Sometimes, the name of an exercise makes it sound scarier than it really is. Although in certain cases, such as with the Devil Press, the movement is aptly named.
If you’re looking for a nice easy workout that will enable you to chat with your friends while you exercise, you should stay far away from any routines that involve the Devil Press.
However, for those that want to be breathless, exhausted, and covered in sweat; check out these 5 awesome Devil Press workouts!
A Brief Overview of the Devil Press
Before I detail 5 killer Devil Press workouts, let me quickly provide some background on the movement. For those of you who are already familiar with the exercise and are just looking for a new routine that incorporates the Devil Press, head down to the next section of this article.
For those that need a refresher or are brand new to the movement, let’s dive into the specifics.
The Movement
The “elevator pitch” description of the Devil Press is that the movement combines a burpee with a dumbbell snatch.
Specifically, the lifter will:
- hold two dumbbells while standing,
- drop down into a pushup with a dumbbell in each hand,
- explode back up to her feet and perform a snatch.
On paper, this exercise sounds easy enough. However, the Devil Press uses tons of muscles throughout the movement.
Devil Press Muscles Used
For the purposes of conciseness, I’m going to highlight the agonists used during this exercise. Of course, with a complex movement such as the Devil Press, there will be potentially hundreds of synergists used (depending on how doggedly you want to adhere to the definition). But let’s focus on the main movers here.
The Pecs
The pecs play a vital role throughout this movement. During the burpee/push-up phase of the Devil Press, the pecs are massively important. Further, as you progress to the snatch phase, the pecs will be acting in concert with the other involved muscles to power the dumbbells up and overhead.
The Triceps
Similar to the involvement of the pecs, the triceps will provide much of the power for the burpee/push-up portion of the movement. As the weight shifts above your head during the snatch, they will also be active in preventing collapse of your elbows.
The Triple Extensor Group
In biomechanics and other areas of movement science, we often refer to the glutes, quads, and calf muscles as “triple extensors.” Essentially, each of these muscles primarily extends the joint it crosses when we are jumping, running, squatting, and performing many of the athletic movements that require power from the lower body.
As the lifter transitions from the burpee/push-up phase of the movement to begin the snatch, she performs a modified version of a squat in order to reorient herself. Then, as she is performing the snatch, the glutes (and hamstrings) provide a “hip-hinge” in order to power the weights up and overhead.
The snatch is a massively complex exercise all on its own, and the substitution of dumbbells further complicate the matter. Before trialing the Devil Press, it’s a good idea to work with a coach on your snatch form. Injuries can occur easily due to poor attention to detail on some of these more nuanced lifts.
Other Involved Muscles
To reiterate, there are tons of muscles used during the Devil Press. We could review the importance of the biceps, the many shoulder muscles used, the necessity of core stability, and how other muscles play in, even down to the foot and hand intrinsics.
But at that point, we’d be well into the weeds and would probably lose everyone but the most passionate biomechanics enthusiasts on the web.
So now, let’s look at how we can incorporate the Devil Press into a CrossFit workout.
Nutrition is a key element in getting better. Find out more here.
Top 5 Devil Press Workouts
WODs pulled from https://wodwell.com
- “Jingle Hell”
The Workout:
20-minute time limit, 10 rounds of full circuit with decreasing reps each time (10 reps to 1 rep), complete as quickly as possible.
- Devil Press
- Butterfly Sit Ups
- Dumbbell Thrusters
- Butterfly Sit Ups
- Hand Release Push-ups
- Butterfly Sit Ups
“Jingle Hell” is heavily focused on pushing movements, with pure abdominal exercises sprinkled in. The Devil Press serves as a total body movement which further fatigues the muscles used during the thrusters and push-ups.
- “Nightmare Before Christmas”
The Workout:
11 movements of increasing reps from 1 to 11 with a .75 mile run finisher.
- 1 Hang Clean
- 2 Front Squats
- 3 Push Jerk
- 4 Bent-Over Rows
- 5 Burpees
- 6 Thrusters
- 7 Deadlifts
- 8 Alternating Snatches
- 9 DB Swings
- 10 Snatch to Reverse Lunge
- 11 Devil Presses
- 1200 Meter Run
This workout builds to a crescendo in terms of both reps and fatigue. The Devil Press is the last movement before the run, incorporating arguably the exercise which most exhausts the whole body near the end, right before the pure cardiovascular portion of the workout.
- “Cortex”
The Workout:
9-minute time limit, as many reps as possible, 2 exercises
- Devil Press (reps increase by one each round starting with 1)
- Wall Balls (reps increase by two each round starting with 2)
In terms of movements, “Cortex” is focused on total body “pushing” movements. This one combines two exercises which will exhaust the lifter’s muscles and cardiovascular system, all in only 9 minutes.
- “Hands Up”
The Workout:
4 total rounds of each exercise, performed in a circuit, in as little time as possible.
- 10 Devil Presses
- 20 Meter Dumbbell Overhead Walking Lunges
- 10 Toes to Bar
“Hands Up” heavily emphasizes overhead movement, as the name suggests. In fact, the Devil Press is the only time during this workout (besides rest breaks) when your hands won’t be exclusively over your head. So, enjoy the “reprieve” you get during the Devil Press on this one.
- “Gut Check”
The Workout:
In as little time as possible:
- 30 Devil Presses
- 60 Dumbbell Thrusters
- 90 Burpees
In some ways, “Gut Check” emphasizes the two different phases of the Devil Press with the second and third exercise. This one is a sprint, and will leave you completely exhausted.
