When you switch up your CrossFit diet and workout routine, you expect some changes in your muscle growth process. However, this progress may decline or even come to a halt despite your continued efforts. The question many CrossFitters ask is, what causes such a decline in muscle growth? Numerous factors are influencing the ability of your body to pack on gains. Some of these contributing factors include diet, fitness program, sleep schedule, and even your state of mind. Knowing which of these affect you can help in putting you back on the road to packing more muscles. Inadequate Sleep If you are not getting quality sleep every night you go to bed; your muscle growth process will be affected. Sleep inadequacy increases the level of cortisol hormone which wreaks havoc on your human growth hormone. Also, the ability of your body to store glycogen is inhibited, and this has a negative impact on muscle growth. To fix this, target about 71/2 hours of sleep every day and keep your stress levels low as you go to bed. Insufficient Protein Intake If you want to add more muscle, you need to increase your protein intake. The reason is simple; protein has amino acids which are the compounds responsible for repair and buildup of muscle tissue. Failure to consume enough amino acids may hinder muscle growth. As part of your CrossFit nutrition, include approximately 7.7 grams of protein per kilogram of your bodyweight. This means, if you are weighing 200 pounds, your protein intake should range from 109 to 154 grams daily. You can combine both plant-based and animal-based proteins to fuel your muscles. Alcohol Intake Muscle growth tends to be hindered by excessive intake of alcohol. When you drink too much of alcohol, your body system summons the antioxidants used for muscle growth and instead redeploys them to metabolize the alcohol. To fix this, it would be a lot of good to cut out alcohol altogether or limit yourself to 1 or 2 indulgences per week. Also, take several glasses of water so that you can reduce the number of drinks you consume in total. Too Much Cardio Cardio is great for fat loss, but if you overdo it, it can suppress your muscle growth process and instead initiate a muscle-burning or catabolic state. Remember your goals are to increase in strength and size and these cardio workouts must not dominate your workout. You may include high-intensity interval training workouts and some cardio sessions into your workout of the day program, but your priority should be in weight training first. Dehydration It is good if you focus on ingesting proteins and carbs to bulk up, but to stay hydrated is equally important. Water is critical for the digestion process which means if you don’t get enough of it, it negatively impacts the digestion process. Your muscles will lack the essential nutrients, and your CrossFit gym performance will dive. Ensure you train all muscles not just the trophy muscles and mix things up. CrossFit is good at this, and if you maintain the discipline, you will get the best results.

Many people come to CrossFit with the hope that one day they will scale the heights and top the list of CrossFit champions. However, this doesn’t come easy. What you do between now and the next CrossFit games will determine how far you can go in the competitions. You need a holistic CrossFit training perspective which brings in everything from nutrition to recovery. Your laser focus may just earn you the top spot on the podium and the much-coveted title of “Fittest Man on Earth.” If you are ready for this, below are some ideas to get you on the road. Cutting the Junk One of the biggest changes and sacrifices you will have to make is on your diet. If you have been eating terribly before, you need to streamline your diet so that it can go well with the CrossFit requirements. You may decide to count macros or stick to a specific nutrition philosophy such as eating 4 or 5 big meals a day which includes meat, vegetables, and some carbs. A good choice of diet will help you shed those extra pounds and put to an end the sugar-fueled roller-coaster of drastic dips or spikes in energy. Change Your Training Regime By its very nature, CrossFit consists of training diversity. No specific workout is idolized here because it is all about variations. You may start with strength training in the morning and then cardio in the evening. However, the best approach is to change the timing and format of your workouts from one day to the next. This will help you feel fitter and more prepared for the Games. The 2016 CrossFit Games champion, Mat Fraser, says, he prefers lifting before the endurance training and even after the training. Irrespective of the circumstances, he knows the numbers he can hit. Get the Help of an Expert You can’t be stronger in every aspect. There are some areas you will have incredible strength and some pockets of weaknesses. For instance, you may be rock solid in Olympic weightlifting, but coming in dead last on running events. It may not be straightforward tackling your weaknesses, and this is when you need a coach to work with you so that he can help fix your form and technique. In areas where you have less experience, an expert can help you build confidence. Be Positive in Injuries Just like any other professional athlete, you will have your fair share of injuries in CrossFit. You may suffer fractured vertebrae or a torn meniscus. Your reaction to injuries will determine whether you will go on strongly or crash completely. For instance, rushing back to the gym following an injury may compromise recovery. The best way ahead is to give your body time to heal and be positive throughout your injury time. Some injuries give you an opportunity to strengthen other workouts. For instance, a sore elbow will give you an opportunity to strengthen your squat. A sprained ankle, on the other hand, can give you a chance to hone your gymnastic skills. Lastly, you have to learn how to embrace the suck. Some of the killer CrossFit workouts will induce temporary pain, and from time to time, you may hit a wall. Motivational self-talk can help you stick with a challenging workout and push through it.

Injuries can derail your CrossFit training, and as such you must take the necessary steps to refocus your efforts and keep on training hard even through injury to maintain your fitness. When you get injured, you have a choice to either call it a loss and count the recovery time as part of the wasted time. You also have the option of ignoring the orders of the doctor and do whatever you can the soonest possible to get your physique back. The last choice is to figure out a way in which to train safely and in a very productive and efficient way. Enlisted below are a few tips on how to train through an injury. Adjust Your Program and Goals Every CrossFitter has a list of goals that keep them going. The goals may include a 30-second handstand hold, butterfly pull-ups, 47.5 kg snatch, and many others. When you suffer an accident, you have lots of things to care about which means some of the workouts will be automatically crossed out from your list. By adjusting your goals and programs, you can be able to continue working out, but with more caution than before. For instance, you may have to resort to single arm kettlebell or squats and lunges with a weighted vest.  Take Care of Yourself As you work on your new goals, you have to access how your body is responding and feeling. Your training will be somewhat different, and you have to appreciate the fact that you are in the process of healing and such you must not overload your system. This may mean a lot of stretching and mobility explicitly focusing on muscles which may be compensating for those that you can’t use due to injury. You also need to take care of your mental state because it can be frustrating watching as your friends, train while you are kind of stuck. You must understand that not all your improvements will happen in the CrossFit gym. Your goal should be to come back stronger than ever physically and mentally. Never Forget about CrossFit and the Community Support CrossFit is not about moving fast, lifting heavy, and getting jacked. It has so much to do with the community and the spirit of comradeship. In the course of training, you will make friends as well as partners who care so much about you. When you get injured and your training schedule changes, do not avoid them. Your workouts may happen in the open gym, but you should keep showing up in the box and cheer your friends up as they take on their WODs. This will make your recovery time much faster because friends are an excellent support system. Learn from Experience It is true that some injuries can be freak accidents, but others are more of lessons than accidents. Some CrossFit movements and workouts are very complex and robust. You should know when to push your body and the point at which to stop. Don’t push your ego to the sidelines but always analyze that whatever you are doing will not hurt you. Take your doctor’s advice and do easy intervals on your workouts so that your long-term health and well-being is not compromised.

When working out in the CrossFit gym, your rotator cuffs usually go through a lot of stress, and this could just be the reason why they hate you. Bearing in mind their strategic function; rotator cuffs must be taken care of well if you are to last longer in your training. Enlisted below are the things you need to watch out for. Shoulder Pain The shoulder joint together with its tendons, ligaments, and connective muscles have a much greater range of motion compared to all other joints in the human body. The rotator cuff is the group of muscles and connective tissue which combine to ensure movement happens. The incredibly complex structure which provides flexibility in movement patterns also exposes your shoulder joint to injuries. This is especially true for those athletes who spend most of their time in the gym pulling and pushing heavy iron. Incomplete Warm-Up Incomplete warm-up sessions cause most rotator cuff issues. Many CrossFit trainees fail to take enough time to do warm-ups before starting on the upper body movement. Experts recommend that you put together a set of callisthenic type workouts such as shoulder rolls and arm windmills before starting on your CrossFit workout. Finally, when you get to your actual exercise, ensure you perform a good number of progressively heavier warm-up sets to prepare your joints for the exact movement pattern it will be engaged in.  Behind the Neck Movements Behind the neck presses and pulldowns have been responsible for many cases of an injured rotator cuff. That said, these movements are necessary for the healthier shoulder joint. The question then comes, where do you draw the line? Experts in CrossFit say that behind the neck movements should be done in moderation and with the right technique. If you exaggerate the range of motion and use too much weight, it can be hazardous. As a tip, never allow the bar on presses or pulldowns to go below the level of your ears. This will prevent overstretching of the attachments. Upright Rows As an exercise, upright rows can also exert a force on your rotators. However, it does so in a slightly different way from behind the neck movements. The problem comes when you perform this movement with a grip that is too close or with a lift that takes the bar too high at the point of contraction. This may cause impingement at the joint thereby resulting in irritation and pain of the rotator cuff tendons. Overuse When you perform the same CrossFit exercises too often, overuse injuries may result. The rotator cuffs are the most vulnerable to this type of injury. Technically, when the body system is forced through the same movement pattern for a lengthened period, it causes microtrauma in the surrounding bones, joints, and tendons which ultimately lead to injury. CrossFit is designed so well such that every day your body is taken through a series of different workouts on a rotating basis. Other reasons that threaten the rotator cuffs include failure to train your rotator cuffs directly, lifting heavy within short ranges, and having sloppy form or technique.

CrossFit has been known to expose individuals to a number of diverse forms of exercise. Indulging in these exercises with weight, especially when one is not yet prepared, may lead to injury. However, such injuries can be prevented to some extent. Those who’ve been injured before for example, are at a much greater risk of experiencing the same kind of injury. Therefore, training without fully recovering is risky and should be avoided. The combination of heavy and technical lifts and time restraints is likely to "wake up" old injuries.CrossFit has increased our exposure to innovative bodyweight and Olympic style lifting techniques. The average consumer of fitness doesn't, however, know how best to "consume" the sources of fitness at their disposal. If an athlete does not have an adequate base of stability, mobility, and skill, the Olympic lifts with the straight bar can be potentially injurious. Most movements that involve heavy loading increased bar speed, and higher skill levels are probably the most dangerous types of movements. They however also have the highest ceilings of any lifts out there.Most of the available data indicate that the number one risk factor for sustaining a future injury is having had a previous injury. Very many athletes usually go back to training without having fully recovered from an injury, which may be partly the fault of the athlete and partly a lapse of the medical system. It’s difficult to say that any one type of injury happens more often in CrossFit, but rather, the metabolic environment and heavy loading schemes under huge amounts of stress tend to revive old wounds that have been mismanaged or ignored in the past by the athlete, rehab specialist, or coach. Lower backs, shoulders, and knees often take the most of the hit when talking about injury rates in CrossFit. However, with better stability, mobility, and technique, many of these common injuries can be avoided.Sessions such as the Work Out of the Day (WOD) also help to define an individual’s capabilities or a specific but all-inclusive workout across the board. People sometimes don't know their own limitations, which occasionally lands them into problems that increase the unnecessary risk of injury during training. Many people blindly shuffle into these challenging environments not really considering what they are physically capable of doing without getting hurt. This needs to be addressed to protect athletes and to offer some alternatives in programming to match their current functional ability. Coaches also play an integral part in protecting CrossFitters. This they do by making sure that every movement programmed into the Work Out of the Day (WOD) has workable modifications to accommodate athletes that are not currently executing a high-level movement without having an increased risk of injury. This may require the coach to check off whether an athlete may proceed in a WOD on a daily basis, or needs to downgrade and simplify a move or two. It’s also important to know the moves that people struggle with so that they don't get into a highly challenging metabolic environment, with those faulty movement mechanics. The role of coaches is to expose individuals to new exercises and combinations, not necessarily force feeding numeric training packages that may not be appropriate for one’s skill set or conditioning level.

CrossFit has been known to expose individuals to many diverse forms of exercise. But, if you load these exercises with weight when one is not yet readily prepared may lead to injury. Some of the injuries are bound to be prevented but, others can lead to serious lifetime effects. Also, those who’ve been injured are at a much greater risk of experiencing the same kind of injury. Therefore, training without fully recovering is risky and should be avoided and the combination of heavy and technical lifts and time restraints is likely to "wake up" old injuries. This high-intensity fitness program has also fastened our exposure to innovative bodyweight and Olympic style lifting techniques. The average consumer of fitness is not aware of what is best to "consume" the sources of fitness at their disposal. If an athlete does not have an adequate base of stability, mobility, and skill, the Olympic lifts with the straight bar can be potentially injurious. Most movements that involve heavy loading, increased bar speed, and higher skill levels are probably the most dangerous types of movements, however, they also have the highest ceilings of any lifts out there. Most of the available data indicate that the number one risk factor for sustaining a future injury is having had a previous injury. Many athletes usually go back to training without having fully recovered from a previous injury, which may be partly the fault of the athlete and also partly the fault of the medical system. It’s difficult to say that one type of injury happens more often in CrossFit, but rather, the metabolic environment and heavy loading schemes under huge amounts of stress tend to revive old injuries that have been mismanaged or ignored in the past by the athlete, rehab specialist, or coach. Lower backs, shoulders, and knees often take the most of the hit when talking about injury rates in CrossFit. However, with better stability, mobility, and technique, many of these common injuries can be avoided. Sessions such as the Work Out of the Day (WOD) also help to define an individual’s capabilities or a specific but all-inclusive workout across the board. People sometimes don't know their own limitations, which sometimes lands them into problems that increase the unnecessary risk of injury during training. Many people blindly shuffle into these challenging environments not really considering what they are physically capable of doing without getting hurt. This needs to be addressed to protect athletes and to offer some alternatives in programming to match their current functional ability. Coaches also play an integral part in protecting Cross Fitters. They do it by making sure that every movement programmed into the Work Out of the Day (WOD) has workable modifications to accommodate athletes that are not currently executing a high-level movement without having an increased risk of injury. This may require the coach to check off whether an athlete may proceed in a WOD on a daily basis, or needs to downgrade and simplify a move or two. It’s also important to know the moves that people struggle with that way they don't get into the highly challenging metabolic environment, with those faulty movement mechanics. The role of coaches is to expose individuals to new exercises and combinations, not necessarily force feeding numeric training packages that may not be appropriate for one’s skill set or conditioning level.

Just like any other fitness methodology or sport, CrossFit not only requires practice, and preparation, but also carries the risk of injury. Injuries are an unfortunate reality ingrained in all forms of demanding physical activities, and thus require acceptance. However, that being said, there are lots of things you can do to minimize or even put to a complete stop to the instances of CrossFit injuries. Here are some of the tried and tested ideas you may want to consider. Proper Warm-ups Warming up in CrossFit has two main advantages. Firstly, it enhances your performance, and secondly, it prevents injuries. Active warm-ups including dynamic stretching serves to activate your muscles as well as enhances your blood flow and body heat. When the blood flow increases, your muscles receive more oxygen, which is excellent for your performance. Furthermore, the increase in body temperature assists in the rapid contraction and relaxation of your muscles, thus making them more efficient. Research has found that muscles that receive more blood and are warm tend to be more pliable. This means your range of motion and flexibility in the gym will be enhanced. With your range of motions enhanced, you can efficiently and safely execute any movement. Post-Workout Mobilization and Recovery During an intense CrossFit training, lots of metabolic waste products are generated and lounged in your muscle cells. These products together with the fluids that surround them must be flushed out. In addition to that, your tendons and muscle fibers may have gotten damaged during the course of your CrossFit workout, and thus require time to cool down and recover. Through post-workout mobilization, waste products such as lactic acid can be removed from the body. This also decreases blood pooling, and hence reduces the instances of dizziness and fainting. Studies conducted on post-workout recovery have shown that stretching especially after a physical activity gives your muscles increased flexibility which in turn improves your performance and prevents avoidable injuries. Ensure Proper Technique, Scale, and Weight Most of the CrossFit injuries are as a result of weights, scales, and technique. As a CrossFit athlete, you must understand the type of weight you can move, the effectiveness in moving it, and when it is appropriate to move it. If you can’t perform a movement at least to the scale that you desire, do not force your system, rather scale down and gradually move up as your body acclimatizes. Work on your skills when you have free time or during open gym. Through practice, you will learn efficient and safe ways to move weights. All these will contribute to injury reduction, and improve your overall performance. Desist from Over Training During a WOD, your body undergoes incredible strain. So as to properly repair itself, it will need a combination of recovery elements including mobilization, nutrients, and rest. Some people believe that in order to boost their CrossFit endurance, they have to exercise daily. On the contrary, lack of rest wears down your muscle fibers, and instead of getting stronger, you weaken. The bottom line is for you to listen to your body and be sensitive in distinguishing the various pains experienced during workouts. Do not ignore little injuries such as rips, sprains, and muscle flares. They may be a pointer to much larger injuries.