How to avoid KNEE pain in CrossFit with this smart training protocol?

The origins of the practice of CrossFit

CrossFit was founded in 2000 by Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai in California, USA.

Glassman, a former gymnast, developed this training method based on varied movements performed at high intensity.

This sport aims to improve general physical condition by combining elements of gymnastics, weightlifting, cardio and endurance.

The emphasis is on performing so-called “natural” and versatile movements.

These involve several muscle groups at the same time.

The goal is to work simultaneously on strength, flexibility, endurance and agility.

It is characterized by exercises performed at high intensity, often in circuits or timed sessions called WOD (Workout of the Day)

These WODs change daily to avoid routine and optimize total body training.

The first official gym, CrossFit Santa Cruz, was quickly followed by a global expansion of thousands of boxes (CrossFit rooms) opened around the world.

The popularity of this sport was boosted by the organization of the CrossFit Games, an annual competition launched in 2007.

Why is knee pain common in CrossFit?

It is important to understand that Crossfit imposes a maximum performance training mentality on exercises that are demanding on the joints.

Heavy deep squats, burpees, box jumps, sprints etc.

Often performed incorrectly due to high intensity in terms of weight or repetitions, will reveal knee pain.

These can be attributed to various factors, sometimes interconnected.

But in most cases, they are the consequence of a problem located elsewhere than in the knee !

It is important to understand the functions of this joint:

• flexion: bending the leg
• extension: extend the leg

Pretty simple, right? So why do we get knee pain from CrossFit?

The short answer is that we move badly !

To go into detail, we will find culprits such as the lack of mobility in the ankles .

Reduced ankle mobility can lead to inappropriate load distribution, which is often compensated for by the knee.

This is what we often observe in the execution of squats .

Muscle imbalance or lack of mobility in the hips increases stress on the knees.

Weak feet cause instability and affect the biomechanics of the entire leg.

Lack of strengthening of the muscles and ligaments around the knee causes instability of the joint.

These problems will not be forgiven in a sport like CrossFit.

The intense nature of the practice associated with numerous repetitions of exercises with heavy loads such as squats,

to plyometric exercises such as burpees

or even explosive weightlifting exercises requires a good level of body awareness!

We are far from the classic answers such as:

• “Squatting is bad for your knees.”
• “Running creates shocks to the knee and therefore it’s bad.”
• “If you move like that, you’ll destroy your knee…”
• “My doctor told me to only do X, and you’re showing me Y, so it’s going to hurt me…”

These answers do not take into account the large number of parameters.

Your anatomy, your asymmetries, your muscular or joint weaknesses, your sporting experience, your injury history...

There is no magic formula that works for everyone.

If you want to be able to practice CrossFit, you will have to treat the source of the problem and not implement avoidance strategies.

What can you do to treat knee pain?

The SAMM method rather than RICE

Strengthening and mobility tips are everywhere these days.

But if we really want to address the problem of knee pain and other pain, it is essential to broaden our vision beyond biomechanical aspects.

SAMM stands for Sleep, Food, Movement, and Mentalization. You can watch my YouTube video on SAMM.

I oppose it in every way to the RICE method that is recommended everywhere.

Rest, compression, ice, elevation… Here we throw that in the trash of protocols.

So forget RICE who recommends the opposite of what you should do!

SAMM is a simple, preventative, holistic approach that is more of a lifestyle than a protocol.

The best way to solve physical problems is to understand that the body is best able to do so.

Much more than your local physiotherapist or osteopath...

The human body is the most sophisticated self-regulating machine in existence today.

We must therefore give him the maximum means to re-educate himself.

At the same time, you work on qualities such as discipline, good habits, and a positive internal narrative based on a STRONG WHY!

All these physical and mental qualities allow us to know how to respond to the unexpected, in this case injury.

You will know how to bounce back quickly and have a mental strength that won't falter when you need it most!

Sleep and diet

Good sleep is the basis of all regenerative processes in the body.

There would be a lot to say about it...

But if, for example, you train in the evening, you are asking your body to provide physical effort beyond what the body expects.

Sunset should correspond to a return to calm so that cortisol decreases.

The body begins to prepare hormones for sleep and it is desirable to have an environment that promotes its cooling.

We do not want to have exposure to light, computers, cell phones, etc. which distort the information collected by your eyes.

It will reactivate cortisol.

Same thing with training after 8 p.m., although I understand that in our modern world it's not easy.

A proper diet is essential in the event of an injury. Personally, I recommend a diet that is predominantly animal-based or even 100% meat-based in the event of an injury.

The goal is to have a diet that does not increase inflammation!

Movement and mental state (mentalization)

Here we reach the heart of Mouvers.

It is clear that a daily movement practice is a pillar of recovery from injury or pain.

We develop the connection to our body and the ability to generate force in large ranges of motion.

This is a fundamental point of physicality!

Ido Portal, master of movement culture , tells us that it is our range of motion and our ability to move that determines our age.

To be convinced of this, one only has to look at the stiff state of most elderly people in our Western countries.

A catastrophe that is not inevitable!

A body that moves well and moves regularly is a body that will also be more capable of healing itself and aging well.

The movement will provide the variety the body needs to work on the empty areas left by playing football.

Moving your body makes you happier, stronger, more confident in your abilities.

All the fluids that make you up will have optimal circulation!

In your opinion, who is best able to heal from an injury?

The one who, not sufficiently prepared for the unexpected, experiences it as a lasting trauma?

Or the one who every day does what he needs to do to be strong, happy, adaptable and disciplined enough to act immediately?

The answer appears by itself!

Use it or Loose it! – Ido Portal

If you don't use your body, you lose it!

How to Start a Movement Practice?

If you don't know where to start, I'll give you a good starting point. Take advantage of it, it's 100% free!

It may be interesting to start by acquiring (again) certain ranges of movement or skills of the human body.

Working on your weak points should be the top priority in any training.

For this reason, I created the “ Never Bad ” series so that you can find your full potential.

Remember, you are only as strong as your weakest point!

You may also be interested in movement practices like MovNat founded by Erwan LeCorre.

A complete method based on simple principles.

Train outdoors to engage in more instinctive movement practice.

Moving towards a practice of natural movement means moving towards a body capable of responding to all everyday situations, being useful in all situations!

It is based on 3 main axes:

• Locomotion: running, swimming, walking, crawling…
• Manipulation: lifting, throwing, grabbing, carrying…
• Combat: mainly defensive techniques

With Movnat, no more weight rooms, no more sanitized and confined environments, no more bench presses, no more complicated programming...

“Movnat is a school of physical skills for the real world” – Erwann Lecorre

It's a system where you learn to move your body and change your relationship with it.

You can also work on your coordination with exercises like “stick games” or ball games, popularized by Ido Portal.

Although of advanced difficulty, the “movement culture” system is a holistic approach to physical practice.

Movement training includes exercises in mobility, coordination, distance management, balance, footwork, etc.

So it's a great way to complement traditional sports training!

There are other practices like animal flow popularized by Mike Fitch.

He himself describes it like this:

“ Animal Flow is a ground-based movement program designed to improve the function and communication of the “Human Animal.”

Although if I want to simplify the explanation, I will usually say that it looks like a combination of gymnastics, yoga and breakdancing with some animal movements added. ”

Animal flow is a physical practice in its own right based on movement on the ground.

Mike Fitch developed Animal Flow after spending a dozen years exploring various training modalities.

Powerlifting, kettlebell, bodybuilding…

At the age of 30 , he realized that he didn't feel so good about his body.

“I already felt old” – Mike Fitch

He decided to stop everything and began to explore the use of body weight.

He tried parkour, gymnastics, breakdancing and rediscovered the desire to practice and use his body.

He therefore decided to create a system that aims to work on the three spheres of body, heart and mind.

The goal is simple: To feel good in your body.

This is the power of movement. Our bodies are designed to move.

You need to move more and move better!

More movement means more well-being!

The Best Exercises to Treat Knee Pain in CrossFit

ATG split squat: The king…

Strengthening the muscles around the knee, such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves, improves stability and joint support.

For this, we will use the best exercises to strengthen the knee:

• Tibialis Raise
• Calf Raise
• Nordic Curl
• ATG Split Squat

It is important to perform these exercises barefoot to strengthen proprioception and the stabilizing muscles of the foot.

Improve Mobility

Working on ankle and hip mobility is essential to reduce stress on the knees.

Daily mobility exercises, such as controlled joint rotations, couch stretches, and horse stances can prevent imbalances.

Controlled joint rotations for the hips…

A good starting point for this is the free mobility routine that I provide you with.

Using the Sled

Working with the sled helps strengthen lower body muscles without direct impact on the knees, reducing the risk of injury while improving strength and stability.

Ben Patrick “knee over toes guy” considers it the best knee rehabilitation tool.

The pushing or pulling motion of the sled effectively engages the quadriceps, hamstrings, and hip muscles.

It also allows perfect control of the intensity of the exercise at every point.

Since the sled is a tool that is rarely found in traditional gyms, CrossFit practitioners have the advantage of being able to take advantage of the availability of the sled in their box!

Knowing how to listen to your body

Pay attention to signs of pain and discomfort.

Ignoring these signs can turn minor irritations into resilient pain.

It is better to moderate the intensity of training than to stupidly insist on intensely stressing an already painful joint.

Work on your weak points as a priority

When knee pain occurs, addressing it should become the top training priority .

It is therefore necessary to practice daily , consciously and with low to moderate intensity, the exercises which will strengthen and stabilize the joint.

Healing pain becomes the priority of training, and this principle applies to any occasional or chronic physical pain.

A little perspective on the practice of Crossfit

Finally, it should also be added that CrossFit is often presented as a legacy or a continuation of Georges Hébert's natural method .

This is based on certain exercises from the hebertism taken from Crossfit and this idea of ​​becoming a complete athlete able to respond to any situation.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Having exchanged with Alexandre Borne, representative of Hébertism and the natural method of Georges Hébert,

We have found that Crossfit is not that functional and presents major problems for longevity in health.

Just practicing in a completely unnatural environment, but also the tools used and the mentality for example…

In the “never hurt your knees V2” training, you will find all the exercises in this article and many others, the protocols according to the Mouvers approach!

Thank you for your attention.

See you soon my Mouver.

Nomad Slim
Founder of MOUVERS