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Sports training

CrossFit warm-up and mobility routine: shoulders, wrists, hips and ankles

Shoulders, backs and knees take most CrossFit injuries, and wrists are a common complaint. This routine moves those joints and rehearses the patterns before you load them, in the order our warm-up guide uses: raise your heart rate, move through your range, wake up the shoulder blades, rehearse, then do lighter sets of your first lift. No trial has shown that a CrossFit warm-up prevents injuries, so think of it as preparation for a better session. We're not connected with CrossFit or any gym.

15 minBeginner14 movesCardio machine · A wall · A band · Pull-up barQuads · Glutes · Back · Shoulders · Forearms · Hip flexors
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Raise

  1. Indoor rowing (rowing machine)3 to 5 min easy
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Back · 3D demoOr 60 s of jumping jacksHarder: Stair climbing

Move

  1. Shoulder CARs (controlled articular rotations)3 slow circles each arm
    Beginner · Shoulders, Back · 3D demoSlow, ribs downEasier: Arm circlesHarder: Sleeper stretch
  2. Thoracic rotation5 each side
    Beginner · 3D demoTurn from the ribsEasier: Side-lying open bookHarder: World's greatest stretch
  3. Wrist & forearm flow60 s
    Beginner · Forearms · 3D demoCircles, then palm turnsHarder: Wrist flexor stretch
  4. Quadruped wrist rocks10 rocks
    Beginner · Forearms, Shoulders · 3D demoBefore front racks, push-ups or handstandsEasier: Wrist flexor stretch
  5. World's greatest stretch3 each side
    Intermediate · Hip flexors, Adductors, Glutes · 3D demoElbow towards the instep, then reach upEasier: Low lunge (Anjaneyasana)Harder: Active pancake lift-off
  6. Knee-to-wall ankle rock8 slow rocks each side
    Beginner · 3D demoHeel stays down
  7. 90/90 switch8 slow switches
    Intermediate · 3D demoSit tallEasier: Reclined figure four (eye of the needle, Sucirandhrasana)Harder: 90/90 hip lift-off

Wake up the shoulder blades

  1. Band pull-apart15 reps
    Intermediate · Shoulders, Back · 3D demoShoulders downEasier: Prone Y-T-W raisesHarder: Tuck back lever
  2. Scapular push-up (push-up plus)10 reps
    Beginner · Shoulders, Chest, Abs · 3D demoPause at the topEasier: Dumbbell shoulder-blade punchHarder: Pike push-up
  3. Scapular pull-up2 × 6 to 8
    Intermediate · Back, Shoulders, Forearms · 3D demoBefore pull-ups or gymnastics. Elbows straightEasier: Assisted pull-up (machine)Harder: Pull-up

Rehearse

  1. Bodyweight squat10 reps
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoThe full depth you can controlEasier: Sit squat (partial squat)Harder: Dumbbell goblet squat
  2. Hip-hinge practice8 reps
    Beginner · Glutes, Hamstrings, Back · 3D demoHips backHarder: Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
  3. Deep squat hold30 to 60 s
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Adductors · 3D demoHold a support if neededEasier: Goddess pose (Utkata Konasana)Harder: Cossack squat

Tips

  • Then do 1 or 2 lighter sets of the day's first lift before your working sets, as our warm-up guide suggests.
  • If a joint hurts rather than feeling stiff, leave that drill out and see the matching pain guide.
  • On rest days, the same routine without the rowing makes a short mobility session.
  • Warming up didn't prevent injuries in the one CrossFit trial, and in a survey people who warmed up reported more injuries, probably because people with pain warm up more.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

Find more moves like these

More sports training

Injury prevention exercises for runners

Foot, calf, balance and hop exercises taken from the running trials with positive results, in a 25-minute home routine for 3 or 4 days a week.

25 minBeginner11 movesOther / check instructions, A bench or box

Plyometrics for runners

A 20-minute hop and bound session for runners: ankle bounces to pogo hops, one-leg hops and bounding, building foot contacts slowly over 10 weeks.

20 minIntermediate8 movesCardio machine

Strength workout for cyclists (gym)

A 50-minute gym session for cyclists: heavy squats, one-leg presses, hip flexion and calf raises as in the cycling trials, plus jumps for bone.

50 minIntermediate13 movesCardio machine, A barbell

Questions people ask

How long does the crossfit warm-up and mobility routine: shoulders, wrists, hips and ankles take?

About 15 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: Cardio machine, A wall, A band, Pull-up bar. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for beginners?

It is written for beginners. 10 of its 14 moves have an easier option listed beside them if you need one.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.