The Most Difficult Movement in CrossFit, Ranked

Voting rules: Choose the movement you think is the most difficult!

Updated on Apr 23, 2024 06:39

In the world of CrossFit, both beginners and seasoned athletes encounter a variety of complex movements that challenge their physical limits and require meticulous technique and perseverance. Knowing which movements pose the greatest challenge can help practitioners focus their training efforts effectively and inspire a dedicated approach to mastering the intricacies of each movement. By participating in the ranking of these strenuous movements, users contribute to a communal knowledge base that benefits all levels of athletes. This collective wisdom not only helps in identifying which movements demand the most attention but also fuels a motivational community spirit, encouraging each member to push their boundaries and achieve new personal bests.

What Is the Most Difficult Movement in CrossFit?

1

54
votes
Muscle-up

The muscle-up is considered one of the hardest movements in CrossFit because it requires both upper body strength and skill. To perform a muscle-up, an athlete must first pull themselves up above the rings or bar, and then transition into a dip. This movement requires a lot of practice and strength training to master.
The Muscle-up is an advanced upper body exercise that combines elements of both pull-ups and dips. It involves transitioning from a hanging position below the bar to a position where the arms are fully extended and the body is above the bar.

Difficulty Level: Advanced

Primary Muscles Targeted: Back, Chest, Shoulders, Arms

Secondary Muscles Targeted: Core, Biceps

Equipment Required: Pull-up bar or gymnastic rings

Movement Type: Compound
2

24
votes
U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Stephanie Rubi · Public domain

Handstand push-up

Handstand push-ups require athletes to perform a push-up while in a handstand position. This movement requires both strength and balance, making it a challenging exercise for even the most advanced athletes.
The Handstand push-up is a challenging exercise that targets the upper body and requires a great deal of strength, stability, and balance. It is performed in a handstand position, with the body inverted and supported by the hands while performing a push-up motion.

Muscles targeted: Shoulders, triceps, upper chest, and core

Difficulty level: Advanced

Balance requirement: High

Strength requirement: High

Stability requirement: High
Handstand push-up in other rankings
- Position 5 of 10 in Most difficult exercise
3

27
votes
Pistol squat

Pistol squats are a one-legged squat that requires balance, flexibility, and strength. This movement is challenging because it requires a lot of control and stability, especially as athletes lower their bodyweight towards the ground.
The pistol squat is a challenging single-leg squat exercise that requires balance, flexibility, and strength. It involves lowering down into a deep squat position while keeping one leg extended straight in front of the body.

Difficulty Level: Advanced

Muscles Targeted: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves, Core

Equipment: None (can optionally use a prop for balance)

Balance Requirement: High

Flexibility Requirement: High (especially in the hips, hamstrings, and ankles)
Pistol squat in other rankings
- Position 9 of 10 in Most difficult exercise
4

24
votes
Snatch

The snatch is an Olympic lifting movement that requires athletes to lift a barbell from the ground to overhead in one continuous motion. This movement requires a lot of technique and strength, making it one of the most challenging lifts in CrossFit.
The Snatch is a complex Olympic weightlifting exercise in CrossFit that involves lifting a barbell from the ground to an overhead position in one smooth movement. It requires a combination of strength, speed, technique, flexibility, and coordination.

Movement Type: Full-body compound exercise

Primary Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves, Shoulders, Back, Core

Secondary Muscles Worked: Triceps, Biceps, Forearms

Equipment: Barbell, Weight Plates

Difficulty Level: Advanced
5

17
votes
Clean and Jerk

The clean and jerk is another Olympic lifting movement that requires athletes to lift a barbell from the ground to overhead. This movement requires both technique and strength, making it a challenging lift for even the most advanced athletes.
The Clean and Jerk is a dynamic compound movement in Olympic weightlifting. It involves lifting a barbell from the ground to the shoulders (Clean) and then pushing it overhead (Jerk) in one swift motion. It requires excellent coordination, explosiveness, and technique.

Barbell Type: Standard Olympic Barbell

Muscles Targeted: Full body exercise, focusing on legs, posterior chain, shoulders, and arms

Difficulty Level: Advanced

Equipment Needed: Barbell, weights, weightlifting shoes, chalk, and belt (optional)

Barbell Weight: Men: 20-30 kg (44-66 lb); Women: 15-20 kg (33-44 lb)
6

14
votes
Jess Sawrey from Los Angeles, California, USA · CC BY 2.0

Ring dip

Ring dips are a bodyweight exercise that requires athletes to perform a dip while hanging from gymnastic rings. This movement requires both upper body strength and control, making it a challenging exercise for many athletes.
The Ring dip is a challenging movement in CrossFit that targets the upper body, particularly the chest, triceps, and shoulders. It requires stability, strength, and control. The movement involves suspending oneself on a pair of gymnastics rings and performing a dip by lowering the body until the shoulders are below the elbows and then pressing back up.

Difficulty Level: Advanced

Targeted Muscle Groups: Chest, triceps, shoulders

Equipment: Gymnastics rings

Starting Position: Hanging from the rings with arms fully extended

Movement: Lowering the body by bending the elbows until the shoulders are below the elbows, then pressing back up
7

15
votes
Bar muscle-up

Greg Glassman

The bar muscle-up is similar to the muscle-up, but it requires athletes to perform the movement on a bar instead of rings. This movement requires a lot of upper body strength and skill, making it a challenging exercise for many athletes.
The bar muscle-up is a challenging movement in CrossFit that involves pulling yourself up from below a bar to a position where your chest is brought to the bar. It requires a combination of upper body strength, coordination, and body control.

Difficulty Level: Advanced

Muscles Worked: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, triceps, pecs, shoulders, core

Grip: Overhand grip

Starting Position: Hanging below the bar with arms fully extended

Execution: Pulling yourself up explosively, leaning back, and transitioning from a pull-up to a dip position
8

5
votes
Handstand walk

Handstand walks require athletes to walk with their hands while in a handstand position. This movement requires a lot of balance and technique, making it a challenging exercise for many athletes.
The Handstand walk is a challenging movement in CrossFit that involves walking on your hands while maintaining the upside-down position. It requires a combination of strength, balance, coordination, and body control. The objective is to move from one point to another without letting your feet touch the ground.

Difficulty Level: Advanced

Muscles Targeted: Shoulders, triceps, core, and overall upper body

Balance Requirement: High

Coordination Requirement: High

Body Control Requirement: High
9

4
votes
Double unders

Greg Glassman

Double unders are a jump rope exercise that requires athletes to jump twice for every one jump of the rope. This movement requires a lot of coordination and skill, making it a difficult exercise for many athletes to master.
Double unders is a challenging movement in CrossFit that involves spinning a jump rope under your feet twice for every one jump. It requires coordination, rhythm, and speed to complete successfully.

Jump Rope Length: Shorter length to allow for faster revolutions

Speed: Requires rapid spinning of the rope

Coordination: Timing and coordination are crucial for executing the double unders

Agility: Requires quick footwork and precise timing

Endurance: Double unders can be physically demanding and require stamina
10

4
votes
Rope climb

Rope climbs require athletes to climb a rope using only their upper body strength. This movement requires a lot of grip strength and technique, making it a challenging exercise for many athletes.
The Rope climb is a challenging movement in CrossFit where an athlete ascends a vertical rope without the use of the legs.

Muscles Targeted: It primarily targets the upper body, including the arms, shoulders, and back.

Difficulty Level: Considered one of the most difficult movements in CrossFit, requiring significant upper body strength, grip strength, and coordination.

Technique: Athletes must use a J-hook or S-wrap technique to wrap their legs around the rope to secure and ascend it.

Height: The standard height for CrossFit rope climbs is usually around 15 feet, but variations in height can be used depending on the workout.

Time Domain: Rope climbs can be performed as part of time-based workouts such as AMRAP (As Many Rounds/Reps As Possible) or for time.

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Ranking factors for difficult movement

Technicality

How complex is the movement? High skill movements require more coordination, balance, flexibility, and body awareness to execute correctly.
Strength requirements

Does the movement require a high level of strength or power to perform? Some CrossFit exercises are more challenging due to the amount of force that needs to be generated.
Mobility demands

Does the movement require a high level of flexibility or range of motion? Limited mobility can make certain movements more difficult to execute effectively.
Stability and balance

How much stability and balance is needed to successfully perform the movement? Movements that require a high level of balance and control can be more challenging.
Endurance and conditioning

Some CrossFit movements are more difficult due to their cardiovascular or muscular endurance demands. Being able to maintain a movement for an extended period can be a challenge.
Mental toughness

Some movements may be more challenging mentally, due to factors like fear, complexity, or intensity. This can make it more difficult to execute the movement successfully, especially under fatigue.
Scalability

Some movements can be more difficult when scaling options are limited or not available. This can make the movement more inaccessible to athletes with varying skill levels or physical capabilities.
Injury risk

The inherent risk of injury associated with a movement can make it more challenging. More difficult movements may have a higher potential for injury if not performed correctly.
Learning curve

The time and effort required to learn and perfect a movement can add to its difficulty. Some movements have a steeper learning curve and take longer to master.
Fatigue and recovery

Some movements can be more difficult due to the level of fatigue they produce or the impact they have on an athlete's ability to recover. Movements that are more taxing on the body can make subsequent exercises more challenging.

About this ranking

This is a community-based ranking of the most difficult movement in CrossFit. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or movement is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!

Statistics

1464 views
188 votes
10 ranked items

Voting Rules

A participant may cast an up or down vote for each movement once every 24 hours. The rank of each movement is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.

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More information on most difficult movement in crossfit

CrossFit is a high-intensity fitness program that combines weightlifting, gymnastics, and cardiovascular exercises. It is a popular training regimen among fitness enthusiasts and athletes alike, and it has gained a reputation for its challenging workouts and movements. One of the defining features of CrossFit is the emphasis on functional movements, which are exercises that mimic real-life movements and improve overall fitness. These movements include squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, and push-ups, among others. However, some movements in CrossFit are considered more difficult than others. These difficult movements require a high level of skill, strength, and coordination, and they can challenge even the most experienced CrossFit athletes. In this article, we will explore the most difficult movement in CrossFit and what makes it so challenging. Whether you are a seasoned CrossFit athlete or a beginner looking to improve your fitness, understanding the most difficult movement in CrossFit can help you set goals and push yourself to new heights.