What Muscles Do Devil Presses Work? Complete Anatomy Guide

The devil press combines a burpee with a double dumbbell snatch—creating one of the most demanding full-body movements in functional fitness. There's a reason it has "devil" in the name.

Quick Answer

Primary muscles: Shoulders/deltoids (very high), glutes (very high), hamstrings (very high), core (very high), triceps (high)

Secondary muscles: Chest (high), quadriceps (high), lats (moderate), hip flexors (high), forearms/grip (high)

The devil press works virtually everything because it combines a ground-to-standing movement with an explosive overhead swing.

The Devil Press Broken Down

Phase 1: The Burpee Descent

| Muscle | Action | Activation | |--------|--------|------------| | Chest | Lowering body | Eccentric | | Triceps | Elbow flexion (down) | Eccentric | | Core | Maintaining position | High | | Hip flexors | Bringing legs down | Moderate |

You descend to the ground while holding dumbbells—essentially a push-up descent with weights.

Phase 2: The Chest-to-Floor

| Muscle | Action | Activation | |--------|--------|------------| | Chest | Contact with floor | Brief rest | | Core | Maintaining tension | Moderate |

Full chest contact with the ground. Brief moment before the explosive return.

Phase 3: The Push-Up and Jump Forward

| Muscle | Action | Activation | |--------|--------|------------| | Chest | Pressing up | High | | Triceps | Elbow extension | High | | Core | Trunk stability | High | | Hip flexors | Jumping feet forward | High | | Quadriceps | Leg drive | Moderate |

Push up from the floor and explosively jump your feet forward to the dumbbells.

Phase 4: The Swing/Snatch (Power Phase)

| Muscle | Action | Activation | |--------|--------|------------| | Glutes | Explosive hip extension | Maximum | | Hamstrings | Hip extension | Very High | | Shoulders | Overhead swing | Very High | | Core | Power transfer | Very High | | Traps | Arm elevation | High | | Triceps | Lockout | High |

The hip hinge and explosive extension swing the dumbbells overhead—this is where the magic happens.

Primary Muscles Worked

Shoulders (Deltoids)

Your shoulders work in two ways:

1. Stabilizing during the burpee portion
2. Swinging/pressing during the overhead portion

The swing-to-overhead demands anterior and lateral deltoid engagement at high intensity.

Glutes and Hamstrings

The posterior chain powers the swing. Without explosive hip extension, you can't get the dumbbells overhead efficiently. This is the engine of the movement.

Core

Your core works constantly:

• Burpee: Maintaining plank position
• Push-up: Anti-extension
• Swing: Power transfer from hips to arms
• Overhead: Stability and anti-extension

Devil presses are sneaky core work.

Triceps

Triceps engage during:

• Push-up phase (extension)
• Overhead lockout (extension)

High-rep devil presses fatigue triceps quickly.

Secondary Muscles

Chest

The push-up portion demands chest engagement, especially in stricter versions where you do a full push-up.

Quadriceps

Legs assist with the explosive stand and contribute to the hip extension.

Lats

Your lats help control the dumbbells during the swing portion and contribute to overhead stability.

Hip Flexors

Jumping the feet forward and the burpee motion demand hip flexor work.

Forearms/Grip

Holding dumbbells throughout the movement—especially for high reps—challenges grip endurance.

Devil Press Technique Options

Standard Devil Press

• Full burpee (chest to floor)
• Swing both dumbbells overhead together
• Touch dumbbells at top
• Most demanding version

Strict Devil Press

• Full push-up (not just falling to floor)
• More chest and tricep work
• Slower but builds more strength

Devil Press to Push Press

• Swing to shoulders, then press
• More shoulder pressing emphasis
• Some competitions require this standard

Devil Press vs Similar Movements

| Movement | Ground Work | Overhead | Intensity | |----------|-------------|----------|-----------| | Devil Press | Full burpee | Swing/snatch | Maximum | | Man Maker | Push-up + rows | Press | Very High | | Burpee | Full burpee | None | High | | DB Snatch | None | Swing/snatch | High | | Thruster | None | Press | High |

The devil press combines the worst parts of several exercises into one brutal movement.

Why Devil Presses Are So Demanding

1. Ground-to-Overhead

Going from lying flat to standing with weight overhead is the maximum range of motion possible.

2. No Rest

There's no pause in a devil press. Each phase flows into the next, keeping heart rate elevated.

3. Full-Body Demand

Every major muscle group contributes. High muscle mass involvement = high cardiovascular demand.

4. Coordination

The timing of the swing, the jump, the burpee—it requires practice to move efficiently.

Programming Devil Presses

For Conditioning (AMRAP/For Time)

• Light to moderate dumbbells (35-50 lb total)
• 10-21 reps per round
• Part of conditioning circuit
• Focus on smooth, sustainable pace

For Power

• Heavier dumbbells
• 5-8 reps per set
• Rest between sets
• Focus on explosive swings

As Finisher

• Moderate weight
• 3 sets of 10-15 reps
• End of training session
• Maximum effort

Competition Prep

• Practice at competition weight
• Time your sets
• Find sustainable rhythm

Technique Cues

The Burpee Portion

1. Hands on dumbbells (not next to them)
2. Jump or step feet back
3. Lower chest to floor
4. Keep core tight throughout
5. Push up, jump feet forward to dumbbells

The Swing

1. Hinge at hips (sit back)
2. Dumbbells between legs
3. Explosive hip extension
4. Let hips power the swing
5. Guide dumbbells overhead with arms

The Lockout

1. Full arm extension
2. Dumbbells touch or close overhead
3. Brief moment of control
4. Begin descent for next rep

Common Mistakes

| Mistake | Why It's Bad | Fix | |---------|-------------|-----| | Muscling the swing | Arms fatigue quickly | Hip power, relaxed arms | | Skipping chest contact | Usually a no-rep | Touch chest each time | | Swinging wide | Inefficient, shoulder strain | Keep dumbbells closer | | No hip hinge | Loses power source | Sit back, load hamstrings | | Holding breath | Limits performance | Breathe on burpee portion | | Rushing | Sloppy reps | Find sustainable rhythm |

Scaling Options

Lighter Dumbbells

Most common scaling. Allows more volume and better technique.

No Push-Up

Fall to floor, push up without strict push-up. Reduces upper body demand.

Single Dumbbell

Alternating arms or one dumbbell only. Easier to manage.

Step-Back Burpee

Step instead of jump. Reduces intensity while maintaining movement pattern.

Sample Workouts

"Death by Devil Press"

• Minute 1: 1 devil press
• Minute 2: 2 devil presses
• Continue until you can't complete reps in minute
• Light to moderate weight

21-15-9

• 21 devil presses, 21 box jumps
• 15 devil presses, 15 box jumps
• 9 devil presses, 9 box jumps
• For time

AMRAP 12

• 8 devil presses
• 12 air squats
• 16 sit-ups
• Max rounds in 12 minutes

Simple Finisher

3 rounds:

• 10 devil presses
• Rest 90 seconds

Key Takeaways

✅ Devil presses work shoulders, glutes, hamstrings, core, and triceps primarily
✅ Combines burpee + dumbbell snatch = full-body devastation
✅ Hip power drives the swing—don't muscle it with arms
✅ Chest must touch floor each rep (standard)
✅ No rest phase—continuous movement keeps heart rate maxed
✅ Start with lighter dumbbells to learn rhythm
✅ One of the most demanding functional fitness movements
✅ Great for conditioning, terrible for your soul

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The devil press earned its name. It's simple—burpee, swing overhead, repeat. It's also brutal. Master the hip hinge, find your rhythm, and embrace the suffering.