Written by Patrick Dale, PT, ex-Marine

It’s hard to believe that CrossFit has been around for over two decades. What was initially labeled a workout fad soon became a fitness phenomenon, and there are now CrossFit gyms, called boxes, all over the world. CrossFit has also become an internationally recognized professional sport.

CrossFit is a form of cross-training and is an interdisciplinary workout program that uses lots of different exercise styles to develop a high level of all-around fitness. It borrows from gymnastics, athletics, Olympic weightlifting, kettlebell lifting, strongman, powerlifting, calisthenics, and even bodybuilding to create an almost infinite number of varied workouts. The workouts are called WODs, which is short for Workout of the Day.

As well as using existing training methods and exercises, CrossFit has also invented (or rediscovered) several unique exercises, including the topic of this article – the devil press.

We reveal why and how to do the devil press and provide you with the best variations and alternatives of this demonic exercise.

The devil press, interchangeably called the devil’s press, is a compound exercise that combines several well-known exercises into a sequence. As such, the devil press is technically an exercise complex. The devil press is virtually a full-body exercise as it involves so many movements and muscle groups.

The primary muscles trained by the devil’s press include:

Get more from the devil’s press while keeping your risk of injury to a minimum by following these guidelines:

Throughout the movement, keep your core braced, shoulders packed (down and back), and avoid rounding your lower back. This will make the exercise safer and also improve your performance.  

Not sure whether the devil’s press deserves a place in your workouts? Consider these benefits and then decide!

The devil press is a very demanding exercise, but all you need to do it is a pair of dumbbells and a little space. In terms of bang for your buck, the devil press is definitely an effective exercise.

There are very few muscle groups NOT trained during the devil press. In fact, a set of pull-ups is all you really need to do to ensure you have worked all your major muscles. This is a great movement for time-pressed exercisers who need a quick workout fix.

The best calorie-burning exercises are those that use a lot of muscle groups. As the devil press is a full-body exercise, you can be assured that doing it will burn lots and lots of calories, which could help you lose fat faster.

While you could do devil’s presses with heavy weights for low reps, it’s probably best when done using light to moderate loads and medium to high reps. That way, it’s not only safer but will place a huge demand on your heart, lungs, and circulatory system.

The devil’s press is an excellent cardiovascular conditioning exercise and ideal for all forms of high-intensity training, including for circuit training, Tabatas, PHA training, and other high-octane workouts.

The devil’s press often features in WODs and has also been part of the annual CrossFit games. Whether you do CrossFit at a box or at home, you’re bound to experience the devil’s press from time to time. While this isn’t an advantage per se, it’s a good reason for including the devil press in your workouts.

While Devil presses are a mostly beneficial exercise, there are also a few drawbacks to consider:

The devil’s press involves a lot of different movements, all done in sequence and quite quickly. As such, exercisers will need good coordination to do it properly. Poor form could lead to serious injury. That’s especially true if you try to do the movement too fast, as is often the case during CrossFit WODs.

There is a tendency for some exercisers to round their lower back when performing the devil press, especially when they are in the deep squat position.

A rounded lower back is a weak lower back and lifting with a flexed spine often leads to injury. As such, doing the devil’s press requires good hip mobility and a strong core, which many beginners have yet to develop. Spinal injuries can take a long time to heal.

Devil presses are a highly effective full-body exercise, but that doesn’t mean you need to do it all the time. There are several variations and alternatives you can use to keep your workouts productive and interesting:

The devil press shares several similarities with burpees. However, because they involve no weights, burpees are somewhat less demanding. They may be a better choice for some beginners and less fit people. Also, you can do burpees anywhere and anytime as they require no equipment.

You can make burpees easier by omitting the push-up and/or the leap into the air.

Thrusters are another CrossFit full-body strength and conditioning exercise. In this case, you’ll be combining a front squat with an overhead press. You can do thrusters with a barbell, dumbbells, or a medicine ball.

The sumo deadlift high pull is yet another CrossFit combo exercise. However, where thrusters are a pushing exercise, this one is a pulling exercise that works your posterior chain and biceps. As such, it’s the perfect partner to thrusters as, between them, they train all anterior and posterior muscle groups.

This exercise is a twist on the burpee. However, it’s lower impact and done in a tempo-controlled manner, hence the name. The eight-count bodybuilder is popular in the military, where it’s often used during squad PT sessions.

Like the devil press, kettlebell swings are a potent metabolic conditioning (met-con) exercise that will torch fat while engaging almost every muscle in your body. Just a few reps will make it clear that this exercise is effective as your heart and breathing rate go through the roof.

Kettlebell swings are an excellent exercise for EMOM and HIIT workouts, both of which are great for improving your conditioning and body composition.

Learn how to do kettlebell swings here.

This combo exercise works almost all the muscles in your body to burn lots of calories and develop muscle mass. Easier to learn and master than the devil’s press, all you need for this exercise is a pair of dumbbells or just a couple of water bottles or cans of food.

While there is no denying that hammer swings are very unusual and completely different from the devil’s press, in terms of muscles worked and calories burned, it’s a very comparable exercise. It’s also a whole lot of fun!

So, if you have some outdoor space, a sledgehammer, and an old SUV tire, you have everything you need for a stress-busting full-body strength and conditioning workout.

There are lots of ways to do sledgehammer training, including:

The devil’s press is a very challenging full-body dumbbell and bodyweight exercise. It’s fast becoming a CrossFit favorite and has already featured in several CrossFit Games. All you need to do it is some dumbbells and a little space. In return, this exercise will kick your BUTT!

However, blending several already demanding exercises into a complex means that this exercise may be too technically advanced for some beginners, even with light dumbbells. There is a risk of injury if the devil press is not performed with good technique.

But, if you are looking for a low-tech but high-effect exercise that’ll take your conditioning to the next level, the devil’s press could be the exercise you’ve been waiting for. So, try it today, and don’t forget to let us know how you get on!

Patrick Dale is an ex-British Royal Marine, gym owner, and fitness qualifications tutor and assessor. In addition, Patrick is a freelance writer who has authored three fitness and exercise books, dozens of e-books, thousands of articles, and several fitness videos. He’s not just an armchair fitness expert; Patrick practices what he preaches! He has competed at a high level in numerous sports, including rugby, triathlon, rock climbing, trampolining, powerlifting, and, most recently, stand up paddleboarding. When not lecturing, training, researching, or writing, Patrick is busy enjoying the sunny climate of Cyprus, where he has lived for the last 20-years.

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