Which way do the hands turn in a twist fly?

At the bottom the palms face the ceiling with the handles running along your body. As you bring the dumbbells up, turn your pinkies in toward each other so the dumbbells meet end to end across your upper chest with your palms facing your head, then turn back the other way as you lower.

Does the twist make the chest work harder than a regular fly?

Not in any meaningful way. The twist mostly turns the forearms and happens near the top, where the dumbbells put the least load on the chest, so the chest does essentially the same job as in a regular Dumbbell Fly. Use it for variety or because you like how the top of the rep feels.

Should I use lighter dumbbells than for a regular fly?

Usually, yes. Turning the dumbbells while keeping the elbow bend fixed takes extra control, so start a little lighter than your regular fly weight and add load only when every rep stays smooth.

How far down should the dumbbells go?

Lower until your elbows are in line with your chest or slightly below, and stop before you feel any pinch at the front of the shoulder. Going deeper adds strain without making the exercise more effective.

Can I do the twist fly on an incline bench?

Yes. The same twist works on an incline bench, which shifts more of the work toward the upper chest, as in the Dumbbell Incline Fly.

Dumbbell Twist Fly

What Is the Dumbbell Twist Fly?

Dumbbell Twist Fly is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the chest and also engages the front of the shoulders, the serratus anterior and the biceps. It is an intermediate-level movement that takes the classic Dumbbell Fly and adds a turn of the hands to every rep, so it suits lifters who can already control a standard fly with a fixed elbow bend.

The twist is what sets it apart. At the bottom of the rep the arms are open wide with the palms facing the ceiling and the handles running parallel to the body, just as in a regular fly. As the dumbbells rise, the pinkies turn in toward each other, so at the top the two dumbbells line up end to end across the upper chest with the palms facing back toward the head. Lowering reverses the turn. Most of the rotation comes from the forearms, and it happens near the top of the arc, where the dumbbells put the least load on the chest.

The pectoralis major does the main job of drawing the arms together across the body, with the front deltoids assisting and the serratus anterior keeping the shoulder blades steady against the rib cage. The biceps works to hold the slight elbow bend, and it also helps turn the forearms during the twist. A study on resistance-trained men found standard dumbbell flyes drew less chest activity than the barbell bench press but more biceps activity. The twist does not change what the chest is asked to do, so it is best treated as a way to vary the fly and to practice keeping the arms steady while the hands rotate, not as a stronger chest builder.

Like other flyes, it works best as an accessory after the main pressing work, such as the Dumbbell Bench Press, with moderate dumbbells for 8 to 15 controlled reps. Expect to use slightly lighter dumbbells than for a regular fly, because the hands have to turn the weight as well as move it. If the arc or the twist breaks down, build the pattern first with the standard Dumbbell Fly or the shorter-range Dumbbell Floor Fly. The mind-muscle cue that matters most is to feel the chest drawing the arms together, letting the hands turn on their own rather than leading the movement with the wrists.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Pectoralis Major: Primary
Deltoid: High
Serratus Anterior: Medium
Biceps Brachii: Low
Flexor Carpi Radialis: Minimal
Flexor Carpi Ulnaris: Minimal

Instructions

Sit on the end of a flat bench with a dumbbell resting on each thigh, then lie back and bring the dumbbells up over your chest. Keep your head, upper back and hips on the bench and your feet flat on the floor.
Hold the dumbbells above your upper chest with a slight bend in your elbows. Turn your hands so the dumbbells line up end to end across your chest, palms facing toward your head and the pinky-side ends touching.
Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench.
Breathe in and open your arms out to the sides in a wide arc, keeping the same slight elbow bend.
As your arms open, turn your hands back so that by the bottom your palms face the ceiling, your thumbs point toward your head and the handles run parallel to your body.
Lower until your elbows are in line with your chest or slightly below, stopping before you feel any pinch at the front of your shoulders.
Breathe out and sweep the dumbbells back up along the same arc, using your chest to draw your arms together.
As the dumbbells rise, turn your pinkies in toward each other so the dumbbells meet end to end again at the top. Let them touch lightly and keep your wrists straight through the turn.
Repeat for the desired reps, then bring the dumbbells down to your chest and sit up with them resting on your thighs.

Common Mistakes

Turning It Into a Press
Bending the elbows more on the way down and straightening them on the way up shifts the work to the triceps and turns the fly into a press.
Lowering Too Far
Dropping the elbows well below the bench overstretches the front of the shoulder and the chest tendon, so stop when the elbows are in line with the chest or slightly below.
Bending the Wrists to Twist
Cocking the wrists instead of turning the forearms strains the wrists and lets the dumbbells drift out of line.
Using Too Much Weight
A load you cannot lower slowly with the same elbow bend pulls the shoulders out of position at the bottom and makes the twist sloppy.
Banging the Dumbbells Together
Knocking the dumbbells into each other at the top jars the wrists and elbows, so let the ends meet lightly.
Letting the Shoulders Roll Forward
Lifting the shoulders off the bench at the top takes tension off the chest and loads the front of the shoulder.

Injuries

Dumbbell Twist Fly is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. As in any fly, the dumbbells sit far from the shoulders on long, nearly straight arms, so the bottom of the rep places a large stretch load on the front of the shoulder and on the tendon where the chest muscle attaches to the upper arm. The twist adds a small demand on the wrists and forearms, which have to turn the dumbbells while still holding them.

Most problems come from going too heavy, lowering too far or letting the elbows lock. Use dumbbells you can lower slowly with the same slight elbow bend on every rep, stop when the elbows are in line with the chest or slightly below, and keep the shoulder blades pulled back and down on the bench. Keep the wrists straight and let the forearms do the turning, and bring the dumbbells together gently at the top instead of knocking them.

If the deep position bothers your shoulders, the Dumbbell Floor Fly limits how far the arms can travel, and the Machine Pec Deck Fly guides the arc for you. Learn the plain Dumbbell Fly before adding the twist, and progress with slower lowering or a short pause at the bottom before adding weight.

Stop the set if you feel a sharp or pinching pain at the front of the shoulder, pain in the wrist or elbow during the turn, or pain near the armpit where the chest meets the arm. A sudden pop, sharp pain and bruising in that area can signal a torn chest muscle and needs prompt medical attention.

Overview

Primary Focus: Chest
Equipment: Dumbbell and bench
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Intermediate

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Which way do the hands turn in a twist fly?: At the bottom the palms face the ceiling with the handles running along your body. As you bring the dumbbells up, turn your pinkies in toward each other so the dumbbells meet end to end across your upper chest with your palms facing your head, then turn back the other way as you lower.
Q: Does the twist make the chest work harder than a regular fly?: Not in any meaningful way. The twist mostly turns the forearms and happens near the top, where the dumbbells put the least load on the chest, so the chest does essentially the same job as in a regular Dumbbell Fly. Use it for variety or because you like how the top of the rep feels.
Q: Should I use lighter dumbbells than for a regular fly?: Usually, yes. Turning the dumbbells while keeping the elbow bend fixed takes extra control, so start a little lighter than your regular fly weight and add load only when every rep stays smooth.
Q: How far down should the dumbbells go?: Lower until your elbows are in line with your chest or slightly below, and stop before you feel any pinch at the front of the shoulder. Going deeper adds strain without making the exercise more effective.
Q: Can I do the twist fly on an incline bench?: Yes. The same twist works on an incline bench, which shifts more of the work toward the upper chest, as in the Dumbbell Incline Fly.