Jefferson Curls

[José Ignacio Varela Suárez]

What do you think about Jefferson Curls, for working flexion spinal mobility and pike stretch? Good for back, bad for back?

[Alessandro Mainente]

for my experience is a wonderful tool to work the spinal erectors and prevent / heal some bad injuries!

[Rik de Kort]

Coach speaks highly of them.

[Joshua Naterman]

Just make sure the curling is in the thoracic spine and not so much the lumbar. You want the lumbar spine to stay straight and the hips to flex. It is not intelligent to load a flexed lumbar spine.

[José Ignacio Varela Suárez]

Do you know any video where I can see proper technique?

[Cody Hahn]

Just make sure the curling is in the thoracic spine and not so much the lumbar. You want the lumbar spine to stay straight and the hips to flex. It is not intelligent to load a flexed lumbar spine.

Joshua, you say, and I have heard many others say historically, not to load a flexed lumbar spine if one can help it. But I seem to remember that Coach specifically recommended Jefferson Curls for those athletes whose sport required one to train enormous amounts of strength and time in a straight back (in this case it was arched lumbar spine); such as rings specialists and powerlifters.

 

Now I definitely realize the importance of maintaining a neutral spine while under heavy load such as a barbell, and I realize the importance of gaining the mobility necessary for true flexion to occur in the hips rather than solely in the lumbar spine, but would it not be wise to train and condition the body in a movement and a position that it may be find itself in one day be it of choice or by demand? Now if all one ever trained was neutral spine, when that person is put into a position such as in wrestling or a bad lift or manual labor that might involve loading a flexed lumbar spine then that person would be poorly prepared for the reality of a chaotic and uncontrolled environment. What do you think?