The Importance of the Posterior Chain in CrossFit Programming Volume 3 - Issue 3

Amanda Hardeman¹, Jacqueline Serrano² and Brian Serrano DC³*

• ¹CF-L2, CF-Powerlifting, CF Weightlifting, Coach, Left Coast CrossFit
• ²Clinic Director, HPI Sports Medicine , D.C., MS, CFMP, CSCS2
• ³Director of Rehabilitation and Performance, Assistant Professor, University of Medical Sciences Arizona, HPI Sports Medicine, USA

Received: November 10, 2020   Published: January 29, 2021

*Corresponding author: Dr. Brian Serrano Director of Rehabilitation and Performance, Assistant Professor, University of Medical Sciences Arizona HPI Sports Medicine, 28062 Forbes Road, Laguna Niguel, CA, USA

DOI: 10.32474/CTBB.2021.03.000165

Abstract PDF

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CrossFit has become a very popular form of exercise and evolving into its own sport with regional, national, and international competitions. Since its creation by Greg Glassman in 2000, its methods as a constantly variable form of exercise which stresses the importance of being good at multiple skill sets and stimuli have become very popular. The sport has grown beyond the United States to many other countries around the world. Through the inclusion of multiple movements and skills of the sport, it has come into scrutiny due to high injury rates and high load programming. It has been shown that high amounts of external workload are potent risk factors for injury in athletes. Furthermore, the lack of posterior chain exercises in programming methodology may play a role in injury rates across many sports including CrossFit. This paper performed a literature review until September 2020 to find pertinent research on the topic of posterior chain exercises and how they could be used to reduce injury risk in CrossFit. The authors found that inclusion of posterior chain exercises may reduce the risk of lumbar spine and lower extremity injuries when can be included into existing programming. The addition of posterior chain exercises either as accessory work or into the actual work out of the day [WOD] may be beneficial into reducing injury risk in CrossFit.

Keywords: Posterior Chain; cross fit; low back injuries; lower extremity injuries

Abstract| Introduction| Methods| Results| Discussion| Conclusion| Practical Application| References|