Power Twister Workouts

A power twister is a metal bar about 29 inches long that has handles on each end and a coiled spring in the middle. It's a little old-school, but the power twister is still used by bodybuilders and others who want to build size and strength in their upper bodies. The spring is typically coiled stiffly to provide resistance and some types of power twister bars allow you to adjust the tension.

When performing any exercise, focus on proper technique to avoid injury and to ensure that you're working the muscles upon which the exercise is supposed to focus. When working with the power twister, stand in an upright position. Focus on keeping your back and shoulders straight, your head up but not tilted back and your knees slightly bent and not locked. Keep your abdominals tight as well to support your back. As you work through the exercise, concentrate on feeling the contractions in your biceps and pectoral muscles.

The exercise you perform with a power twister bar seems simple, but the resistance that the spring coil gives makes it challenging. Start by holding the power twister bar horizontally by the handles, one in each hand. Keep your elbows slightly bent so that the bar is close to your chest. Start the exercise by pressing both handles toward one another and flexing the spring. Press until the handles meet and, holding the power twister flexed, straighten your arms so that the bar is pushed away from your body. Slowly release the tension on the bar to straighten it out then press your hands together again, flexing the spring and keeping your arms straight. At this point bend your arms, bringing the power twister close to your body again before relaxing the tension and returning to the original starting position. The entire series of movements is considered one repetition; repeat the reps until failure.

The power twister exercise is useful if you're unable to make it into the gym where you have access to free weights or machines, though you can also incorporate the exercise into your chest workout when using weights. Perform one or more power twister reps after every set of bench presses or parallel bar dips. Alternately, execute a few sets of power twisters at the end of your chest workout for an added challenge.

Use the power twister every time you work your chest and biceps or on specific work out days to help with muscle confusion. Former bodybuilder Dennis B. Weis notes that it's especially effective when used with bench presses and dips as it isolates the pectorals, allowing you to fatigue them in a way that presses and dips can't. On days that you want to work your pectorals without the power twister, execute three to four sets of eight to 12 reps of flys -- decline, seated and standing -- and do a set of pushups as well. For your biceps, mix it up with variations of curls like EZ bar curls, alternating dumbbell curls, hammer dumbbell curls and finish off with some chin ups.