Josh HeverlyOnline Health & Fitness Coach & Founder at Holistic Hev

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6 May 2026 · 1 min

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In this short video, the speaker recounts a severe low‑back injury from two years ago that left them unable to bend, squat, or even put on socks. They credit a single exercise—the Jefferson Curl—for restoring mobility and strength. The speaker explains how to perform the movement: start with no weight or light dumbbells/barbell, bend forward while deliberately rounding the lumbar spine, and return by pulling up with the low back, staying within a comfortable range. They emphasize that this approach contradicts common coaching advice to keep the back straight during lifts, arguing that functional tasks often require a rounded back and that strengthening the lumbar spine in that position is essential. The video serves both as a personal recovery story and a practical tutorial encouraging viewers to incorporate the Jefferson Curl into their routines.

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2 years ago, I had a low back injury that was so debilitating I couldn't bend over, I couldn't squat, I couldn't even put on my socks. And now I can do whatever I want, and it's due to this one exercise that allowed me to regain the mobility and the strength. Here's how it goes. It's called a Jefferson Curl. I would start with— if you have back problems, probably no weight, but you can start with a pair of medium weight dumbbells or a barbell. All you are doing is bending over and rounding your low back. You're trying to go as far as you can where it's comfortable and pull up with your low back. This is contrary to what most strength coaches, what most people believe. Everybody teaches you have to keep a straight back when you're squatting, but in the real world, if you're picking up a box, you're moving, you need to bend your back in this way. We're always taught not to do it, and you want to do what's contrary at specific times. So we need to strengthen the low back in this rounded position. That's what the Jefferson Curl allows you to do.