Rest Day
Squat Mobility and Knee Pain: What Every CrossFit Athlete Needs to Know
Can't hit the squat standard in CrossFit without pain? You're not alone. For many CrossFit athletes, limited depth isn't about effort; it's about mobility. Discover the hidden connection between your ankles, hips, and knees that could be the difference between hitting PRs or staying stuck. Learn two simple tests that reveal your mobility profile and targeted fixes that will have you squatting deeper, stronger, and pain-free.
Find a gym near you:
View the CrossFit map
Comments on 250529
4 Comments
M / 22 / 5'7 / 210
Strategy:
Originally planned today as an active recovery session, but since I had the day off and felt energized during the mobility work, I decided to add in squats and bench press. I'm trying to stay consistent with my strength work, and these two compound lifts are staples I enjoy and can handle back-to-back. The mobility portion helped open up my hips and relieve some lingering tightness, especially the dead hangs and deep squat holds. I experimented with some empty barbell movements, which felt great overall—though the behind-the-neck press didn’t feel good on my shoulders and probably won’t stay in the mix. Finished with a steady 3-mile treadmill run at a 10-minute pace. It dragged a bit, but consistency in running is important to me, especially for functional fitness and CrossFit demands.
Mobility:
1. Dead Hang 3x30 sec
2. Empty Barbell Deep Squat Hold 3x30 sec
3. Empty Barbell Seated Ground Goodmornings 3x10
4. Empty Barbell Behind Neck Shoulder Press 3x10
5. 45lb Plate Elevated Box Pigeon Hip Hinge 3x10 each side
Back Squats 5x2-3 @ (85% 1RM) 315lbs
3 / 3 / 2 / 3 / 2
Bench Press 5x2-3 @ (85% 1RM) 235lbs
3 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 3
3 mile run (on treadmill) @ 6mph or 10 min pace
Thoughts:
The mobility session felt great and really set me up to perform well on the compound lifts. I’m considering alternating weekly between back squat/bench press and front squat/strict press to keep both movement patterns strong and balanced. I like the idea of using Thursdays as a "rest day" that still includes mobility, compound strength work, and a run. The squats felt solid, and while bench press was challenging, I think I could bump the weight slightly next time—maybe by 5 to 10 pounds. I’m still figuring out how to properly structure long-term strength progression since I’m not following a set program or familiar with advanced percentage-based plans. For now, I’m going with what feels challenging but doable. Overall, today was a productive and energizing session.
Did yesterday's workout today. Results there.
So on my heavier days I've been working in barbell mobility, doing FS and BS with full range of motion and it's really helped!
Awesome! I just got done doing some active mobility with an empty barbell. It translates so well into training and daily life.