Why I Round my Spine (how anyone can start) — Key Takeaways
Start with unweighted compression folds and bodyweight flosses before progressing to Jefferson curls with light loads (5 lbs to start, 3–5 reps at ~10 seconds per rep), never adding weight until your lower back can reach parallel to the ground.
Key takeaways
Jefferson curls need very light loads and slow, segmented tempos
Jefferson curls need very light loads and slow, segmented tempos
- Start with 5 lb dumbbells; even after 10+ years, the speaker rarely adds much weight.
- Do 3-5 reps, each taking ~10 seconds or longer, with a pause at the bottom stretch.
Folding distributes spinal bend across the whole back, not just the hips
Folding distributes spinal bend across the whole back, not just the hips
- Hinging keeps the back straight and bends only at hips; folding opens spine, rib cage, and hips together.
- This balanced distribution builds resilience for awkward real-life movements like picking up kids or moving objects.
Use core and hip flexors to actively pull into a deeper forward fold
Use core and hip flexors to actively pull into a deeper forward fold
- Pressing hands into thighs and sliding down legs engages the front body to pull the spine into rounding.
- Active pulling, not passive hanging, creates the stretch from calves to upper back.
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In this video
- 1mRounding is Human
- 1mMy experience
- 2mThe Benefits
- 2mHistory
- 3mLevel 1 - Compression Fold
- 3mLevel 2 - Fold Floss
- 4mLevel 3 - Jefferson Curl
“The spine and rib cage have to open to create space for the fold. It's completely natural.”
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