The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

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   Number 1: THIS is why CrossFit Slows Aging With Dr. Jose Ostaiza (Hint: Epigenetics)

   When CrossFit started, we didn’t need science to know it worked. We saw it in affiliates every day. People moved better, got stronger, and aged better. Now, the research is catching up. In this episode, physician, CrossFit Level 3 trainer, and researcher Jose Ostaiza explains how CrossFit changes the body at the molecular level through epigenetics, the science of how lifestyle influences gene expression. Ostaiza breaks down how high-intensity training rebuilds telomeres, supports mitochondrial health, reduces inflammation, and slows biological aging. By combining strength, cardio, and high-intensity work, CrossFit produces deeper and broader adaptations than single-mode fitness. This conversation offers a look inside the black box and explains why CrossFit is not just effective, but uniquely powerful for long-term health and longevity. Topics Covered Epigenetics and how lifestyle controls gene expression Why high-intensity training drives change at the DNA level Biological age versus chronological age Exercise, nutrition, stress, sleep, and social connection as longevity tools Bridging medicine, research, and the CrossFit affiliate Community Highlight Tony Espejo spent 21 years as a police officer in Omaha, Nebraska, after serving in the Marine Corps. When he came home, the neighborhood where he grew up was changing fast. Gang violence was taking over streets that once felt safe. Tony did not walk away. He remembered what kept him grounded as a kid. Sports. Accessible, affordable, and rooted in community. In 2004, he started a free soccer league for kids from rival neighborhoods. Six teams grew into more than a hundred. Over time, violence in South Omaha dropped. At the center of everything Tony built was CrossFit. It became the foundation for developing stronger, faster, more confident kids. Those who trained consistently stood taller — on the field and in life. In 2016, he opened Kinship CrossFit to give kids who did not connect with traditional sports, and their parents, a place to train together. Today, Tony is rebuilding his affiliate from the ground up. If you are a nonprofit affiliate working with kids, reach out. Tony would love to connect.

   June 16, 2026·1h 4min
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   Number 2: The Truth About Caffeine for CrossFit Athletes

   Caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive substance in the world, and it is deeply embedded in fitness culture. Coffee, pre-workout, and energy drinks are often treated as essential tools for training and performance. But what does the science actually say? In this episode of the CrossFit Podcast, host Jocelyn Rylee sits down with sleep scientist and active duty Army neuroscientist Dr. Allison Brager to examine the relationship between caffeine, sleep, recovery, and performance. Brager explains how caffeine works in the brain, why tolerance changes its effectiveness, and why the perceived boost athletes feel during workouts does not always translate into measurable performance gains. The conversation explores research on caffeine and CrossFit workouts, the role of sleep deprivation in caffeine effectiveness, and why energy drinks may carry neurological risks when used chronically. They also discuss strategic caffeine use for athletes, military personnel, and first responders who face sleep disruption. If you train hard, rely on caffeine, or want to improve performance without compromising recovery, this conversation will challenge what you think you know. Topics Covered How caffeine blocks adenosine and promotes alertness in the brain Research on caffeine and CrossFit workouts Why perceived effort improves with caffeine even when performance does not The neurological and mental health risks linked to heavy energy drink use Strategic caffeine dosing for athletes, military personnel, and shift workers Resources Mentioned Dr. Allison Brager The CrossFit Podcast with Dr. Brager on Sleep Community Highlight Michael Atkinson grew up in Napa, California, the son of immigrants from Trinidad and Mexico, in a neighborhood where gangs often filled the gaps that opportunity didn’t. At 19, he was facing charges that could’ve meant life in prison. Instead, he was given one last option: complete a court-ordered recovery program or serve eight years. That program introduced him to CrossFit. After watching a regional event, the men in the program tried the workout themselves. It wrecked them … and hooked them. For Michael, it became the identity that replaced the one he was trying to leave behind. He wrote down two goals: become a competitor and become a coach. Years later, he bought the very affiliate where he once showed up asking for an internship — CrossFit Novato. Today, he coaches firefighters, local teams, and everyday adults, and offers scholarship memberships for people who need a second chance because he knows exactly what that can mean.

   June 02, 2026·53min
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   Number 3: Why Over 99% of Diets Fail and What You Can Do About It

   Dr. Jason Fung returns to the CrossFit Podcast to unpack the real driver behind weight gain and chronic hunger. Drawing from decades of clinical experience and his new book “The Hunger Code,” Fung challenges the “calorie in, calorie out” model and explains why it has failed so many people for so long. This conversation goes deeper than macros and meal plans. Fung breaks down the three types of hunger: homeostatic, hedonic, and conditioned. He explains how ultra-processed foods, the modern food environment, and social conditioning override natural appetite regulation. He and host Jocelyn Rylee explore how insulin and other hormones shape body fat regulation, and why long-term success depends on restoring satiety rather than fighting willpower. Topics Covered Why calorie restriction fails long-term. The three types of hunger and how they drive overeating. How ultra-processed food hijacks appetite and satiety. Hormones and the body fat thermostat. Social environments and practical levers for change. Resources Mentioned Dr. Jason Fung Website YouTube Instagram X Facebook The Hunger Code by Dr. Jason Fung The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung\ Hunger by Roxane Gay Community Highlight Travis Ponikiewski doesn’t train for the leaderboard. He trains because he has two little girls who think he’s invincible, and he plans on keeping it that way for a long time. When Travis was young, he lost his dad. Now that he’s a father himself, that experience quietly shapes everything. For him, fitness isn’t aesthetic. It’s responsibility. It’s making sure his daughters don’t grow up with missing memories. At home, that same steadiness shows up in how he supports his wife through mental health struggles. He wants her to feel strong again, on her terms. He cares less about how his girls look and more about what they’re capable of. Strong bodies. Healthy relationship with food. Confidence that doesn’t shrink to fit the world. He’s even working toward his Level 1 — not to collect a title, but to better serve the people around him.

   May 12, 2026·1h 19min
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   Number 4: The World Is Finally Ready for Us: Kelly Starrett on CrossFit’s Potential

   Dr. Kelly Starrett joins the CrossFit Podcast to look back on the early days of CrossFit and ahead to what the next 20 years can become. From finding CrossFit through a grainy GIF in the early 2000s to opening one of the first affiliates in the world, Starrett reflects on the ideas that shaped the methodology and the lessons learned through decades of coaching athletes, Olympians, and everyday people. This conversation explores durability over time, why pain is not a failure but a request for change, and how movement quality, range of motion, and basic strength set the foundation for performance at every age. Starrett and host Jocelyn Rylee dig into the future of CrossFit, from longevity and conditioning to the irreplaceable value of affiliates as places built around coaching and community. This episode is an honest look at what CrossFit has always been about and what it can become if we apply what we have learned. Topics Covered The early days of CrossFit and the original affiliate culture Mobility, durability, and reframing pain in training Why youth athletes need movement literacy before specialization Training for sport versus training only for fitness The future of CrossFit and longevity-focused strength and conditioning Resources Mentioned The Ready State Becoming a Supple Leopard by Kelly Starrett Built to Move by Kelly Starrett and Juliet Starrett 800-Gram Challenge Power Monkey Fitness The Anxious Generation Kelly on Social Instagram Facebook Tiktok X YouTube Community Highlight Kristin Savage grew up around autoimmune disease. By age 5, she was dealing with joint inflammation, and years later, she was formally diagnosed with lupus. She found CrossFit in 2012 and later trained and coached at CrossFit Gambit, where she was mentored by Kelly Jackson. Kristin earned her Level 1 and Level 2 Trainer credentials and now has aspirations to pursue her Level 4. After a severe flare-up forced her to reassess how she trained, Kristin shifted her focus to nutrition, recovery, and scaled training — learning to work in rhythm with her body instead of against it. Within a year, she qualified for Desert City. Today, Kristin coaches CrossFit in Las Vegas and spends much of her energy helping others navigate training and chronic illness — sharing what she’s learned through experience. Know someone you think deserves to be highlighted? Nominate them here.

   January 12, 2026·1h 11min
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   Number 5: What You Have Wrong About CrossFit’s Recommendations

   CrossFit was born from curiosity, trial and error, and the willingness to test ideas in real time. In this conversation, host Jocelyn Rylee and senior content writer Stephane Rochet revisit the roots of that culture and explore why self-experimentation remains one of the most powerful tools for improving performance, health, and well-being. They reflect on the early days of nutrition inside CrossFit, the experiments that shaped their own training, and why results-driven thinking cuts through dogma. From zone ratios to carb backloading, fasting, fruit fasts, and the realities of changing needs across life stages, this episode highlights how paying attention, tracking outcomes, and staying open-minded can reshape your relationship with food and training. Topics Covered The origins of self experimentation within CrossFit culture How to define “what’s working” in training and nutrition Lessons learned from decades of nutrition experiments Adjusting habits across changing life stages Building life skills around food, tracking, and personal agency Resources Mentioned Barry Sears and the Zone Mark Bell Mike Burgener Jocko Willink Community HighlightAmy and Jim Gay have been part of CrossFit Adaptation for over a decade. Last year, they became the gym’s new owners and quickly faced a challenge. Located just outside D.C., many members were hit hard by recent federal job cuts. One by one, people were getting laid off and preparing to cancel their memberships. Amy and Jim didn’t flinch. They told them, “Just keep coming in.”Then a coach had an idea: start a sponsorship program. Now, members with the means can chip in — either once or monthly — to cover membership costs for others going through tough times. The response has been huge. When things got hard, the community didn’t shrink. It stepped up. Amy and Jim’s advice to other affiliate owners? Don’t treat your gym like a normal business. The real magic is in the details — staying close, listening, and showing up. Know someone you think deserves to be highlighted? Nominate them here.

   January 05, 2026·1h 5min
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