The Jefferson Curl [The Right Way To PREVENT INJURY]

[@toscadonna]

I have a lot of scar tissue from a parachute accident, so my flexibility is bad. Jefferson curls really help me. I started with 5 lbs of weight doing it very slowly. I don’t deadlift, because my neck can’t handle that, but Jefferson curls are awesome. It really helps because I sit too much and my back got so weak from that.

[@UnityGymOnline]

great to hear you've experienced such positive effects from the Jefferson curl. We love it. :D

[@zetareticulan321]

It's called the Jefferson curl because one day Thomas Jefferson went hiking with one of his friends. His friend slipped and fell off the side of a cliff, and was holding on for his life. Luckily, Thomas Jefferson rushed to his rescue, and used this exact movement to pull his friend back up to safety.

[@UnityGymOnline]

I didn't know that. If it's true, it's a cool story 😎

[@jasontucker3295]

Sounds like a good way for Tom to join his friend .

[@maximisatwat]

on the 3 cues you might add to lean butt back as you go down. If you dont you end up trying to fight off the shear force with strength rather than bone alignment

[@UnityGymOnline]

Thanks for commenting. Yep that's a good cue

[@alanequi2786]

Right after front splits is a good time to do these. I started with 25% of bodyweight, then 70%, and nowadays 80% for 8 reps, but I don't think I will go any heavier! They make cleans and deadlift seem like a ridiculously short range of motion.

[@UnityGymOnline]

Nice work! I personally love J curls

[@nathanscott90]

Thanks. A sensible video. See Adam meakins here in the UK saying similar things.

[@KenE252525]

Hi. I was hoping that you would discuss what kind of sets and rep ranges would be best if wanting to use this exercise for increasing range of motion.

[@UnityGymOnline]

Hi Ken, this is an exercise tutorial. Sets and reps comes under programming. In our UMS programs we prescribe 5 sets of 5 reps once a week for best results

[@KenE252525]

@@UnityGymOnline Thanks. I appreciate the response. I'm a new subscriber and still haven't seen most of your content yet. 5 x 5 is in line with what Ben Patrick programs. I'm a bit surprised because using such light weights, I would intuitively feel like it should be performed through a higher rep range. I'm relatively new to the concept of strengthening though the increased range of motion to increase fascicle length and help make flexibility gains more permanent. It's something that was missing from my previous training.

[@UnityGymOnline]

@@KenE252525 it's what's missing for most people 😉 yeah the 5x5 approach is less about the typical way to measure volume of reps and sets, more about time under tension because each rep of Jefferson's is so slow. go to unitygym.com/pages/free-training-the-flexibility-masterclass and grab the flexibility masterclass. Its 100% free and it's been the breakthrough program for thousands of people around the world. You can see how we use Jefferson's in a complete flexibility program.

[@Yojax]

Nice vid! Your editing just keeps getting better and better. I keep coming back to Jefferson curls, but I must admit I sometimes get back ache (herniated disc-like pain in my lumbar spine) the day after doing them, and that’s even with zero weight. I’m pretty confident my form is fine, and k always follow all the cues you discuss in this video…is there a chance that some people predisposed to disc issues, just aren’t meant to do loaded spinal flexion?

[@UnityGymOnline]

Thank you for the praise! And sorry to hear about your pain. How many times a week do you do Jefferson's?

[@Yojax]

​@@UnityGymOnline Currently I'm not using them in my training, but when I have done so in the past twice a week, maybe 3 times at most. Although the minute I notice a slight "twinge" in my lower back I stop doing them right away.

[@UnityGymOnline]

@@Yojax we recommend once a week only, try that and see how you go 😃

[@UnityGymOnline]

Answered here facebook.com/richard.lelys/videos/285214843652237

[@Yojax]

@@UnityGymOnline wow nice response. Thanks. I’m extremely confident that the pain I get is spinal, and not muscular (DOMS), perhaps my wording was misleading. I’ll follow your advice and will try to take a video of me doing a set and upload to the Fbook group when I get a sec. Thanks again!

[@VictorCañete-b9b]

What muscles exercises??

[@UnityGymOnline]

@@VictorCañete-b9b hamstrings mainly, but also the spine extensors and glutes

[@freehatespeech6804]

Spinal erectors, hamstrings (but not the long head), glutes

[@danif1359]

do I need to contract my abdomen?

[@UnityGymOnline]

You can contract your hip flexors once you are in end range of hip flexion. This will help to hack the nervous system for faster results.

[@BradleyGibbs]

Are you meant to brace, like you would for squats and deadlifts? I've been doing Jefferson curls for a couple months to treat lower back pain but today after Jefferson curls my back has been worse than it has for years. I'm so confused

[@UnityGymOnline]

You need more than Jefferson curls for back pain. The real issue is trying to piece together a strategy for something like back pain, from watching KZbin videos. Programs need to be tailored to your needs, there's a lot more to writing a good program than just throwing some exercises together. If you're struggling this much, come and join our online personal training. It's only $1.75/day and you get custom programs and 1:1 coaching

[@freehatespeech6804]

Can you do reverse hyper extensions? Those are famous for healing peoples' backs, including for the guy who popularized them who had a herniated disc. He then went on to deadlift world record numbers. Do high rep sets of 30+, start with bodyweight only if you have to

[@Steven-tw6wn]

Do you lock your knees during this movement?

[@UnityGymOnline]

yes :) You get better results with locked knees. If they're bent then you're backing off the stretch in the hamstrings

[@liamburns8554]

Can anyone answer, when you initiate the positive (start pulling the torso back up) do you do this with hams & glutes, or the spine/back?

[@UnityGymOnline]

All of it, the body will use the muscles it needs in order to move, you won't need to think about that 😃

[@liamburns8554]

@@UnityGymOnline really? I am confused, as for most movements you really can decide which muscles to use. Ie, a row could be used for rear delts, or lats, or rhomboids or all. But I will take your point and pull with the hams and glutes as well as the spine.

[@UnityGymOnline]

@@liamburns8554 that's only kind of correct. Any row will use the rear delts, latts and rhomboids. The different variations will use more or less of said muscles. You don't need to overthink it so much, just do the Jefferson Curl and your body will use the correct muscles. You shoykd be focussing on the way the movement looks and feels, not what muscles you use.

[@UnityGymOnline]

@@liamburns8554 that's only kind of correct. Any row will use the rear delts, latts and rhomboids. The different variations will use more or less of said muscles. You don't need to overthink it so much, just do the Jefferson Curl and your body will use the correct muscles. You shoykd be focussing on the way the movement looks and feels, not what muscles you use.

[@liamburns8554]

@@UnityGymOnline thanks

[@thespiritwalker9173]

What if I can only reach down to my knees when bending over? Can I still perform a Jefferson Curl? Or do I need to increase my range of motion so that I can touch my toes first before performing this exercise correctly?

[@UnityGymOnline]

You can definitely still do the J curl to increase your range 😃

[@IntoTheOutside000]

It'll be a Jeff curl at first but little by little as you unlock more mobility it becomes a Jefferson

[@muradkhalifa6700]

Made the mistake of doing these with a 60 lb barbell after a year of skipping them and my hamstrings still have crazy DOM soreness on day 4 after 😂

[@UnityGymOnline]

yeah be careful, don't try to pick up where you left off

[@makusuwerusan7390]

I usually use this to stretch after a long shift. Is it advisable to hold fully curled position for 30 secs to a min twice? Or should this be consecutive? I use two 16lb kettlebells. It feels great and I do feel that I am developing more flexibility in my lower back.

[@UnityGymOnline]

Both are great options. We use the reps first to build load tolerance and then we progress people to the hold. Just be careful how often you do loaded Jefferson's. We recommend once a week to manage load and reduce risk of injury. You can do reduce load daily, but a big reduction in weight if you're going to do that 😉

[@scarred10]

You dont need flexibility in the lower back, everyone has plenty,its stability you need through proper mechanics and local muscle endurance of the core ,not strength either.Theres no benefit a Jefferson curl for back health that cannot be achieved much more reliably with evidenced based exercise.

[@asharedo]

@@scarred10 "You dont need flexibility in the lower back, everyone has plenty" does not equal "evidenced based". Broad inaccurate statements like that are misleading and help no one. I was actually taught this exercise (with no added weights, as a mechanism for improving spinal control and mobility) by my physiotherapy lecturer. But I know he would say that given appropriate loading over time, that adding weight would be safe. Since we know that if conditioned gradually over time, there isn't really any natural movement that is inherently harmful. We also know that picking up loads of up to 20kg with a flexed spine is not associated with any increase in injury or low back pain, however, studies looking at higher weights were not yet completed when I last investigated (about 2 years ago). Likely anything that increases load prematurely will lead to a bad outcome, and vice versa.

[@scarred10]

@@asharedo why would anyone outsjdes very specific sports need lumbar mobility its not designed for that the thoracic and cervical spine are.

[@thehotshot8635]

Should i keep my core engaged?

[@UnityGymOnline]

Your core will naturally engage so you shouldn't need to focus on it, in this movement. For safety, move slowly with the right amount of weight.

[@relentlessBoxing]

I can barely go passed my knee

[@UnityGymOnline]

thats normal Rumel. weve seen that alot. Be patient with ith and progress with care. you will find this improves over time. ;)