The CrossFit Podcast

<p>The CrossFit Podcast team is pulling back the curtain for this special episode. Get a look behind the scenes at what it took to restart the CrossFit Podcast, what we learned the hard way, and the top moments of the show in 2025.&nbsp;</p> <p>Spend a little bit of your holiday season with us — Denise Thomas, Jocelyn Rylee, and Maggie Mullen. We hope this episode brings you some holiday cheer, ideas for what to binge next, and a bit of perspective on what matters most.</p> <p>From all of us to you and your family — both CrossFit and nuclear — happy holidays, and please tell us how 12 Days of Christmas (or whatever WOD you’re hitting) goes.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Topics Covered</strong></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Why CrossFit brought the podcast back and what changed in 2025.</li> <li>The turning point episode: Has CrossFit Lost Its Soul With James Hobart.</li> <li>Why we do this podcast – the most meaningful moments.</li> <li>Top five episodes worth revisiting from 2025. </li> </ul> <p><strong>Episodes Mentioned</strong></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Top Five Episodes Worth Revisiting <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Dr. Chris Palmer <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7_gbONaGrE&amp;list=PLdWvFCOAvyr0EM6pFiWZCYy2mee613jcp&amp;index=40&amp;t=46s&amp;pp=gAQBiAQB">Episode</a></li> <li>James Hobart <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiMADKDVRlk&amp;list=PLdWvFCOAvyr0EM6pFiWZCYy2mee613jcp&amp;index=26&amp;pp=gAQBiAQB">Episode</a></li> <li>Dr. Fatty Acid <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNiCT4SKlS0&amp;list=PLdWvFCOAvyr0EM6pFiWZCYy2mee613jcp&amp;index=7&amp;t=1s&amp;pp=gAQBiAQB">Episode</a></li> <li>Dr. Allison Brager <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBb-Q9RRR2c&amp;list=PLdWvFCOAvyr0EM6pFiWZCYy2mee613jcp&amp;index=32&amp;t=114s&amp;pp=gAQBiAQB">Episode</a></li> <li>Nicole Carroll <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjQlz5weUFo&amp;list=PLdWvFCOAvyr0EM6pFiWZCYy2mee613jcp&amp;index=51&amp;t=101s&amp;pp=gAQBiAQB">Episode 1</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb4obCqL0PM&amp;list=PLdWvFCOAvyr0EM6pFiWZCYy2mee613jcp&amp;index=20&amp;t=4s&amp;pp=gAQBiAQB">Community and Culture Show</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfrIS24VXL8">Forging Elite Fitness</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOaen3BzgXA">The Standard</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li>Big Impact <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Nick Wells and Gino Aviles (<a href="https://www.rf2.org/">Redemption Road</a>; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BWNiWbDRN8&amp;list=PLdWvFCOAvyr0EM6pFiWZCYy2mee613jcp&amp;index=12&amp;pp=gAQBiAQB">Episode</a>)</li> <li>Helen Taylor (<a href="https://www.corecityfitness.com/core-city-crossfit-kids">Core City Kids</a>; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h80D29YQOSg&amp;list=PLdWvFCOAvyr0EM6pFiWZCYy2mee613jcp&amp;index=43&amp;t=1095s&amp;pp=gAQBiAQB">Episode</a>)</li> <li>Scott and Gwenna Bradley (<a href="https://www.undergroundpdx.org/">Underground PDX</a>; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cso-omFfS3M&amp;list=PLdWvFCOAvyr0EM6pFiWZCYy2mee613jcp&amp;index=35&amp;t=191s&amp;pp=gAQBiAQB">Episode</a>) </li> <li>Angie Manson (<a href="https://elevaterehab.org/">Elevate Addiction Services</a>; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtfkmtNEffI&amp;list=PLdWvFCOAvyr0EM6pFiWZCYy2mee613jcp&amp;index=28&amp;t=1s&amp;pp=gAQBiAQB">Episode</a>) </li> <li>Sara Wilkinson (<a href="https://www.stepupfoundation.org/">Step Up Foundation</a>; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCuYXj7SVHM&amp;list=PLdWvFCOAvyr0EM6pFiWZCYy2mee613jcp&amp;index=6&amp;pp=gAQBiAQB">Episode</a>) </li> </ul> </li> <li>Other Mentions <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Dr. Rhonda Patrick <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFNWizQxcpY&amp;list=PLdWvFCOAvyr0EM6pFiWZCYy2mee613jcp&amp;index=34&amp;t=108s&amp;pp=gAQBiAQB">Episode</a></li> <li>Maggie Mullen <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kljZUzVQfuY&amp;list=PLdWvFCOAvyr0EM6pFiWZCYy2mee613jcp&amp;index=3&amp;t=2057s&amp;pp=gAQBiAQB">Episode</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Resources Mentioned</strong></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nikkiboyer/">Nikki Boyer</a></li> <li>“<a href="https://brainenergy.com/">Brain Energy</a>,” by Dr. Chris Palmer</li> <li>Brian Little, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYvXk_bqlBk">Ted Talk on Introversion and Extroversion</a></li> </ul> <p><strong>Community Highlight</strong></p> <p>CrossFit PolFed RAC exists because one officer, Pierre De Pelsemaeker-Godart, kept sharing something he cared about.</p> <p>In 2010, when his team in the Brussels Federal Judicial Police moved into an unfinished government building, Pierre had just discovered CrossFit. With no gym, no equipment, and no dedicated space, he organized workouts wherever he could—outside in the park, inside the office, and eventually in an empty underground concrete room.</p> <p>Pierre led his colleagues in building a training space from scratch using pallets, cardboard, and bodyweight movements. More officers joined because the workouts were simple, consistent, and open to anyone.</p> <p>By 2014, a small sports room became their home base. They pooled money for second-hand equipment, competed in the CrossFit Open, and officially founded the nonprofit CrossFit PolFed RAC.</p> <p>Years later, the affiliate is still active, serving dozens of members, because one person believed training together could change his workplace — and did the work to make it real.</p> <p><strong>Know someone you think deserves to be highlighted? </strong>Nominate them <a href="https://crossfit.surveysparrow.com/s/CrossFit-Community-Stories/tt-PrkSJ">here.</a></p> <p><strong>Share Your Thoughts: </strong>Email us [<a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>].</p></p>

<p>In this episode, Denise Thomas sits down with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/enliftedcoaches/">Mark England</a>, co-founder of Enlifted Coaching, to unpack the real meaning of “mindset,” not as a buzzword, but as the story you tell yourself.</p> <p>A former MMA fighter turned educator, Mark shares how injuries and failure led him to discover transformational wordsmithing: the process of changing your internal dialogue to change your life. He walks through practical tools that anyone, especially coaches and athletes, can use to rewrite limiting stories, calm their nervous system, and reclaim control through language and breath.</p> <p>This one’s part conversation, part masterclass. Grab a pen.</p> <p><strong>TOPICS INCLUDED</strong></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>The link between words, breath, and awareness</li> <li>How victim mentality is formed and how to dismantle it</li> <li>The “soft talk” words that cause indecision and stress</li> <li>Real-time application: Denise and Mark’s live exercise on rewriting limiting beliefs</li> </ul> <p><strong>RESOURCES MENTIONED</strong></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://www.enlifted.me/">Enlifted Coaching</a></li> <li>Mark England’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-6as-5dxSs">TED Talk</a></li> <li>Barbell Shrugged Podcast (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y99JYYzPN8U">Mark’s 2017 episode</a>)</li> <li><a href="https://www.besthouroftheirday.com/">Best Hour of Their Day Coaching Program</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.paradisocrossfit.com/">CrossFit Paradiso (Venice, California)</a></li> </ul> <p><strong>Community Highlight</strong></p> <p>After two car accidents and a diagnosis of early-stage Parkinson’s, Becky Johnson refused to give up.</p> <p>Just days after spine surgery, she walked into CrossFit Loco Ocho — neck brace and all — to do her version of Murph.</p> <p>“Having a strong baseline of fitness prepares you for whatever life throws your way,” she says.</p> <p>“This is the sickness-wellness-fitness continuum in action. I got a devastating diagnosis, but I already had the antidote.”</p> <p><strong>Know someone you think deserves to be highlighted? </strong>Nominate them <a href="https://crossfit.surveysparrow.com/s/CrossFit-Community-Stories/tt-PrkSJ">here.</a></p> <p><strong>Share Your Thoughts:</strong> Email us [<a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>].</p>

<p>This marks the ninth episode of a special CrossFit Podcast collaboration with the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/crossfitmedicalsociety/">CrossFit Medical Society</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Italy once held one of the lowest obesity rates in the developed world, but that’s changing fast. CrossFit Country Manager and longtime affiliate owner <a href="https://www.instagram.com/matteopozzati23/">Matteo Pozzati</a> joins the show to talk about the cultural shift in Italy, the rise of chronic disease, and how CrossFit is stepping in to rebuild true health from the ground up.</p> <p>Matteo shares his journey from coaching in Venice to teaching hospital workers how to move safely, leading Italy’s affiliate community, and fighting to preserve CrossFit’s identity amid the noise of mainstream fitness.</p> <p>He and host <a href="https://www.instagram.com/zosrylee/">Jocelyn Rylee</a> discuss why elite coaching matters, how education is the bridge to better health, and what it’ll take to connect CrossFit affiliates and healthcare systems worldwide.</p> <p><strong>Topics Covered</strong></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>The decline of the Mediterranean diet and rise of chronic disease in Italy</li> <li>Bringing CrossFit methodology into hospitals and health care education</li> <li>Building bridges between affiliates and medical professionals</li> <li>Preserving CrossFit’s identity and elite coaching standards</li> <li>Nutrition, culture, and the return to traditional food practices</li> <li>The global challenge of connecting CrossFit to health systems</li> </ul> <p><strong>Community Highlight</strong></p> <p>For nearly two decades, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cfos.richter/">Erin Richter</a> has been fighting for health on the front lines — and refusing to give up.</p> <p>She opened CrossFit Old School in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 2008, staying there, as she put it, “because this was the area that needed it the most.”</p> <p>Today, her affiliate serves kids as young as 3 and adults in their 80s. She partners with addiction recovery centers, supports people with disabilities, and helps those told they’d never squat again find their strength.</p> <p>She’s built nonprofits, raised thousands for local causes, and worked with the state to bring CrossFit into public schools.</p> <p>Erin doesn’t chase PRs or the spotlight, just impact. In a city dubbed the “Obesity Capital of the U.S.,” she’s quietly changing lives every day.</p> <p><strong>Know someone you think deserves to be highlighted? </strong>Nominate them <a href="https://crossfit.surveysparrow.com/s/CrossFit-Community-Stories/tt-PrkSJ">here.</a></p> <p><strong>Share Your Thoughts: </strong>Email us [<a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>].</p>

<p>This marks the eighth episode of a special CrossFit Podcast collaboration with the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/crossfitmedicalsociety/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CrossFit Medical Society</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>CrossFit Podcast producer <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mags_k_mullen/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Maggie Mullen</a> steps out from backstage for a raw, unfiltered conversation about body image, nutrition, and the culture of CrossFit. From her early days as a competitor and fueling to perform, to finding balance, Maggie opens up about food neurosis, body dysmorphia, and an alternative view of diet culture.</p> <p>This episode digs into the tension between discipline and obsession, aesthetics and health, and what it really means to chase your best self inside the gym and out.</p> <p><strong>TOPICS INCLUDED</strong></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>How CrossFit reshaped Maggie’s relationship with food and body image</li> <li>Body positivity vs. fat shaming — and finding a “third way”</li> <li>The role of CrossFit in building self-awareness and resilience</li> <li>CrossFit as moving meditation and mental health therapy</li> </ul> <p><strong>RESOURCES MENTIONED</strong></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://www.m2performancenutrition.com/">M2 Performance Nutrition</a> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Community Highlight</strong></p> <p>Duncan Seawell is a clinical psychologist and the president of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/forgingyouthresilience/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Forging Youth Resilience (FYR)</a>, a nonprofit helping gyms open their doors to kids who otherwise couldn’t access CrossFit.</p> <p>He launched a Steve’s Club chapter in Denver in 2015 and helped shape FYR into what it is today: a network of 20 active clubs reaching thousands of youth, from foster care to incarceration to kids just trying to find their place.</p> <p>FYR partners with schools, gyms, and foster homes to deliver trauma-informed CrossFit, covering coaching, transportation, and nutrition. But its heart is FYR Camp, a week-long mountain retreat where kids train, hike, and sit in nightly circles to share their stories.</p> <p>“It’s sort of a group therapy light context,” Duncan says. “One kid says, ‘I’ve been through this,’ and another says, ‘Me too.’ The power of that connection is amazing.”</p> <p>As Duncan puts it: “Kids are growing unhealthier in all kinds of ways — physical, mental, metabolic. The solution is prevention. Our job is to make sure no kid is kept out of a gym because of money.”</p> <p><strong>Know someone you think deserves to be highlighted? </strong>Nominate them <a href="https://crossfit.surveysparrow.com/s/CrossFit-Community-Stories/tt-PrkSJ">here.</a></p> <p><strong>Share Your Thoughts: </strong>Email us [<a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>].</p>

<p>Dr. Nick (aka <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thefittestdoc/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.instagram.com/thefittestdoc/">The Fittest Doc</a>) joins Jocelyn Rylee to unpack how CrossFit shaped his approach to medicine. They dig into lifestyle versus pharmaceuticals, the role of identity in lasting change, and why doctors need to prioritize their own health.</p> <p><strong>Topics Covered</strong></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>How CrossFit reshaped Dr. Nick’s discipline and medical practice</li> <li>Lifestyle-first vs. pharma-first approaches to chronic disease</li> <li>Performance as a predictor of future health</li> <li>Building credibility: Should doctors practice what they preach?</li> <li>The role of affiliates in bridging healthcare and community</li> </ul> <p><strong>Resources Mentioned</strong></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://www.crossfit.com/health/2024-crossfit-for-health-lecture-series" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CrossFit for Health Summit</a></li> <li>Dr. Nick&#8217;s <a href="https://www.thefittestyou.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Website</a></li> </ul> <p><strong>Community Highlight</strong></p> <p>The Phoenix is built on one idea: recovery is stronger in community.</p> <p>Since 2006, they’ve reached nearly a million people impacted by substance use and mental health challenges — and CrossFit has become their most popular program. More than 100,000 people have found sobriety and support through Phoenix CrossFit classes, with 83% staying sober beyond the three-month mark.</p> <p>We spoke with Gavin Young, a Phoenix leader and longtime CrossFit athlete in recovery, who shared how daily progress in training — one more rep, one more pound, one more second — becomes a cornerstone in rebuilding lives.</p> <p>From Boston to Denver to Philadelphia, The Phoenix is proving what’s possible when fitness meets recovery: a resilient community built on hope, accountability, and shared struggle — one workout at a time.</p> <p><strong><br />Know someone you think deserves to be highlighted? </strong>Nominate them <a href="https://crossfit.surveysparrow.com/s/CrossFit-Community-Stories/tt-PrkSJ">here</a>.</p> <p><strong>Share Your Thoughts: </strong>Email us [<a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>]</p>