When I speak with friends and CrossFit comes up—as it almost always will—those who don’t do CrossFit tend to parrot some nonsense about how it’s dangerous and riddled with injuries. This made me curious:
What is the actual prevalence of injuries in CrossFit?
In this article, I’ll explore peer-reviewed studies on the subject to understand:
a) How prevalent injuries are in CrossFit
b) What the most common injuries tend to be
What is CrossFit?
In layman’s terms, CrossFit is a form of high-intensity functional training. CrossFit didn’t invent anything, we just stole what we liked from everyone else and meshed it together.
If you attend a training course with CrossFit, they will tell you, CrossFit is:
CrossFit is constantly varied functional movements, that are executed at high intensity.
It’s a program that mixes a number of different training modalities together –
- weightlighting;
- calisthenics;
- power lifting;
- running, biking and rowing;
- gymnastics.
This variety is what makes CrossFit special—but also why people assume injuries are rampant. After all, each of these disciplines comes with its own risks.
Prevalence of Injuries in CrossFit
To get a better understanding, I looked at two key studies:
| Title | Authors | Date |
|---|---|---|
| A 4-Year Analysis of the Incidence of Injuries Among CrossFit-Trained Participants | Yuri Feito,*† PhD, MPH, Evanette K. Burrows,‡ MPH, and Loni Philip Tabb,‡ PhD | 2018 |
| Are Injuries More Common With CrossFit Training Than Other Forms of Exercise? | Chelsey Klimek, Christopher Ashbeck, Alexander J. Brook, and Chris Durall | 2018 |
Klimek, et. al., found that the injury rate was comparable to or lower than injury rates with Olympic Weightlifting, Distance Running, Military Conditioning, Track and Field, Rugby or Gymnastics. It’s important to note that Klimek’s study was build on reviewing and synthesizing findings of three key studies (so for more details on how they came to this it’s important to dig into each respectively).
The one I am particularly keen on is the one by Feito, et. al. In this study, they analyzed responses from 3,049 participants who actively participated in their study.
They found:
A portion (30.5%) of the participants surveyed reported experiencing an injury over the previous 12 months because of their participation in CrossFit training. Injuries to the shoulders (39%), back (36%), knees (15%), elbows (12%), and wrists (11%) were most common for both male and female participants. The greatest number of injuries occurred among those who participated in CrossFit training 3 to 5 days per week (χ2 = 12.51; P = .0019). Overall, and based on the assumed maximum number of workout hours per week, the injury rate was 0.27 per 1000 hours (females: 0.28; males: 0.26), whereas the assumed minimum number of workout hours per week resulted in an injury rate of 0.74 per 1000 hours (females: 0.78; males: 0.70).
In other words, the prevalence of injury in CrossFit was found to be in line with what you can expect in each of the domains separately. Where the most common injuries were:
| Injury | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Shoulders | 39% |
| Back | 36% |
| Knees | 15% |
| Elbows | 12% |
| Wrists | 11% |
Here is a distribution of the injuries and its relationship between Males and Females:
Where injury rates per 1,000 training hours:
| Work Load | Rate |
|---|---|
| High Workout Volume | .27 |
| Low Workout Volume | .74 |
Compared to other sports per 1,000 training hours:
| Exercise | Rate |
|---|---|
| CrossFit | .27 – .74 |
| Olympic Weightlifting | ~3.3 |
| Running | ~2.5 – 12.1 |
| Rugby | ~15+ |
Anecdotal, Personal Observations
I’ve been participating in CrossFit for a little over three years, starting my fourth in 2025.
And yes, I’ve had my fair share of injuries—all falling into the categories the studies identified:
- Shoulders
- Back
- Knees
- Wrists
- Elbows
Had I taken the Feito study’s survey, I would have been part of the 30.5% who reported an injury. But here’s the thing: almost all my injuries had one thing in common… me, specifically my ego.
Coincidently, that doesn’t tell the whole story. In my very narrow view, in almost all my cases the injuries I incurred were a result of me:
- Not listening to guidance (ego);
- Getting caught up in the moment (ego);
- Pushing through with bad mechanics (ego);
- Pushing past my volume capacity (ego);
- Not listening to my body (ego);
Real example of my personal injuries and how they happened:
| Injury | Explanation |
|---|---|
| QL Strain (Lower Back) | Just last week, I tweaked my back attempting a 3RM deadlift. I got caught up in the moment, lifted too heavy, and paid the price. |
| Tennis Elbow | Six months into CrossFit, I pushed way too much volume on pull-ups for Murph prep without having the strength for it. The result? Brutal tendonitis. |
| Golfer’s Elbow | A month ago in a competition, I refused to drop the bar on overhead presses. My body wasn’t ready for that volume. Ego won. |
| Peck / Shoulder | Three months ago in a competition I did too much volume in a movement I don’t typically do in an effort to show that I could in the moment. |
And I’m not alone.
I’ve seen plenty of athletes ignore warning signs because their ego wouldn’t let them scale or allow themselves to take a day, or two, off.
My general opinion is that CrossFit doesn’t inherently cause injuries. Poor decisions do. If we factored out ego-driven mistakes, I’d bet the injury rate would be even lower.
Want to stay injury free? Here are some free, yet very hard, recommendations:
1️⃣ Find a good coach. Proper form and progression matter, be patient.
2️⃣ Be coachable. Advice only works if you listen.
3️⃣ Know your limits. Don’t chase PRs at the expense of longevity.
4️⃣ Respect volume. More isn’t always better.
5️⃣ Prioritize recovery. Rest, mobility, and smart programming keep you training longer.
At the end of the day, CrossFit isn’t dangerous—bad decisions are. Train smart, listen to your body, and leave the ego at the door.