Devil's Press
devil-s-press
When I watch athletes execute this perfectly, I see a single, unbroken wave of kinetic energy moving from the ground to the overhead lockout. You will feel your hips drive the weights upward while your core stays braced and your breathing stays rhythmic. Master the seamless transition between the floor and the press, and you will own one of the most brutally efficient movements in my library.
If you're new to this
Start light and prioritize rhythm over raw speed. Your core must stay rigid throughout the floor-to-stand transition to protect your lower back. You should feel the movement driven by your hips and legs, not your shoulders. If your breathing becomes erratic or your form breaks down during the jump-in phase, stop immediately and reset. Common compensations include rounding the spine during the floor drop or shrugging the shoulders excessively during the press. True failure feels like a sudden loss of hip drive or an inability to lock out overhead without arching your back. Keep your elbows tight during the pull, punch straight up, and treat each rep as a controlled reset rather than a frantic scramble. Consistency with lighter weights will build the coordination and conditioning you need before adding load.
Common mistakes
Most lifters rush the transition from the floor to the feet, sacrificing hip drive and turning the movement into an awkward arm curl. Rounding the lower back during the initial drop places unnecessary strain on the spine, while failing to brace the core allows the weights to drift forward instead of tracking vertically. Many also neglect the overhead lockout, leaving the elbows slightly bent or arching the lower back to finish the rep. Finally, treating the exercise as a sprint rather than a rhythmic flow leads to premature cardiovascular failure and sloppy mechanics. Slow down, hinge properly, and let your hips generate the upward momentum.
Routine
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8-12
- Rest
- 90s
- Frequency
- 2-3x/week
Increase the dumbbell weight incrementally once you can complete all sets with strict, unbroken form.
Muscles
- Shoulders
- Glutes
- Quadriceps
- Abs
- Triceps
- Lats
Equipment
- Dumbbells
- 1
Place two dumbbells parallel on the floor, shoulder-width apart, and stand tall with your chest up.
- 2
Inhale deeply, hinge at your hips, and drop your hands to the outside of the weights.
- 3
Jump your feet back into a high plank, lower your chest to the floor, and push up explosively.
- 4
Exhale sharply as you jump your feet forward to land just outside the dumbbells.
- 5
Drive through your heels, swing the weights upward between your legs, and pull them toward your chest.
- 6
Punch the dumbbells overhead to full lockout while engaging your glutes and bracing your core.
- 7
Lower the weights with control back to the floor, reset your stance, and prepare for the next rep.