Exercise description of the incline dumbbell curl with twist.  Learn about the incline dumbbell curl with twist with video and pictures.  Also learn how the incline dumbbell curl with twist can improve your sports performance.

Primary muscles worked:  Biceps

Synergist Muscles:  Forearms

Mechanics:  Isolation

Equipment:  Incline Bench, Dumbbells

How to perform the exercise:  To perform the incline dumbbell curl with twist exercise, the athlete should first grab a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip. Similar to the the standing incline dumbbell curl, the athlete will lay with their back against an incline bench; however, the difference between the two is that the palms will face each other as the arms lay at full extension to the side of the athlete. Now, with the arms to the side and palms facing each other, the athlete will raise the weight towards the shoulder in an arc like path. As the athlete is raising the weight, he / she should turn the wrists so that the palms start to face up. Once the wrists have reached a true underhand position, the twisting of the wrists should stop. This stop should occur when the weight is about two to three inches from the shoulder. The lifter should also stop bringing the weight toward the shoulder at this point. After this position is reached, the athlete will return the weight and arms to the side in the exact same position he / she started at. The wrists should turn on the way back down in the reverse manner they were twisted on the way up so that when the arms reach full extension the palms are again facing each other.

Spotting the exercise:  The spotter for the incline dumbbell curl with twist should stand in front of the athlete. If the athlete can not perform the desired number of reps unassisted, the spotter should help the athlete by applying upward force on the athlete's wrists until the desired number of reps has been completed.

Sport specific application:  The incline dumbbell curl from a sports specific standpoint has some movements which may correlate to this exercise. These movements include any form of underhand pitching in both softball and baseball, movements in tennis, and bowling. Not only that, but the extra forearm work due to the twist is beneficial as well. Almost all sports require strong forearms, so if the athlete is crunched for time this exercise can serve a dual purpose of biceps and forearms.