The Devil's Press: A Dynamic Exercise for Full-Body Fitness


Mar 31, 2024

 by Thomas Sampson
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The Devil's Press: A Dynamic Exercise for Full-Body Fitness

The Devil's Press might sound intimidating, but this compound exercise is a fantastic addition to any workout routine, offering a comprehensive full-body workout that targets multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Combining elements of both a dumbbell snatch and a burpee, the Devil's Press is a dynamic and challenging exercise that can help improve strength, power, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness.

What is the Devil's Press?

The Devil's Press involves starting in a standing position with a pair of dumbbells at your feet. From here, you perform a burpee by bending at the knees and placing your hands on the dumbbells, jumping or stepping back into a plank position, performing a pushup, and then quickly returning to a standing position. As you rise, you use the momentum to perform a dumbbell snatch, lifting the weights overhead in one fluid motion. This exercise requires coordination, balance, and core stability, making it a highly functional move that translates well to real-world activities and sports. 

Benefits of the Devil's Press

  1. Full-Body Engagement: The Devil's Press engages multiple muscle groups, including the legs, glutes, core, shoulders, and arms, providing a comprehensive full-body workout in a single exercise.

  2. Improves Strength and Power: By incorporating both strength training and explosive power movements, the Devil's Press can help increase muscle mass, enhance muscular endurance, and improve overall physical strength and power.

  3. Boosts Cardiovascular Fitness: The high-intensity nature of the Devil's Press elevates heart rate, making it an effective cardiovascular exercise that can help improve aerobic capacity, stamina, and fat burning.

  4. Functional and Practical: The Devil's Press mimics natural human movements like lifting, pushing, and jumping, making it a functional exercise that can improve everyday activities, sports performance, and functional fitness.

  5. Versatility and Scalability: The Devil's Press can be modified or scaled to suit individuals of all fitness levels and abilities, making it accessible and adaptable for beginners through to advanced athletes.

Incorporating the Devil's Press into Your Workout

Whether you're looking to spice up your existing workout routine or challenge yourself with a new exercise, the Devil's Press offers a versatile and effective option that delivers impressive results. Start by mastering the basic technique with lighter weights and focus on maintaining proper form and technique throughout each repetition. As you become more comfortable and proficient, you can gradually increase the weight, and  intensity, or incorporate the Devil's Press into your CrossFit rountine for a full-body workout.

In conclusion, the Devil's Press is a great exercise that offers a multitude of benefits for improving strength, power, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness. Its functional nature, full-body engagement, and versatility make it a valuable addition to any fitness regimen, helping you achieve your health and fitness goals more efficiently and effectively. So, next time you come to class and see the Devils Press on the board you know what to do! 

Coach Tom

CFL-3, USAW-2, Sports Nutritionist