How To Master The CrossFit Movement Standards

CrossFit movement standards are crucial for ensuring that you perform exercises correctly and consistently, whether you’re training in your local box or competing at a high level. 

These standards are in place to help you maintain proper form, and create a level playing field in workouts and competitions. 

While the research doesn’t necessarily support that one lifting technique is superior to the other in preventing injuries, by following these guidelines, you can ensure you’re movement is efficient and effective during each repetition. (1)

In this blog, we’ll dive into the nine foundational CrossFit movements, breaking down each movement standard so you can better understand what’s required to meet CrossFit’s expectations for form and execution.

What Are CrossFit Movement Standards?

CrossFit movement standards are clear guidelines that define how each exercise should be performed to ensure consistency and safety. 

These standards are designed to help you move through workouts with proper form, preventing injuries and making sure you’re working the right muscles.

Whether you’re doing an everyday workout or competing in events like the CrossFit Games or Open, these standards ensure that you’re completing movements correctly and fairly.

Maintaining proper form and range of motion is critical not just for performance, but also for keeping your body safe. 

By adhering to these movement standards, you’re maximizing your potential while minimizing overuse injuries.

In competitions, wether in person or via video submissions, judges strictly enforce these standards to make sure that every rep counts and everyone is held to the same guidelines.

The Nine Foundational Movements in CrossFit

Why These Movements Matter

The nine foundational CrossFit movements are the building blocks for virtually every other exercise you’ll encounter in CrossFit. (2)

These movements lay the groundwork for you to develop strength, power, mobility, and coordination, all while reinforcing proper technique. 

Mastering these exercises is essential because they set the stage for more advanced and complex CrossFit workouts. 

Whether you’re aiming for personal improvement or competition readiness, these movements are vital to your long-term success in CrossFit.

Learning and consistently practicing these foundational movements ensures you’re performing exercises safely and effectively. 

By honing these basics, you’ll be better prepared to tackle advanced lifts, gymnastics movements, and the high-intensity workouts CrossFit is known for.

Detailed Breakdown of the Nine Foundational Movements

Air Squat

The air squat is the simplest yet most fundamental movement in CrossFit. 

To perform air squats correctly, you need to start with your feet shoulder-width apart. 

As you descend, make sure your weight stays in your heels, and you continue to descend down until the hip crease drops below the top of the knee. 

It’s crucial to keep your chest up and maintain the natural curve of your lower back throughout the movement. 

Once you’ve reached the bottom position, return to full extension, making sure your hips and knees are fully locked out.

Front Squat

In the front squat, proper bar position and torso alignment are key. 

The bar should rest on your shoulders in the front rack position, either with a full grip or a fingertip grip, and your elbows should be high, with your upper arms parallel to the ground. 

As you squat, descend until your hip crease is below your knees, keeping an upright torso throughout the movement. 

Return to full extension by driving through your heels, ensuring your hips and knees are fully locked out at the top.

Overhead Squat

The overhead squat adds complexity to the basic squat by requiring you to maintain an active shoulder position while holding a barbell overhead. 

The overhead squat lays the foundation for other overhead movements, such as the squat snatch.

Begin in the starting position with the bar held directly over your heels and arms fully extended. 

As you descend into the squat, ensure your hip crease is below the knees, while keeping the bar aligned with your heels. 

Throughout the movement, focus on maintaining control of the barbell and your body position. Return to full extension with hips and knees locked out, keeping the barbell overhead.

Shoulder Press

The shoulder press, also known as the strict press, is all about upper body strength and stability.

Start with the bar resting at shoulder height, and as you press the bar overhead, make sure you don’t use any lower body movement. 

Focus on maintaining a straight bar path as close to your face as possible.

At the top in the overhead position, your arms should be fully locked out, and the bar should finish directly over your shoulders and mid-foot.

Push Press

In the push press, you’ll use leg drive to help move the bar overhead. 

Start with the bar at shoulder height, and initiate the movement with a slight dip of your hips and knees. 

This dip generates momentum, allowing you to press the bar overhead with greater power. 

Ensure you finish the movement with your arms fully locked out and the bar positioned directly over your mid-foot for proper alignment and stability.

Push Jerk

The push jerk requires more coordination than the push press, as it involves a dip-drive-receive motion. 

Start with the bar at shoulder height, use a dip to generate upward momentum, and drive the bar overhead. 

As the bar travels upward, you’ll drop into a partial squat to receive it with arms fully locked out. Once the bar is stabilized overhead, stand to full extension, with your hips, knees, and elbows locked out.

Deadlift

The deadlift is one of the most important strength-building movements in CrossFit. 

Begin with the bar on the ground and your feet under your hips.

Grip the bar just outside your legs and lift it by driving through your heels while maintaining a neutral spine. 

As you lift, keep your shoulders slightly ahead of the bar. 

Finish by fully extending your hips and knees, making sure your shoulders are behind the bar at the top.

Sumo Deadlift High Pull

In the sumo deadlift high pull, start with a wide stance and grip the bar inside your legs. 

Lift the bar from the ground with explosive power, pulling it up toward your chin. 

Your elbows should stay higher than the bar throughout the pulling motion. Finish with fully extended hips and knees at the top of the movement to ensure proper execution.

Medicine Ball Clean

The medicine ball clean is a full-body movement that requires coordination and transfers to other movements like wall balls and the power clean.

Start with the ball on the ground between your feet. Lift the ball from the ground and bring it to your shoulders in one fluid motion. 

As you catch the ball at your shoulders, drop into a full squat to receive it. 

Stand to full extension with the ball at your shoulders, ensuring both your hips and knees are fully locked out at the top of the movement.

Importance of CrossFit Movement Standards in Competitions

CrossFit movement standards, your floor plan, and correct score submissions all play a critical role in ensuring fairness and consistency, especially in competitive events like the CrossFit Open and CrossFit Games. 

Judges are responsible for enforcing these standards during workouts, closely monitoring each athlete to ensure proper form, range of motion, and completion of each rep. 

If you don’t meet the movement standard, judges will issue a “no rep,” meaning that the repetition doesn’t count toward your total score.

Receiving a “no rep” can have significant consequences during a competition. 

It slows down your momentum, forces you to repeat the movement, and reduces your overall efficiency. 

This can make the difference between finishing a workout at the top of the leaderboard or falling behind. 

By adhering to the prescribed movement standards, you not only avoid penalties but also demonstrate your mastery of CrossFit’s foundational movements under high-pressure conditions.

How to Stay Updated on CrossFit Movement Standards

CrossFit periodically updates its movement standards, especially in preparation for major events like the CrossFit Open, Regionals, and the CrossFit Games.

These updates can include changes in how a movement is judged, the range of motion required, or even new standards for competitive scaling.

Staying informed about new movement standards is essential for both athletes, coaches and gym owners.

To ensure you’re always up to date, it’s a good idea to regularly check official CrossFit resources, such as the CrossFit Games website and official announcements from CrossFit HQ. 

These platforms provide detailed explanations, video demonstrations, and rule changes ahead of competitions. 

Keeping yourself informed will help you avoid surprises during competition and make sure you’re always training to the latest standards.

Wrapping Up On The CrossFit Movement Standards

Mastering CrossFit movement standards is crucial for both your safety and overall performance. 

By consistently adhering to these standards, you’re not only ensuring that you perform movements correctly but also laying the foundation for long-term success in CrossFit. 

Proper form ensures that you’re engaging the correct muscle groups, maximizing the effectiveness of your workouts.

While it’s tempting to push for speed or intensity, prioritizing form is key to sustainable progress. 

Cutting corners on movement standards might give you a temporary boost in time or reps, but it can lead to inefficient movement patterns and wear and tear on your body.

Over time, athletes who stick to proper technique see better results, whether it’s in strength gains, mobility, or performance during competitive events.

Stay current with CrossFit’s movement standards and take time to refine your technique. 

Whether you’re about to try CrossFit for the first time, aiming for success in everyday training or preparing for competition, mastering these foundational elements will set you up for long-term improvement in CrossFit performance.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are the main movements of CrossFit?

The main movements of CrossFit are typically categorized into nine foundational exercises: Air Squat, Front Squat, Overhead Squat, Shoulder Press, Push Press, Push Jerk, Deadlift, Sumo Deadlift High Pull, and Medicine Ball Clean. 

Mastering these movements establishes a solid base for progressing to more advanced exercises and enhances your overall performance in workouts.

What is the most difficult movement in CrossFit?

While the difficulty of movements can vary based on individual strength and skill level, many athletes find the Snatch to be one of the most challenging movements in CrossFit. 

It requires a combination of strength, speed, coordination, and flexibility. However, the complexity of movements can differ from person to person, so what one athlete finds difficult, another may excel at.

What are the CrossFit pull-up movement standards?

The movement standards for CrossFit pull-ups require athletes to start from a dead hang with arms fully extended and shoulders engaged. 

During the pull-up, the chin must rise above the bar, and the movement must be performed without excessive swinging or kipping unless specified for certain workout formats. 

For chest-to-bar pull-ups, the movement standards remain the same, but the chest must contact the pull-up bar.

Maintaining a controlled movement throughout ensures proper form and adherence to standards during competition or training.

References: 

1. Washmuth, N. B., McAfee, A. D., & Bickel, C. S. (2022). Lifting Techniques: Why Are We Not Using Evidence To Optimize Movement?. International journal of sports physical therapy, 17(1), 104–110. https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.30023 

2. CrossFit. (n.d.). CrossFit movements. CrossFit. https://www.crossfit.com/crossfit-movements