Did you know that if you swallow bubble gum it stays in your stomach for seven years?
Or that Vincent Van Gogh cut off his ear because of a woman he loved?
And of course, everyone knows that CrossFit injures more people than any other form of exercise.
Well… if you’ve heard those before, here’s the truth:
They’re all 100% false.
Bubble gum passes through your body just fine.
The Van Gogh story is far more complicated than the popular myth.
And when it comes to fitness injuries, sports like basketball actually produce more injuries each year than CrossFit.
So why do so many influencers—and maybe even your uncle—think CrossFit is dangerous?
To understand that, it helps to look at the early days of CrossFit.
The Start of CrossFit Coaching
Back in 2000, when CrossFit first started, Greg Glassman was essentially running a personal training studio in Santa Cruz, California.
He coached people one-on-one, focusing on foundational movements performed at varied intensities and time domains. Over time, he started pairing athletes together who had similar goals and interests.
Eventually those small sessions turned into classes.
At the same time, Glassman launched CrossFit.com and began posting the workouts from his gym online. People around the world started trying the workouts themselves and posting their scores on the website’s leaderboard.
Before long, some of those people wanted to open gyms of their own using the same methodology.
That’s when the CrossFit affiliate system was born.
Today, any gym using the CrossFit name must pay an affiliation fee, and anyone coaching CrossFit classes must hold at least a CrossFit Level 1 certification.
That requirement ended up changing the fitness industry in a big way.
CrossFit Became a Threat to the Status Quo
The CrossFit Level 1 course is a two-day seminar that runs roughly 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. over a weekend. It’s taught by CrossFit Seminar Staff—coaches who have been vetted and trained by CrossFit’s education department.
At the end of the weekend, participants take an exam. If they pass, they become a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer.
In the United States, this created a very different path into the coaching profession.
Previously, most trainers pursued certifications through large organizations where they studied materials, paid for exams, and renewed credentials frequently through continuing education courses.
CrossFit’s system disrupted that model. It made coaching education more accessible and helped thousands of gyms open around the world.
But when something disrupts a major industry, it often creates tension.
The Fight Over Fitness Education
In 2013, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) funded a study conducted through Ohio State University at a CrossFit affiliate gym.
The study followed participants over several weeks of training and concluded that CrossFit had a 16% injury rate, which was widely cited as evidence that the training style was dangerous.
The study was published, referenced in media outlets, and taught within many traditional fitness certification programs.
CrossFit eventually challenged the study in court.
During the legal proceedings, it was revealed that the data used in the study had been misrepresented. In reality, only two participants had dropped out due to injury or overuse—closer to about 3.5%, not 16%.
As a result, CrossFit won the case. The NSCA paid a financial settlement and was also required to cover CrossFit’s legal fees.
So… Does CrossFit Injure People?
Yes.
But so do stairs.
So does soccer.
And anyone who’s had a pillow fight with their kids can tell you that even that can go sideways.
The truth is that any physical activity carries some level of risk.
Research across multiple studies shows that CrossFit injury rates are similar to—or sometimes lower than—many common sports.
Where injury risk tends to increase is when athletes train without proper coaching or when movement mechanics are ignored in favor of intensity.
That’s why good coaching matters so much.
At Vegvisir, we focus on teaching movement first—helping you understand positions, mechanics, and scaling options before adding load or intensity.
Because fitness should make your life better, not beat you up along the way.
If you’re curious about the legal case or the research behind it, feel free to ask one of the coaches and we’ll gladly point you toward some interesting reading.
In the meantime, we hope you’re having a wonderful week—and we’ll see you in class.
To talk with a coach today, click the link found HERE to schedule your No Sweat Intro