Ascend Performance Therapy

Injury Prevention for CrossFit Athletes

CrossFit is built on high intensity, varied movements, and progressive loading—when done well, it’s incredibly effective. When injuries happen, it’s rarely because CrossFit itself is “dangerous.” More often, it comes down to one simple principle:

Why Do Injuries Happen?

Load exceeds capacity.

Outside of true freak accidents, injuries typically occur when the demands placed on the body exceed its ability to control or tolerate those forces. This usually happens for one (or both) of the following reasons:

1. Limited Range of Motion or Poor Movement Options

A joint or muscle simply doesn’t have the mobility, stability, or coordination required for the task. If your shoulder can’t overhead squat well, repeatedly forcing it into that position under load is eventually going to catch up.

2. Too Much, Too Fast

Muscles and tendons were not prepared for the volume, intensity, or speed of loading being applied. Sudden spikes in weight, reps, training frequency, or conditioning volume are a common recipe for pain and injury.

---

How Do We Prevent It?

1. Stay on Top of Your Limitations

Identify problem areas early and address them consistently.

• Screen movement and range of motion regularly
  
• Prioritize daily mobility for joints and tissues that are restricted
  
• Don’t ignore “minor” aches—those are often early warning signs

Small daily inputs go a long way in keeping you training long-term.

2. Have a Smart Plan for Loading

Muscles and tendons are highly adaptable—they can handle heavy loads and high volume if given time to build capacity.

Injuries often occur when there is a sharp increase in:

• Load (weight)
  
• Volume (sets, reps, mileage)
  
• Intensity or speed

If it’s been a while since you performed a movement, don’t jump straight back to previous maxes. For example, if you haven’t squatted heavy in months, slapping on your old 1–3RM to “see where you’re at” is usually a bad idea. Build back up gradually—you’ll get there faster and feel better doing it.

A Simple Guideline: The 10% Rule

As a general rule, avoid increasing load or volume by more than ~10% per week.

Example 1: Strength Training
Last week:

• 3 sets of 10 at 100 lb

This week, resist the urge to double it. Instead:

• 3 sets of 10 at ~110 lb

Example 2: Conditioning / Running Volume
Last week:

• 10 total miles at ~7/10 RPE

This week:

• 11 total miles at the same effort

Apply this concept to lifting, gymnastics volume, metcons, and conditioning work.

---

3. Prioritize Recovery (This Is Non-Negotiable)

Recovery is where adaptation happens. Skip it, and injury risk goes up while progress slows down.

The Big Three:

Nutrition

• Focus on mostly whole, minimally processed foods
  
• Protein matters: ~0.7–1.0 g per pound of bodyweight per day is a solid target for active athletes
  
• Many high-level athletes under-eat protein and are shocked by how much better they feel once they hit consistent intake
  

Hydration

• Rough guideline: ½ to 1 gallon of water per day
  
• Adjust upward based on training volume, sweat rate, and climate
  

Sleep

• Aim for ~8 hours per night
  
• Cool, dark room
  
• Limit screen time 1–2 hours before bed
  
• Avoid caffeine after early afternoon when possible
  

---

4. Listen to Your Body

Not every day is a “send it” day.

If you feel unusually sore, weak, sluggish, or uncoordinated:

• Deload that day
  
• Slow things down
  
• Focus on technique, quality movement, and breathing

Your body is often giving you feedback before something breaks—learn to listen.

---

5. Actually Take Rest Days

Rest days are part of training, not a sign of weakness.

CrossFit generally recommends 1–2 rest or active recovery days per week. Popular and effective schedules include:

• 3 days on / 1 day off
  
• 5 days on / 2 days off

Use rest days for light movement, mobility work, walking, or simply doing nothing at all.

---

Need Help Identifying Your Risk Factors?

If you’re dealing with nagging pain, stiffness, or just want to be proactive, I offer free injury and range-of-motion screenings to help identify limitations before they turn into time-off-the-gym injuries.

Train hard—but train smart.

TL;DR – Injury Prevention for CrossFitters

• Most injuries happen when load exceeds capacity, not because CrossFit is inherently dangerous
  
• Injury risk increases when:
  
  • You lack the range of motion or control for a movement
    
  • You increase weight, volume, or intensity too quickly
    
• Address mobility and movement limitations early and consistently
  
• Progress loading gradually (≈10% rule for weight, reps, or volume)
  
• If you’ve taken time off a movement, build back up—don’t test old maxes
  
• Recovery matters:
  
  • Eat enough, especially protein (~0.7–1.0 g/lb bodyweight)
    
  • Stay hydrated
    
  • Prioritize 7–9 hours of quality sleep
    
• Listen to your body and deload when needed
  
• Take 1–2 rest or active recovery days per week
  

When in doubt, get a movement or ROM screen to identify issues early

If you live in the OKC metro and need help with any nagging aches, pains, or limitations, reach out for a free movement screening by clicking the button below: