You can click on "Use Limits" for many figures, and then use Translate/Pull to pose them (and lock body parts when you get them close). The "Use Limits" option will keep you within normal joint movement, and move other parts to compensate for normal joint movment. After you use this method to get your pose close to where you want it, you can click off the "Use Limits" and use the dials for fine-tuning. If you do this, you shouldn't get many problems where your figures are twisted out of proportion.