If you haven’t tried the “devil press” before, it may be your golden ticket to sculpting a strong, muscular back. This invigorating, total-body exercise is celebrated for its effectiveness in building strength and muscle definition. The devil press fires up the muscles in your shoulders, lats, and core for the best kind of burn that yields results. So, we spoke with a trainer to learn everything there is to know about the devil press and how to do it.
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What Is the Devil Press Exercise?
“The devil press combines elements of a burpee, a double dumbbell snatch, and a kettlebell swing, making it a hybrid movement with great strength and conditioning benefits,” explains Portia Page, balanced body educator, certified personal trainer, NCPT, PMA, ACE and AFAA certified. “It targets multiple muscle groups, including your back, shoulders, chest, core, legs, and arms, while also providing a cardio challenge.”
How To Perform the Devil Press
- Position two dumbbells on the floor, shoulder distance apart.
- Stand behind the weights with your feet just outside hip-width.
- Press your hips back, squat down, and grab the dumbbells.
- Kick your legs back to assume a plank, engaging your core.
- Complete a pushup.
- Jump your feet forward to meet the dumbbells.
- Drive with your legs in a fluid motion, swinging the dumbbells between your legs and using your arms and hips to then lift the weights overhead.
- Use control to lower the dumbbells and repeat for the desired number of reps or time.
Why Is It an Effective Exercise for Your Back?
According to Page, the devil press heavily engages your back muscles, including the traps, lats, rhomboids, and erector spinae. The “snatch” phase of the exercise also delivers power through your shoulders, back, and hips, boosting overall functional strength.
“The devil press is an excellent exercise for building a muscular and strong back because it trains the back muscles to work in tandem with the rest of the body, fostering functional strength and power,” Page tells us. “The devil press stands out from traditional back exercises due to its full-body nature, dynamic movement, and combination of strength, power, and endurance elements. It is a full-body engagement exercise (making it efficient also), incorporating multi-plane, compound movements for overall functional strength and enhancing athletic performance.”
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Deputy Editor of Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and delivering compelling fitness, wellness, and self-care topics to readers. Read more about Alexa
