Bodyweight Spinal Jefferson Curl

How to do it

1. Stand tall on a flat surface with feet hip-width apart and arms hanging in front of your thighs.
2. Tuck your chin to your chest and start rolling down slowly, one vertebra at a time.
3. Continue folding forward through the upper back, then mid-back, then lower back as you descend.
4. Let your arms hang relaxed in front of your shins and reach for the floor without straining.
5. Pause briefly at the bottom, feeling the stretch through the entire back of the body.
6. Reverse the motion by rolling back up segment by segment until you stand fully tall again.

Common mistakes

• Folding from the hips only instead of rounding the spine — defeats the entire point of the drill.
• Bending the knees too much, which removes the hamstring stretch and shortens the load on the back.
• Going too heavy too soon — this is a mobility tool, not a strength lift.
• Snapping back up to standing instead of rolling up segment by segment under control.