😈 Devil Press

What Is This Exercise?

😈 Devil Press is Burpees a variation intended for full body muscles. The exercise is classified as Training Methods category. Suitable for advanced level athletes.

Primary Goal: Full-body strength and cardio.

📋 Step-by-Step

1. 1. Stand with two dumbbells.
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2. 2. Squat down, dumbbells on the floor. Jump back into a plank.
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3. 3. Jump back. Explosively raise the dumbbells overhead.
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4. 4. Dumbbells at the top. Shoulders at ear level.
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5. 5. Lower the dumbbells under control and repeat.
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⚠️ Most Common Mistakes

• Hard – dumbbells too heavy.
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• Leaning back during the press.
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• Dumbbells not parallel.
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💪 Muscle Activation Table

🔄 How Does It Differ From the Basic Version?

Devil press adds a dumbbell press to the burpee – creating a hybrid between a strength and cardio exercise. One of the hardest full-body variations, requiring strength and endurance at the same time.

📊 Sets, Reps And Load

Devil press — a compound exercise combining a burpee and an overhead dumbbell press. For beginners, 3–4 sets of 6–8 reps with light dumbbells are suitable; for advanced, 4–5 sets of 8–12. Rest 60–90 seconds.

Choose the load conservatively: the exercise loads not only the shoulders but also your heart rate and full-body coordination. Lighter dumbbells and clean technique are better than heavy dumbbells and a “breaking” press.

📈 Technique Nuances

• Once in the plank, hold the dumbbells shoulder-width apart, wrists straight.
• Stand up in one smooth movement, pulling your feet toward your hands.
• “Throw” the dumbbells onto your shoulders, then press them up, fully extending your elbows.
• In the top position, keep your pelvis tight and torso neutral — do not let your back arch.

Breathing: inhale as you lower, exhale during the press phase.

🛡️ Safety And Common Mistakes

• Shoulder safety — if the overhead press is painful, reduce the load or choose separate exercises.
• Do not let your wrists “break” backward — hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip.
• Do not rush: speed increases the risk of injury, not the benefit.
• If you get so tired that your technique breaks down, end the set.

🔄 How To Combine With Other Exercises

Devil press is great for interval training and complexes, because it trains strength and heart function at the same time. Combine it with thruster and kettlebell swing, but do not keep all three in one workout — the load on the shoulders and back would be too high.

Spread heavy presses and this exercise across different days so the muscles have time to recover.

⏱️ Where To Use Devil Press

Devil press most often appears in functional and interval workouts, where the goal is to combine strength and heart function in one movement. Because of the high load on the shoulders, it is better to perform it at the beginning of the workout while technique is still clean.

If the goal is strength, choose heavier dumbbells and fewer reps; if conditioning, choose lighter ones and more reps with shorter rest.