultaneously. Your pecs, triceps, and front delts work together through the pushing components, while your lats activate powerfully during the pulling phase. What many exercisers appreciate is the significant lower body engagement, particularly in the glutes, which fire throughout the movement to generate force and stability. The beauty of the Devil's Press lies in its versatility as a training tool.
For strength development, it challenges your body to move external resistance through a full range of motion while maintaining proper form. As an endurance builder, few exercises compare to its ability to sustain muscle tension across different movement patterns. The cardiovascular demands are equally impressive, elevating your heart rate quickly and keeping it elevated throughout your working sets. Exercise scientists particularly value the Devil's Press for its metabolic efficiency. The combination of ground-to-overhead movement patterns with dumbbells creates significant oxygen demand, making it an excellent choice for improving cardiovascular conditioning while simultaneously building functional strength. This dual-purpose nature makes it a time-efficient option for those with busy schedules.
Whether programmed as part of a challenging HIIT circuit or incorporated into a CrossFit WOD, the Devil's Press demands respect for its intensity. Many fitness enthusiasts find it particularly effective when placed toward the beginning of a workout when energy levels are highest, or strategically positioned as a finisher to empty the tank completely. Either way, this exercise delivers an impressive stimulus-to-fatigue ratio that makes it worth incorporating into your training arsenal.
FAQ - Dumbbell Devils Press
The Devil's Press is a comprehensive full-body movement that primarily targets your shoulders, back (especially lats), chest, and triceps during the pressing phase. Your glutes, hamstrings, and core work intensely throughout the movement, making it one of the most efficient total-body exercises available.
Beginners can start with lighter dumbbells (5-10 lbs) and break the movement into segments: perform the burpee without pushup, then a controlled two-stage clean and press instead of the explosive snatch. As you build strength and coordination, gradually increase weight and movement fluidity.
Due to its high-intensity nature, incorporate Devil's Presses 1-2 times weekly with at least 48 hours recovery between sessions. They work well in HIIT formats (10-15 reps or 30-45 second intervals) or strength protocols (3-4 sets of 8-10 reps with appropriate weight).
The most critical errors include rounding the lower back during the pickup phase, failing to fully extend the hips at the top of the snatch, and using momentum rather than controlled power. Always maintain a neutral spine, drive through your heels, and keep the dumbbells close to your body throughout the movement.
The Devil's Press excels as both a conditioning and strength exercise depending on your approach. For cardiovascular conditioning, use moderate weights for higher reps (12-15) or timed intervals. For strength development, choose heavier dumbbells that challenge you in the 6-10 rep range with full recovery between sets.
