How to Do the Jefferson Curl

The Jefferson curl is a slow, loaded spinal flexion drill where you round down one vertebra at a time. It's used for hamstring and back mobility under light weight. It suits advanced lifters with good body awareness, not beginners.

Lower Back BarbellAdvanced

Log every set of your Jefferson Curl in Superlift

Muscles worked

Primary

Lower Back

Secondary

Hamstrings

How to do the Jefferson Curl

1
Stand on a low box or plate holding a very light weight.
2
Soften your knees slightly.
3
Tuck your chin and slowly round your spine from the top down.
4
Let your arms hang as you curl toward your toes.
5
Go only as deep as feels comfortable.
6
Reverse slowly, stacking your spine from the hips up.
7
Stand tall at the end.

Form cues to remember

Round one vertebra at a time
Move very slowly
Use very light weight
Stop at comfortable range

Jefferson Curl video tutorial

STOP Using The Jefferson Curl For Back Pain! · Squat University on YouTube

Common mistakes

Using too much weight

Start with no weight or a light 5–10 lb (2–5 kg) load.

Going too fast

Take about three to five seconds each way.

Forcing depth

Go only where it feels safe and controlled.

Bending the knees to cheat

Keep a soft knee but let the spine and hamstrings do the work.

Sets and reps

Mobility	2–3 sets of 5–8 slow reps, 60 seconds rest
Strength	2 sets of 6–8 reps with light, progressive load

Loaded spinal flexion is a debated exercise and is not suited to people with back or disc problems. Use light weight, go slowly, and skip it if it causes pain.

Superlift for iPhone

Track your Jefferson Curl and watch it go up

Superlift shows what you lifted last time, times your rest, and charts your strength week by week, so you always know what to beat. Every exercise in this library is built in, with the same demos and tutorials.