10 Ways to Reduce CrossFit Injury Risk

Injury. It is what every athlete dreads. It takes an athlete off the field or court, or in the case of CrossFit, out of the box. It can slow down the training progress you have been working so hard to achieve and even set you back farther than before. When it comes to sports injuries, there are two things we must focus on: 1. Effective and thorough rehabilitation to ensure an athlete is ready to return to their sport, and 2. Injury risk reduction (whether before the first injury or to prevent re-injury).

Here are 10 ways for CrossFit athletes to focus on reducing risk of injury while still building their physical capacity. 

01 Technique First

CrossFit combines a dynamic mix of highly technical weightlifting and gymnastic movements with bodyweight and cardiovascular exercises. It is important to master the technique of those complex movements in order to set yourself up for success as you begin to progress the load, speed, and power of each movement. Start with the mechanics, build consistency, then increase intensity. 

02 Strict Before Kipping

It is vital to build foundational strength before starting to work toward the coordination of more dynamic kipping movements. If you work to build slow strength through strict and negative movements, it will help you generate the fast power you need in kipping movements. Many people skip the step of strict movements and go straight to kipping, but develop compensations and bad habits that set them up for potential injury.

03 Nutrition + Sleep

The two most overlooked recovery tools out there. Sleep helps your body to recover overnight through the release of growth hormone, which supports muscle repair and growth. Insufficient quality and quantity of sleep impacts both physical and mental functioning. Try to get at least 8-9 hours of sleep each night.

How you fuel your body with food is key. Focus on increasing your protein intake and consuming high-quality carbs and fats for nutrient-dense meals. You should also consider your total calorie intake. Over- or under-fueling can impact your training progress and recovery.

04 Lower Volume Training

Simple is sometimes better. Not every CrossFit workout has to include strength, skills work, and a metcon to be a “good workout.” That high volume training can be working against you by creating potential overuse injuries or excessive fatigue, which can lead to bad technique and injury.

05 Consider Previous Injuries

The number one cause of injury is previous injury. Work to strengthen previously injured tissues to reduce risk of re-injury in the future. Be sure to follow through with a consistent rehab plan. Many people will often stop short when their symptoms start feeling better, but long before full healing has occurred. 

06 Aerobic Work

Aerobic work, also called “steady state” or “Zone 2” training, serves a couple purposes. First, it is a foundational element of CrossFit and will help improve your performance on other CrossFit workouts by increasing the threshold of intensity that you can work before fatigue sets in. Second, it aids in recovery, as it will increase your aerobic base, which makes you more resistant to fatigue and speeds up recovery between sets in a workout and between workouts.

07 Take Your Warm Up Seriously

If you’re one of those people who feel like they don’t feel good in a workout until they are a couple rounds in, then you are probably not warming up sufficiently or effectively. Use a dynamic warm up to prep the joints and muscles that are going to be working. Get your heart rate up and break a sweat before starting your workout. Practice the movements you will be performing at lower loads and intensities before the clock starts. 

08 Utilize Recovery Days

Fatigued muscles will not perform at 100%. Trying to work at 100% intensity all the time will lead to physical burnout and potential injury. This may even prevent you from going to the gym altogether, which most CrossFitters hope to avoid. Recovery days do not have to be complete rest. It may include steady state training, which works to reduce training stress, while still building performance. Try to incorporate at least 1-2 days of rest per week to allow your body the recovery it deserves.

09 Don’t Give Into Pressure

CrossFit is competitive. While competition is a good motivator, it can sometimes push athletes too far, too fast. It takes some restraint and confidence to slow down, focus on form, and build up a strong foundation of strength and technique. Don’t be afraid to scale a workout in order to prioritize quality movement over a place at the top of the leaderboard.

10 Listen to Your Body

You have probably heard this before, but what does it actually mean? In a nutshell, respect the warnings your body is giving you and don’t let a minor problem turn into a major problem that will negatively impact your fitness progress. Find a physical therapist early on to assess those aches and pains and address any movement dysfunctions that may be contributing.

Conclusion

Hopefully this gives you practical ways to help manage injury risk while still (safely) challenging your training in CrossFit and beyond. If you want to learn more or discuss your individual injury history and come up with a injury reduction plan with a Doctor of Physical Therapy, schedule a call below.