The Devil’s Press got its name for a good reason — it was pulled from Hell. For a reason still unknown to me, I decided to do the exercise 50 times a day for a week.
This full-body strength exercise requires a set of the best adjustable dumbbells, but you can also practice the one-arm variation using a single weight. This movement, popular in functional training and CrossFit-style exercises, is a high-intensity muscle torch that builds strength and endurance, increases heart rate and improves movement efficiency.
I love a fitness challenge, but the devil press still works me to the limit. That’s what happened when I grabbed some dumbbells and jumped into the feet first one-week challenge.
How do devil press
If you haven’t tried the exercise, use two light dumbbells until you are comfortable with the pattern of movement. The satan press combines a chest-to-floor burpee with a double snatch, so here’s a breakdown of each move.
- Start with both dumbbells directly in front of your feet, shoulder-width apart in a neutral grip position.
- Turn on your core, hold both dumbbells. Jump back into a high plank position.
- Lower yourself to the floor between the dumbbells as you would a burpee, with your chest and hips aligned.
- Press back, then jump with your feet back and wide from the dumbbells.
- Lift your chest, pull your shoulders down, and keep your back flat.
- Hinge your hips, send your butt behind you and swing both dumbbells through your legs like a kettlebell swing.
- Push your hips forward, extend your legs, and swing the dumbbells up, bending both elbows toward you.
- Push the dumbbells at the top and lock the arms straight out at the top.
- Reverse these steps down to swing the dumbbells through your legs, then substitute them into the starting position on the floor in front of you.
You can perform the move with a single dumbbell for the one-arm devil’s press variation. Remember to keep your hip joint engaged as you thrust the dumbbells forward to drive them above your head.
I did the devilish 50 push-ups every day for a week – here’s what happened
Here’s how it happened.
My whole body hurts
Needless to say, this strength and conditioning workout fires every major muscle group. The Devil’s Press hits your back, shoulders, chest, core, glutes and glutes in two combination moves – the burpee and the double dumbbell snatch.
It’s a technical compound exercise that raises your heart rate and tests your speed, strength and endurance. High reps are hard to do, which is why it’s a CrossFit staple, so I decided to complete 8-10 reps every minute (EMOM) until I got to 50 reps. This way, I can hold myself accountable for the maximum time and scope when necessary.
After the first few days, I was feeling DOMS.
I lacked strength
The devil press requires a hip joint and explosiveness, just like performing the kettlebell swing and snatch. This means developing snapping power through your hips as you lunge forward to push the weights up.
Towards the end of my daily reps, I started to lose momentum, as a sign of exhaustion. I decided to drop in my dumbbell weight and focus strictly on form, removing my ego from the equation so I could get a feel for the exercise in the places I needed to.
It’s easier than you think to shift your lower back during the burpee and swing phases of the devil’s press, so be sure to squeeze your stomach and glutes as you move.
I still feel strong
I have a secret noxious love for Satanic journaling – it makes me feel strong and confident. This move is great for releasing tension, and the high intensity allows you to throw some heavy weight over your head—with control and practice. My muscle groups are always working hard during the devil’s press, and I always enjoy it afterwards.
I notice this exercise mostly in the muscles of the posterior chain, particularly my back, glutes, hamstrings, and core. This move requires more core and whole-body strength to push the weight up rather than relying on your arms to achieve the lift.
Besides, there is no such thing as releasing endorphins after a full body burn. and one Stady (Opens in a new tab) found that high-intensity exercise lasting just 10 minutes per day for 12 weeks could positively affect cardiovascular health compared to endurance training in subjects.
I needed a break
When we run a Tom’s Guide fitness challenge, we try to re-emphasize the importance of rest and recovery. The same applies here. When you exercise, tiny tears develop in your muscle fibers, and when you rest, your body rebuilds and releases growth hormone, which helps muscles recover, adapt, and grow.
Be sure to factor in rest or active rest days to counteract the effects of training on your muscles, and avoid consecutive days isolating one muscle group, which can lead to overtraining and injury.
After doing all those devilish push-ups, I decided to increase my yoga intake for the next week. If you’re confused between yoga and pilates, we cover some of the benefits of both, right here. These six stretches for beginners enhance flexibility in your hamstrings, calves, and ankles. If you have tight lower-body muscles, these exercises may help you perform the devil’s push-up with better efficiency.
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