Dumbbell Devil's Press
What Is the Dumbbell Devil's Press?
Dumbbell Devil's Press is a compound, full-body exercise that primarily targets the chest while also demanding significant work from the shoulders, triceps, hips, and posterior chain. It combines a burpee with a dumbbell snatch or swing to overhead, creating a movement that develops both strength and cardiovascular endurance in a single repetition.
The exercise begins in a standing position with dumbbells on the floor. The athlete drops into a burpee, bringing the chest to the ground while the hands remain on the dumbbells. From the floor, the athlete explosively stands and swings or snatches the dumbbells from the ground to a locked-out overhead position. This sequence is similar in spirit to a Burpee but with the added resistance of dumbbells and the overhead component.
Because it chains together a push-up-like pressing pattern, a hip hinge, and an overhead movement, the Devil's Press is popular in metabolic conditioning and circuit training. It shares characteristics with exercises like the Dumbbell Power Clean and Dumbbell Power Clean and Jerk, but the burpee component adds a greater cardiovascular and chest-loading element.
The exercise is best suited for intermediate trainees who are comfortable with both the Push-Up and basic dumbbell pressing patterns. It can be programmed for moderate reps with a focus on power output, or used in timed intervals for conditioning work.
Muscles Worked
- Pectoralis Major
- Primary
- Deltoid
- High
- Gluteus Maximus
- Medium
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Medium
- Rectus Femoris
- Medium
Instructions
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell on the floor just outside each foot.
- Hinge at the hips, bend your knees, and grasp the dumbbell handles with a neutral grip.
- Jump or step your feet back into a plank position, keeping your hands on the dumbbells.
- Lower your chest to the floor between the dumbbells, performing a controlled descent similar to a push-up.
- Press yourself back up to the plank position explosively.
- Jump or step your feet forward toward the dumbbells, landing in a wide stance outside the weights.
- In one fluid motion, hinge at the hips and swing both dumbbells between your legs, then drive your hips forward to propel the dumbbells overhead.
- Lock the dumbbells out overhead with your arms fully extended and your biceps beside your ears.
- Lower the dumbbells back to the floor under control and immediately begin the next repetition.
Common Mistakes
Rounding the back during the swing
Failing to maintain a flat back when hinging to swing the dumbbells overhead places excessive stress on the lumbar spine.
Using arms instead of hips
Trying to muscle the dumbbells overhead with the shoulders rather than driving through the hips reduces power output and fatigues the shoulders prematurely.
Incomplete lockout overhead
Not fully extending the arms at the top shortchanges the range of motion and may lead to dropping the dumbbells forward.
Collapsing on the burpee
Letting the hips sag to the floor during the push-up phase instead of lowering with control can strain the lower back.
Feet too narrow on the swing
Landing with a narrow stance after the burpee limits the space for the dumbbells to pass between the legs and restricts hip drive.
Injuries
Dumbbell Devil's Press is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The combination of a burpee and an explosive overhead swing introduces several points where form can break down, particularly as fatigue accumulates during high-rep sets or timed intervals.
The overhead lockout demands adequate shoulder mobility. Trainees with limited overhead range of motion may compensate by hyperextending the lumbar spine, which can lead to lower back discomfort. Ensure you can press dumbbells overhead with a neutral spine before incorporating this exercise.
The rapid transition from the floor to the standing swing phase places stress on the lower back and hamstrings. Maintaining a braced core and hinging properly through the hips rather than rounding the spine is essential. Those with existing shoulder impingement or lower back issues should substitute with less complex movements such as the Dumbbell Bench Press for pressing and the Burpee for conditioning until their limitations are addressed.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What weight should I start with?
Start conservatively. Most intermediate trainees find that 15 to 25 percent of their heaviest dumbbell press weight is a good starting point, as the high-rep and explosive nature of the exercise is far more fatiguing than standard pressing.
- Q: Can I perform the overhead portion as a press instead of a swing?
You can clean the dumbbells to the shoulders and then press overhead, which is essentially a Dumbbell Power Clean and Jerk. However, the swing version is the standard Devil's Press and provides a greater hip-drive training stimulus.
- Q: Is the Devil's Press a good substitute for burpees?
It can replace the Burpee in conditioning circuits when you want to add an upper-body loading component. Keep in mind that the added weight will slow down your pace, so adjust your rep targets or interval lengths accordingly.
- Q: How should I program this exercise?
For conditioning, use timed intervals of 30 to 60 seconds with equal rest. For strength-endurance, sets of 6 to 10 repetitions with 60 to 90 seconds of rest work well. Avoid high-rep sets to failure, as form tends to deteriorate significantly.