Dumbbell Devil Press

Also known as: Devil Press, Devil's Press

StrengthPlyometricExplosiveCardioFunctional

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Body Part: Legs

Description

A full-body conditioning exercise that combines a burpee with a double dumbbell snatch. You drop into a plank on two dumbbells, lower your chest to the floor, jump your feet in and swing both dumbbells from the floor to overhead in one motion. It works the legs, glutes, back, shoulders and chest and quickly raises your heart rate.

How to Perform

Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
Hinge at the hips, bend your knees and place the dumbbells on the floor in front of your feet, shoulder-width apart.
Keep hold of the handles and jump your feet back into a high plank, with your body in a straight line.
Lower your chest to the floor between the dumbbells, then push back up into the plank.
Jump your feet forward so they land outside the dumbbells, with your hips back and your back flat.
Push through your feet, drive your hips forward hard and swing both dumbbells up in front of you and overhead in one motion.
Finish standing tall with your arms locked out and the dumbbells over your shoulders, then lower them in front of you, hinge and set them on the floor to start the next rep.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Secondary Muscles:

Tips

Choose dumbbells you can still swing overhead with clean form at the end of the set. The burpee tires you quickly.
Use hexagonal dumbbells if you can. They will not roll while you are in the plank.
Land flat-footed with your feet a little wider than the dumbbells, so the dumbbells end up between your feet, close to your body for the swing.
During the hinge, look at the floor a little in front of you to keep your neck in line with your back.
Exhale as the dumbbells go overhead and take a quick breath as you lower them.
To make it easier, step your feet back and forward one at a time instead of jumping.

Common Mistakes

Letting the hips sag or the lower back arch in the plank
Not lowering the chest all the way to the floor
Rounding the lower back when picking the dumbbells up from the floor
Lifting the dumbbells with the arms instead of driving them up with the hips and legs
Finishing with bent elbows or with the dumbbells in front of the head instead of over the shoulders
Leaning back and arching the lower back at the top instead of bracing the core
Letting the dumbbells crash to the floor instead of lowering them under control