Dumbbell Devils Press
Muscles Worked: Dumbbell Devils Press
The Dumbbell Devils Press hits your shoulders, chest, and glutes in one fast, full-body press. Your front delts and pecs drive the dumbbells up overhead, while your glutes help power the weight from the floor and keep your hips from lagging. Your triceps finish the press and lock out each rep, especially at the top. If you keep the dumbbells close and press in one smooth line, the overhead finish can place strong emphasis on your triceps during lockout, especially at the top (Maeo et al., 2023).
Technique and form
How to perform the 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.
Is the Dumbbell Devils Press good for muscle growth?
Yes, but it works best as a muscle-building support lift rather than your main size exercise. The Devils Press gives your shoulders, chest, glutes, and triceps a lot of work in one set, and the overhead finish is useful for triceps growth because elbow extension performed with the arm overhead has been shown to produce more triceps hypertrophy than the same work with the arm by your side (Maeo et al., 2023).
- Overhead lockout trains the triceps hard — Every rep ends with a strong press overhead, so your triceps have to straighten your arms when fatigue is already high. That makes this movement more triceps-heavy than a basic floor-to-shoulder dumbbell swing, especially near the top.
- Long time under tension from one continuous rep — You move from the floor, through the hip drive, into the press without much reset time. That keeps the front delts and pecs working longer than they would in a strict standing dumbbell shoulder press, while the glutes keep helping each rep start strong.
- Best for moderate loads, not max loads — Because the rep is fast and full-body, most lifters cannot use as much weight as they can on a dumbbell chest press or strict shoulder press. That means it is better for piling up hard reps than for pure pressing strength.
- Rest length changes output — Short rest turns this into a shoulder-and-lungs challenge, but in a resistance-training program, 3-minute rests have been shown to support greater strength and muscle gains than 1-minute rests when total work is important (Schoenfeld et al., 2016).
Programming for muscle growth
Do 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps with 90-150 seconds rest, 1-2 times per week. Use it after your main presses, not before them, because it creates a lot of whole-body fatigue. Stop each set with 1-2 reps left in the tank so your form stays sharp and your press still has speed.
Dumbbell Devils Press Variations
Alternative Exercises
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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.
Scientific References
Maeo S, Wu Y, Huang M et al. · European journal of sport science (2023)
Longer Interset Rest Periods Enhance Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Resistance-Trained Men.
Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM et al. · Journal of strength and conditioning research (2016)
Sources are peer-reviewed academic publications from PubMed.
Dumbbell Devils Press
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