How to Perform the Devil's Press: Form and Benefits
Master the Devil's Press with our guide. Build shoulder strength, explosive power, and metabolic conditioning with this dumbbell-only movement.
How to Perform
- Place two dumbbells on the floor at shoulder-width apart and grip the handles while standing in a neutral position.
- Hinge at the hips and jump your feet back into a plank position keeping your hands firmly on the dumbbell handles.
- Lower your chest to the floor between the dumbbells to perform a push-up then explosively jump your feet back toward the weights.
- Position your feet slightly wider than the dumbbells and maintain a flat back as you initiate a powerful hip hinge.
- Swing the dumbbells between your legs and then drive them upward in one continuous motion using your hips and glutes.
- Punch the weights toward the ceiling until your arms are fully locked out overhead with your palms facing inward.
- Lower the dumbbells back to the floor in a controlled manner to begin the next repetition.
Common Mistakes
- Rounding the lumbar spine during the initial pull from the floor
- Turning the movement into a separate clean and press rather than one fluid overhead motion
- Bending the arms too early and muscling the weight up instead of using hip drive
- Failing to touch the chest to the ground during the burpee portion
Muscles Worked
Primary movers
- Shoulders
Stabilizers
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
- Lower Back
- Triceps
Related Guides
- Arm Raises (T/Y/I) — Shoulders
- Arnold Press — Shoulders
- Australian pull-ups — Shoulders
Shoulders · Shoulders