Workout of the Week: The Devil is in the Details
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I spent the afternoon on Easter Sunday sweating through five sets of the dumbbell burpee variation known as the “Devil’s Press.” I didn’t actually realize the irony until after the workout.
Despite its name, the Devil’s Press is quite a sublime movement. Sure, it’s a really difficult exercise, but when it’s performed properly, nearly all of your muscle groups will reap incredible benefits.
Essentially, the movement consists of a dumbbell burpee, a push up and a snatch, but for whatever reason, some evil genius decided to get metaphorical rather than literally calling it a dumbbell burpee snatch.
Similar to swinging the kettlebell, the dynamic propulsion of the Devil’s Press is generated from the lower body. We are pushing the brunt of the weight with our hips, so it’s important to perfect the hip hinge.
As Shakira would say, or rather sing, “my hips don't lie, And I'm starting to feel it's right. All the attraction, the tension. Don't you see, baby, this is perfection?”
To do a Devil’s Press, get down into a plank position, leaving enough space between the two dumbbells so that you can perform one deficit push up (i.e. a push up that enables a greater range of motion due to the addition of weights as a base). Then hop up into a hip hinge position, and swing the dumbbells between your legs, using the hips and glutes to power the dumbbells upwards so that they are parallel to one another above your head.
This “Workout of the Week” is hellish because it’s a real total body burner (puns intended). But after you’ve completed it, you should feel quite glorious! For this workout you’ll need a pair of dumbbells and a kettlebell. Make sure that they’re not too light, but also not too heavy. For swinging related work, my rule of thumb is to go a bit heavier with my weights, because it actually ensures that I’m using proper form since I can feel my hips, glutes and legs doing the brunt of the work.
Set one:
Ten devil’s presses
Rest and repeat for a total of five sets.
Ten kettlebell swings
Rest and repeat for a total of five sets.
Set two:
Ten kettlebell snatches
Rest and repeat for a total of two sets, switching arms after the first set.
Ten dumbbell snatches to alternating unilateral overhead press squats
Rest and repeat for a total of three sets.
This concludes another “Workout of the Week” for your exercise enjoyment. The only rule, aside from maintaining good form, is to always work hard and have fun!
If you choose to do this routine, please let me know about your experience. And if you have any specific questions about this workout or general fitness inquiries, please reach out to me. I am always eager to hear from you!
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