Crossfit for Fighter: Is it Safe? The answer is…not really.

Why do I say not really? Most people would argue that Crossfit is not good because of the high rate of injury, or the fact that the requirements to become Crossfit certified are minimal (all that is required to become certified through Crossfit is $1000 and a two-day training course). While this does lead to many Crossfit gyms having low professionalism and risky training methodology, many Crossfit trainers also hold legitimate strength and conditioning certifications as well as college educations in the field. There are legitimate Crossfit trainers out there.

The reason Crossfit is not good for MMA is because their specialty is not specializing.

From Crossfit.com,

The aim of CrossFit is to forge a broad, general and inclusive fitness. We have sought to build a program that will best prepare trainees for any physical contingency — not only for the unknown, but for the unknowable. After looking at all sport and physical tasks collectively, we asked what physical skills and adaptations would most universally lend themselves to performance advantage. Capacity culled from the intersection of all sports demands would quite logically lend itself well to all sport. In sum, our specialty is not specializing.

One of the biggest concerns about CrossFit is that it isn’t safe. Due to the blistering pace of the sport’s uptake and the immense popularity of the brand, the media has sensed an opportunity for sensationalist reporting on CrossFit injuries.

Let’s look at the different elements at play.

Newbies and inexperienced CrossFit athletes need guidance. Without proper knowledge of basic movements and form, injuries happen. But this is also the case in martial arts, football, rugby, weightlifting, and any sport where bodies are pushed past comfort levels. Again, ego, rather than training methods is a big part of the problem.

Remember that in in a regular gym, you are out on your own, unless the instructor wanders by. Treadmill injuries (an exercise that appears to be safe) are way more common than people realise. Every CrossFit class is led by an instructor who supervises and addresses issues with form.