The Truth About Shoulder Pain in CrossFit (and What to Do About It)

Made 2 Move Team
1 day ago
3 min read

If I could wave a magic wand, every CrossFitter in Mount Pleasant and Daniel Island, SC would be doing this.

Because if there’s one body part that takes a beating in CrossFit, it’s not your knees. Not your low back. Not even your wrists.

It’s your shoulders.

Shoulder pain is the #1 complaint we hear from CrossFit athletes — and I’ve been there too.

When I first started CrossFit, my shoulders were always sore. Not just sore from a good workout — but achy, cranky, and sometimes downright painful.

And I’m a physical therapist.

So why is shoulder pain so common in CrossFit?

Let’s break it down.

Why CrossFit Is So Demanding on the Shoulders

As a PT who’s been to thousands of CrossFit classes, here’s what I’ve seen:

CrossFit demands a LOT from your shoulders — sometimes more than they’re ready for:

Dumbbell snatches
Kipping pull-ups
Push jerks
Overhead squats
Ring dips
Push-ups
Wall walks
Even wall balls!

Seriously, try naming a movement in CrossFit that doesn’t involve the shoulder. I’ll wait.

This creates a volume problem:You're “spending” way more shoulder stress than you're “earning” in strength and stability work.

Think of it like income vs. expenses: You’re training hard without making enough deposits. Hello, shoulder debt.

And most CrossFitters are doing this under fatigue—pushing to failure, every single day.

That’s part of what makes CrossFit effective.

It’s also why we see so many shoulder injuries at our Daniel Island physical therapy clinic.

The Shoulder Pain Loop (and How to Escape It)

You learn a new skill — like kipping pull-ups — and suddenly it shows up in a 30-rep workout.You finally lift a heavier barbell — and now you’re repping it out for time.

Here’s the problem:

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

Every new skill is a new stressor.Your shoulders need time to adapt to that stress.

Instead of maxing out a new movement, treat it like a skill to build — slowly, intentionally, and with control.

The #1 Fix for CrossFit Shoulder Pain: Strict Strength

If you’re serious about fixing shoulder pain (and preventing it long-term), here’s the non-negotiable:

Strict shoulder strength.

I’m talking about slow, controlled, unilateral exercises that build:

Pressing strength
Pulling strength
Rotational stability
Overhead endurance

And by strict, I mean no hips. No kip. No bounce.

Just pure shoulder work.

I get it — it’s not sexy.

But if you’re tired of dealing with pain, skipping workouts, or scaling every movement — this is the path forward.

4 Types of Shoulder Strength Work (Pick 1 From Each)

Use this list to build your own 6–8 week shoulder strength plan. Just one exercise from each category is plenty to start.

1. Strict Pressing Strength

Single Arm Dumbbell Seated Press
Single Arm Bench Press

2. Strict Pulling Strength

Ring Rows
Single Arm Bent Over Rows
Lat Pulldowns / Assisted Pull-Up Machine
Strict Pull-Ups (start with banded or scapular variations)

3. Rotational Stability

Sidelying External Rotations
Seated Elbow-on-Knee Rotations
Banded External Rotation + Press
Cuban Press

4. Overhead Endurance

Overhead Carries
KB Windmills
Turkish Get-Ups

A Few PT-Approved Reminders

Don’t do all of these on top of your normal workouts.That’s just adding more volume to a volume problem.
Start with once a week, 2 sets of each.Not to failure. Just build consistency.
Choose exercises that challenge you, not destroy you.