Zach Long, DPT, better known as The Barbell Physio, joins Jocelyn Rylee to dig into the myths and realities around CrossFit injuries, mobility, programming, and long-term health. They unpack the latest research, expose scientific bias, and share practical strategies for athletes, coaches, and affiliate owners.



Read Zach’s point-by-point refutation of misleading CrossFit research here.



Zach brings his perspective as a physical therapist and longtime member of the CrossFit community to explain how to train through injury, why less is often more in mobility and programming, and how CrossFit has and continues to evolve.



Topics Covered




Is CrossFit dangerous? Injury data vs. public perception



How mobility training should actually work



Scientific integrity and fighting back against biased research



Training through injury vs. taking time off



Building medical-professional networks around affiliates



Programming pitfalls: volume vs. intensity and coaching time



Why complex skills (like the snatch) belong in CrossFit



Older adults as a critical growth area for affiliates



Zach’s advice for athletes, coaches, and the future of CrossFit




Resources Mentioned




Zach’s website: thebarbellphysio.com



Zach on Instagram/Facebook: @thebarbellphysio



CrossFit.com – Scientific Integrity Under Fire article



Zach’s YouTube channel: The Barbell Physio




Community Highlight



Trevor Pogue started CrossFit in 2020 with no lifting background and no plans to stick around. But it flipped everything.



He was working in medical research at the University of Florida, first in cancer, then anesthesiology, when he realized something: many of the problems hospitals treat could be prevented through lifestyle.⠀



In 2023, he bought CrossFit 1088, a small affiliate in Ocala, Florida that was about to shut down. The name comes from the gym’s youngest and oldest original members: 10 and 88. That spirit — CrossFit for everyone — is what Trevor is rebuilding.⠀



He took over with 32 members. A year later, they’re at 120 and growing.⠀



At their last anniversary party, Trevor watched 88-year-old Martha climb a massive water slide and fly down it while younger members stood by saying, “No way.”⠀



“That’s why we do CrossFit,” he said.



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