If you’ve ever looked into CrossFit, there’s a good chance you’ve heard this one before:
“CrossFit is dangerous.”
And I can understand where that reputation came from.
CrossFit that is dosed improperly can be dangerous.
Take someone who hasn’t exercised in years, give them a complicated movement they’ve never done before, add a bunch of weight, and tell them to go as fast as possible?
Yeah. That’s a recipe for disaster.
But that’s also not what happens in most CrossFit gyms.
CrossFit Isn’t Supposed To Be One-Size-Fits-All
One of the biggest misconceptions about CrossFit is that everyone walks into class and is expected to perform the exact workout written on the board.
That’s not how it should work.
Every workout can be adjusted based on your current fitness level, experience, mobility, strength, injuries, and ability.
If you’re not ready to use a barbell, we don’t load up a barbell.
If you can’t safely perform a movement yet, we modify it.
If the prescribed weight is too heavy, we make it lighter.
If the workout has more volume than you’re ready for, we reduce the volume.
Then, as you get stronger, fitter, and more comfortable with the movements, we gradually increase the challenge.
You don’t need to get in shape before starting CrossFit. Getting you from where you are now to where you want to be is part of the process.
Two People Can Do The Same Workout Differently
Walk into one of our classes and you might see two people standing next to each other doing different versions of the same workout.
One person might be doing single leg squats while the person next to them is doing normal two-legged squats.
Someone might be deadlifting 225 pounds while someone else is using an empty barbell.
One person might finish the prescribed number of repetitions while another intentionally does fewer.
Neither person is doing it “wrong.”
The goal is to preserve the intended challenge of the workout while giving each person something appropriate for their current-day capability.
That’s what we mean when we talk about scaling.
And it’s one of the reasons good coaching matters so much.
A good coach approaches each person in class and gives modifications specific to them.
A Workout Can Be Challenging And Not Reckless
CrossFit is supposed to be challenging.
We want you to lift things that eventually feel heavy. We want you to breathe hard. We want you to learn new skills and gradually become capable of doing things you couldn’t do before.
Removing all of that challenge wouldn’t make CrossFit better or safer.
But there’s a difference between challenging someone and putting them in a situation their body is not prepared for.
That’s where appropriate progression comes in.
You don’t need to attempt the heaviest version of a movement on day one.
You learn the movement first.
Then you practice it.
Then you gradually add load, speed, complexity, or volume as you’re ready for it.
What challenges you during your first month of CrossFit should look very different from what challenges you after you’ve been consistently training for a year.
Good Coaching Is More Than Starting the Clock
This is pivotal to the conversation.
A CrossFit coach’s job isn’t just to explain the workout, start the clock, and yell “good job” for the next 20 minutes.
Our job is to actually coach. What does that mean?
That means teaching you how to perform movements correctly, watching how you move, giving you feedback, helping you choose appropriate weights and modifications, and knowing when to push you, and when to pull you back.
It also means getting to know you.
The more we coach someone, the better we understand their abilities. We learn which movements they’re comfortable with, what they’re still developing, what weights are appropriate for them, and when they’re ready for the next step.
That’s a huge part of what you’re paying for when you join a coached CrossFit gym.
You’re not just getting access to workouts.
You’re getting access to someone whose job is to help you modify those workouts appropriately so you can perform them in the safest and most effective way possible.
So, Is CrossFit Dangerous?
Can CrossFit be dangerous when it’s coached poorly or dosed incorrectly?
Absolutely.
But that isn’t unique to CrossFit.
Running too much too soon can cause problems. Lifting weights with poor technique or inappropriate loading can cause problems. Recreational sports come with injury risk. Even relatively simple exercises can become problematic when someone does more than they’re prepared for.
Exercise isn’t inherently risk-free.
And honestly, not exercising carries even more risk.
The goal isn’t to remove all risks by eliminating everything challenging from your training.
The goal is to give you the right amount of challenge for where you are right now, and then gradually build from there.
That’s what good CrossFit should look like.
And if you’ve avoided CrossFit because you’ve been worried that you aren’t fit enough, strong enough, or experienced enough to start, you don’t need to walk into your first class capable of doing everything you see experienced CrossFitters doing.
That’s what the coaching is for.
Mckenzie Cushard
CF-L3, NSCA-CPT, USAW-L2
Owner of CrossFit Renegade