11 Most Common Injuries That end progress (and How to Stop Them)
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What if the ache in your wrist…
Wasn’t just a tight joint, but the first sign of a career-ending tear?
What if the shoulder tweak you ignored last week turned into six months off?
If you train calisthenics, handstands, or any bodyweight sport seriously… injuries aren’t just likely. They’re almost bound to happen.
Recently, I met up with Doctor Yaad to discuss injuries and how to fix/prevent them.
He’s a licensed medical doctor and has been training calisthenics for over 15 years. He’s able to achieve things like the maltese, planche, front lever and so on…
I will admit this blog isn’t a quick skim either.
It’s a deep, medically-backed guide breaking down the 11 most common injuries in calisthenics, ranked from minor annoyances to devastating setbacks.
For each one, we’ll show you:
How it happens (and why it’s usually preventable)
What it stops you from doing
How to fix it (with specific rehab tools and movement strategies)
What most people get wrong (and what to do instead)
Along the way, you’ll hear personal stories and clinical advice from both me and Doctor Yaad who’ve lived, studied and coached thousands of students for decades.
But before we dive into the list, we need to understand why injuries happen in the first place.
Why Injuries Are So Common (and So Misunderstood)
The drive that makes athletes excel is the same thing that breaks them.
You want the one-arm pull-up, the full planche, the handstand push-up quickly.
But in bodyweight training, there are no belts to hide behind. Every joint, every tendon is exposed.
And when progression isn't structured, pain builds silently.
Micro-tears. Overuse. Compensations.
Until one day, it’s not just pain, it’s surgery.
That’s why this blog exists:
To expose the early warning signs.
To prevent the injuries you think “won’t happen to you”.
And to help you build the kind of strength that actually lasts.
Now let’s dive into the list.
1. Forearm Splints (Medial Forearm Tendinopathy)
If you have an injury and want to fix/prevent them, train with the Berg Movement App today with a 7 day free trial included.
Ranking: B — Frustrating and persistent, but fully recoverable
What it feels like:
A sharp, pinpoint pain along the inner forearm, somewhere between the wrist and elbow. You’ll usually notice it after a planche or handstand session—not during. It feels like your forearm is sore right on the bone, and pressing on it will make you wince.
Why it happens:
This is the upper-body version of shin splints. It’s common when you suddenly ramp up planche or handstand work, especially on P-bars. The tendons and connective tissue in the forearm become inflamed from repeated compression and overuse—especially when the wrist is hyperextended under load.
What it stops you from doing:
Floor-based planche, handstands, wrist-loaded holds. You might be fine mid-movement, but letting go or transitioning out of the hold can send a jolt through your forearm.
How to fix it:
Targeted strength work: Wrist push-ups, wrist curls, and planche-specific prep (like calm raises) to strengthen connective tissue.
Surface adjustment: Switch from floor to P-bars or blocks to reduce wrist compression.
Mobility work: Improve wrist and finger mobility to reduce stress during holds.
Load management: Pull back on volume and intensity. Slowly build back capacity over time.
My advice:
Don’t panic, it’s super treatable. This was one of the first injuries I got in calisthenics, and with specific wrist work and smart progression, I was back stronger than ever. Be patient, and don't force through the pain.
2. Ganglion Cyst
Talking about that weird wrist lump most hand balancers get. Why it shows up, when it becomes a problem, and what to actually do about it (hint: usually nothing).
Ranking: A — Often harmless, but sometimes crippling depending on location
What it feels like:
A visible lump on the back or underside of the wrist. It might not hurt at all, or it might feel like a hard pressure pushing into the joint, especially during wrist extension like in handstands.
Why it happens:
Ganglion cysts are sacs of synovial fluid that leak out from the wrist joint. They bulge out and form a balloon-like lump—usually from repetitive wrist strain or an underlying joint issue. If they sit right on the joint, they can mess up both your range of motion and your pain tolerance.
What it stops you from doing:
Handstands on the floor are usually the first to go. If the cyst is in a bad spot, even typing or pushing up from a chair can hurt. It’s not always severe, but when it is, it’s incredibly limiting.
How to fix it:
Train around it: P-bars or parallettes can sometimes let you continue practicing pain-free.
Aspiration (not recommended): Sucking the fluid out with a needle often doesn’t work long-term—it usually comes back.
Surgery: The most effective option if the cyst is large or interfering with training. But recovery takes time, and surgery always carries risk.
Conservative rest: In many cases, it’ll shrink on its own, especially if you ease off high-pressure wrist work.
Yaad’s advice:
If the cyst’s not stopping you, leave it. But if it’s messing with your training or hurting a lot, talk to a specialist. I’ve seen people train around these for years, but also a few who needed surgery to finally move on.
3. Wrist Nerve Compression (Carpal Tunnel / Ulnar Nerve Entrapment)
Breaking down wrist nerve pain—what it feels like, how I’ve dealt with numbness and tingling in the hands, and what to fix before it becomes serious.
Ranking: C — Annoying and weird, but usually temporary
What it feels like:
A tingling or numbness in your fingers—especially the pinky and ring finger (ulnar nerve), or thumb and first two fingers (median nerve). It can feel like your hand is falling asleep mid-handstand.
Why it happens:
This often hits beginners who ramp up handstand practice too quickly. Excess pressure on the wrist or elbow compresses the nerves running into the hand. Poor alignment, over-gripping, or extreme wrist angles are common triggers.
What it stops you from doing:
Handstands are the big one. But push-ups, typing, or even sleeping on your arm can aggravate it. It’s more of a “mental scare” than a showstopper—unless it becomes chronic.
How to fix it:
Progress slowly: Don’t jump into full handstand volume right away. Let your body adapt.
Nerve flossing: Gentle stretches that glide the nerve back and forth through its sheath can help relieve symptoms.
Technique check: Ensure your wrist, elbow, and shoulder alignment is solid—avoid collapsing into your pinky side or cranking the wrist angle.
Wrist strength & mobility: Train both flexion and extension, and maintain healthy ROM to reduce nerve tension.
Yaad’s advice:
Don’t freak out. Tingling doesn’t always mean damage, it usually means irritation. Give it some love, change your setup, and you’ll be fine. I’ve seen dozens of people get this and recover fully in a matter of weeks.
4. General Wrist Pain (Overuse Syndrome)
If you have wrist pain, and still want to train — there are programs in the Berg Movement app to help you with this right away. You get a free week of plans & programs you can keep.
Ranking: C — Common and frustrating, but manageable with smart training
What it feels like:
A dull or sharp ache somewhere in the wrist joint—typically on the front or back of the wrist, especially during or after load-bearing movements. It doesn’t always have a clear location. You just know it hurts when you do too much handstand, planche, or floor work.
Why it happens:
Most wrist pain in calisthenics isn’t from one specific diagnosis—it’s a mix of overuse, compression, and poor load management. When you spike your training volume (especially handstands or planche on the floor), the wrist joint gets overwhelmed. Think of it as your wrist saying “too much, too soon.”
What it stops you from doing:
Floor-based work is the main casualty. Handstands, planche, push-ups, and transitions involving wrist extension can all become painful. Even typing or carrying groceries can feel tender if you’ve overloaded the joint.
How to fix it:
Modify angles: Use parallettes, blocks, or a slanted board to reduce wrist extension and continue training with less stress.
Wrist conditioning: Include mobility drills, loaded wrist flexion/extension, and wrist rotations in your routine 2–3x per week.
Load regulation: Avoid training through sharp pain. Use a pain scale of 2–3 out of 10 and ensure it doesn’t worsen the next day.
Gradual reintroduction: Don’t jump straight back to full ROM. Slowly increase wrist loading and flatten the training surface over time.
My advice:
Don’t stop training completely. Immobilizing the joint is the worst thing you can do. Modify, regress, and keep moving. Over time, your wrists will adapt—but only if you work with them, not against them.
5. Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)
Going deep on elbow pain on the inside—how pushing work triggers it, why tendons take so long to heal, and the exact changes that helped me rehab it long-term.
Ranking: A — Long-lasting and stubborn, especially if ignored
What it feels like:
A deep, burning ache on the inside of your elbow—right where the forearm meets the upper arm. It often starts as mild discomfort during pull-ups or gripping and gradually turns into constant pain, even when resting.
Why it happens:
Repetitive pulling movements—especially one-arm pull-ups, false grip holds, and muscle-up transitions—create chronic stress on the flexor tendons of the forearm. These tendons attach at the medial epicondyle, and when overloaded, they break down faster than they can repair.
What it stops you from doing:
Pull-ups, muscle-ups, curls, and even push-ups can become painful. In severe cases, even holding a bag or brushing your teeth can trigger it. It often affects both elbows in serious athletes.
How to fix it:
Grip variation: Rotate between pronated, supinated, and neutral grips during pulling to avoid overloading one tendon repeatedly.
Conservative rehab: Use light weights (20–25 reps), slow eccentrics, and 3–4 sessions per week of focused tendon rehab.
Avoid full rest: Completely resting the tendon often backfires. Find movements that stay within a 2–3/10 pain level and build from there.
Wrist and forearm care: Strengthen the forearms, especially with eccentric wrist flexion drills, to unload the tendon over time.
Mindset shift from Yaad:
”For a long time, this injury stopped me from training how I wanted. But I learned to treat it as an opportunity. Rehab became my training. And once I got back to full strength, I was stronger and more well-rounded than before.”
6. Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Explaining that annoying outer elbow pain—where it comes from, why pulling strength and grip technique matter, and how to not let it spiral out of control.
Ranking: A — Slightly less common, but just as persistent
What it feels like:
A sharp or burning pain on the outside of the elbow, often during gripping, pushing, or even just holding a handstand. You might feel it when extending the wrist or rotating the forearm.
Why it happens:
Unlike Golfer’s Elbow, this one affects the wrist extensor tendons on the lateral side. It often comes from over-gripping or stabilizing the wrist under tension—think handstands, planche push-ups, and certain pulling variations. Floor-based planche especially aggravates it when you’re bearing down hard through the fingers.
What it stops you from doing:
Handstands, planche, push-ups, and bar work can all flare this up. Just gripping something tightly or resisting rotation can trigger pain. It’s sneaky—and very persistent.
How to fix it:
Same treatment as Golfer’s Elbow: High-rep, slow eccentric training for the extensors (e.g. reverse wrist curls with a light dumbbell).
Switch up your grip: Train on rings or mix grips often to reduce repetitive overload.
Avoid max-intensity work: Reduce low-rep, high-intensity pushing or pulling cycles. Your tendons need volume, not brutality.
Stay conservative: Catch it early, rehab consistently, and don’t rush back. Surgery is sometimes required if left untreated.
What I’ve learned:
This one creeps in quietly but takes months to heal. Be fast, and don’t underestimate it, you need a full reset and rebuild.
7. Triceps Tendinopathy
Video explaining how triceps pain shows up, what makes it worse, and how I’ve rehabbed it with loading, not rest.
Ranking: B — Annoying and persistent, but fully treatable if addressed early
What it feels like:
A sharp or dull ache just above the elbow, usually at the back of the arm where the triceps tendon inserts. You’ll feel it most during pushing movements that involve elbow extension—like handstand push-ups, planche push-ups, skull crushers, or even regular push-ups. It can feel like the tendon is being tugged or irritated with every rep.
Why it happens:
Triceps tendinopathy is an overuse injury caused by high-volume elbow extension work. In calisthenics, that’s everything from dips and push-ups to more advanced straight-arm strength like presses and planche. The tendon at the distal (lower) end of the triceps gets inflamed when it’s overloaded without enough recovery or when technique breaks down under fatigue.
What it stops you from doing:
Anything that involves locking out the elbow under load. Especially planche variations, handstand push-ups, or weighted push-up progressions. If ignored, it can limit your ability to build strength in most pushing patterns.
How to fix it:
Isometric loading: Start with pain-free holds at mid-range (e.g., bent-arm wall holds or ring dips) to stimulate healing without aggravation.
Eccentric and concentric loading: Slowly reintroduce triceps work with tempo push-ups or dumbbell extensions focusing on controlled movement.
Volume management: Cut total push volume by 30–50% until symptoms ease. Focus on quality over quantity.
Address movement patterns: Check your scapular positioning and elbow angle during push-ups and dips—flared elbows can increase stress on the triceps tendon.
Massage and mobility: Light soft tissue work around the triceps and gentle stretching can relieve stiffness but avoid aggressive smashing on the tendon itself.
My experience:
I’ve had this one a couple of times, especially when I was hammering a lot of handstand push-up work, planche presses, and skull crushers. It’s manageable, but if you ignore it and keep going hard, it’ll drag on for weeks. Catch it early, manage your loads, and you’ll bounce back.
8. Biceps Tear (Distal)
Doctor Yaad shares his personal experience with a partial distal biceps tear due to changing grips. Start training with the Berg Movement app’s structured programs so this never happens to you.
Ranking: S — Career-threatening if severe, and terrifying when it happens
What it feels like:
A sudden, sharp snap in the elbow crease followed by pain, weakness, and often a visible change in the shape of the arm. The muscle can “ball up” toward the shoulder if it fully detaches. You instantly know something went wrong. In Yaad’s case, it felt like the world stopped for a second, like everything he’d worked for was in danger.
Why it happens:
Distal biceps tears occur when the biceps tendon rips away from the forearm, often under extreme tension. It’s most common in planche, Maltese, or explosive pulling skills, especially if you’re using a grip or setup you’re not adapted to. What caused Yaad’s? He tried a supinated Maltese for the first time with resistance bands on P-bars. The grip angle was unfamiliar, and even though the load was assisted, that minor change was enough to tear the tendon. It only took one rep.
What it stops you from doing:
Pretty much everything. Pulling, pushing, holding, even carrying a grocery bag can hurt if the tear is significant. Yaad had a partial tear (about 50%) so he didn’t need surgery. But even then, he thought his calisthenics career might be over. Full tears almost always require surgery, and even then, recovery is long and uncertain.
How to fix it:
Preventive awareness: This is everything. These injuries often come with no warning signs. Don’t rely on feel, respect the grip, setup, and load every time you train high-risk skills like planche, Hefesto, or Maltese.
Grip specificity: Treat every grip variation as its own movement. Supinated, pronated, neutral—they all load the biceps differently. Never assume you can just switch angles without consequences.
Controlled progression: Don’t jump into advanced skills or assisted variations unless you’ve trained that exact configuration before. Even with 20kg assistance, Yaad’s lack of exposure to supinated Maltese led to injury.
Rehab process: For partial tears, conservative treatment works: eccentric loading, progressive resistance, and a long runway back to heavy pulling. For full tears, surgical repair followed by extensive rehab is required.
Doctor Yaad’s experience:
”This was hands down the scariest injury I’ve ever had. I remember thinking my entire career might be over. The only reason I avoided surgery was because the tendon didn’t retract. It was a long, slow climb back, but I can now do multiple reps of one-arm pull-ups on both sides. I’ll never forget what caused it though, and I’ve never repeated that mistake.”
Warning:
If you train skills like planche or Maltese, take this seriously. It might feel like just another day, but one small change in grip or angle can end everything. Be sharp, be aware, and train smart.
9. Biceps Tear (Proximal)
I show my visible proximal biceps tear and talk about the years of misdiagnosed shoulder pain that led to it.
Ranking: S — Often the root of chronic shoulder pain, and devastating when it fully tears
What it feels like:
A sharp or snapping sensation deep inside the front of the shoulder, often followed by an odd relief and visual change in the biceps shape, especially in the upper arm. You might feel a gap or notice the muscle isn’t contracting fully anymore. That’s because the long head of the biceps has torn clean off its anchor at the shoulder.
Why it happens:
The long head of the biceps tendon attaches at the labrum of the shoulder joint, and for many of us, it’s a chronic weak link. Years of tendonitis or shoulder pain can lead to degeneration, until one day—snap. Mine tore during what should have been an easy planche variation. I’d trained around pain for years, believing it was a labrum issue. But eventually, the tendon gave out.
What it stops you from doing:
Anything that requires shoulder flexion or stable pressing—especially overhead movements like handstands or planche. Even simple pulling or rotation can feel off. But interestingly, many people report less shoulder pain after the tear because that inflamed structure is finally gone. Still, the muscle’s shape and function won’t return to normal unless surgically reattached.
How to fix it:
Understand the difference: Proximal biceps tears aren’t always catastrophic. Some people, like me, regain full strength without surgery. Others may need repair depending on retraction, function, and pain.
Rehab conservatively: Eccentric loading, scapular re-training, and progressive return to pulling and pressing help restore balance and coordination. Focus on shoulder stability above all.
Medical insight: This tendon is sometimes called “the appendix of the shoulder”—it causes more problems than it solves. In surgery, some doctors even remove or re-anchor it intentionally (tenotomy or tenodesis) to resolve shoulder dysfunction.
Long-term outlook: I’ve returned to full strength, even stronger than before. But don’t take this injury lightly. Some cases require months of rehab or surgical intervention.
What I’ve learned:
I spent years chasing the wrong diagnosis, pushing through discomfort, and working around pain. In the end, my tendon tore. But in a strange way, it resolved an issue I’d carried for years. That said, don’t wait for it to snap. Get your shoulder assessed, respect persistent pain, and train with precision.
10. AC Joint Sprain
We break down the causes and symptoms of AC joint sprains, sharing personal stories from failed ninja-style movements and handstand overloads. Also we describe how to identify the injury and why recovery is so frustratingly slow.
Ranking: A — Annoying and persistent, with long-term consequences if mismanaged
What it feels like:
A sharp, pinpoint pain right where your collarbone meets the top of your shoulder. It gets worse during pushing movements, overhead work, or any position where the arm moves across the body. In severe cases, the joint becomes visibly raised—you can literally “press it like a piano key.”
Why it happens:
The AC joint is held together by ligaments. When those ligaments are overloaded—especially during overhead pressing, rough landings, or unstable pulling positions—they can stretch or tear. I tore mine doing a one-arm salmon ladder (very dumb idea). Yaad’s came from repetitive overhead strain. It’s surprisingly easy to do, and hard to forget.
What it stops you from doing:
Any kind of overhead pressing, dips, or even handstands. Depending on severity, you might not even be able to sleep on that side. And since it’s a ligament-based injury with low blood flow, healing can take forever.
How to fix it:
Reduce stress: Avoid painful ranges, especially overhead or across-body movements.
Train around it: Strengthen surrounding muscles (traps, delts, scapular stabilizers) to reduce stress on the joint.
Gradual loading: If it’s a minor sprain, you can slowly reintroduce movement through pain-free isometrics, then progress to controlled pressing.
Long-term management: Some cases develop arthritis in the joint. In extreme situations, surgery might be needed to remove part of the bone and eliminate pain.
Time and patience: My own recovery took more than a year—not with active rehab, but just avoiding the wrong movements. That’s why I pivoted to working on one-arm handstand push-ups.
Key insight:
Even mild AC joint injuries can linger for months if not managed well. And if you go too hard, too soon, you risk chronic pain that’ll haunt your pushing for years.
11. Shoulder Impingement
We explain the complexity of shoulder impingement and why it’s a catch-all diagnosis. If you want to fix this with proper training, train with the Berg Movement app today with a free 7 day trail.
Ranking: B — Treatable, but dangerous if it leads to compensations
What it feels like:
A deep, aching pain in the front or side of the shoulder, especially when lifting the arm overhead or holding weight above your head. You might feel a pinch at the top range of motion—or just a dull throb that lingers after training.
Why it happens:
Shoulder impingement isn’t a single injury—it’s a cluster of issues involving poor shoulder mechanics. Structures like the supraspinatus tendon, bursa, or long head of the biceps get compressed between bones when your scapula and humerus don’t move in sync. This is often due to poor scapular rhythm, tight pecs, weak mid-back muscles, or pushing too hard without enough mobility.
What it stops you from doing:
Handstands, presses, overhead lifting—anything where your arm is raised. But the real danger is compensation: you start moving differently to avoid pain, and that creates even more dysfunction down the line.
How to fix it:
Movement regression: Train only in pain-free ranges (usually where pain is a 2 or 3 out of 10). Avoid triggering movements for at least a few weeks.
Scapular rehab: Prioritize upward rotation, posterior tilt, and external rotation. Wall slides, banded face pulls, and serratus push-ups help restore rhythm.
Thoracic mobility: Extensions, rotations, and pec stretches create space in the shoulder joint.
Don’t ignore it: Impingement might seem minor, but if you don’t fix the underlying cause, it will haunt your training and trigger new issues.
What I’ve learned:
This is one of the most common issues I see, and one of the most avoidable. Train your scapular mechanics early, don’t skip mobility, and don’t push through shoulder pain thinking it’ll just “warm up.” It won’t. It gets worse.
The Good News: 90% of These Injuries Are Preventable
Most injuries we listed aren’t freak accidents, they’re the result of rushed progressions, weak stabilizers, or poor movement habits.
The truth? Strength alone isn’t enough. Smart structure, mobility, and listening to your body are the real superpowers.
That’s exactly what I’ve built into the Berg Movement app. Every program combines strength, mobility, and movement control to build resilient, adaptable athletes.
How Berg Movement Helps You Train Smarter
Inside the Berg Movement app, you’ll:
Learn every bodyweight skill without injuries with structured programs
Get as strong as possible, in as little time as possible with step-by-step video progressions
Improve your mobility, and recover from injuries with éxpert mobility flows
Whether you’re recovering from pain or want to avoid it in the first place, this app gives you the path forward, with guidance at every step.
Try Berg Movement free for 7 days
Final Thoughts
Injuries aren’t a sign of weakness. They’re a sign your body is asking for change.
Train smarter. Move better. And if you’ve been stuck, know that recovery is possible, with the right strategy.
Thanks for reading, and see you guys next time.
