Kelly Starrett on mobility, coaching, and CrossFit’s next two decades

Dr. Kelly Starrett appeared on the CrossFit Podcast with host Jocelyn Rylee on January 12, 2026 to reflect on CrossFit’s early days and sketch practical directions for the movement over the next two decades. The conversation centered on mobility and durability as foundational priorities, reframing pain as a corrective signal rather than a marker of failure, and the central role affiliates and good coaching play in protecting athlete health.

Starrett emphasized movement literacy for youth as a preventative approach: teach kids basic movement patterns and motor control before specialization narrows their athletic profile. That ties directly into programming choices coaches make for developmental athletes, the podcast argued, with more emphasis on durable movement mechanics and less on early sport-specific load if long-term resilience is the goal.

A large portion of the episode addressed reframing pain. Rather than equating discomfort with doom, Starrett positioned pain as data—a prompt to inspect technique, load, or recovery strategies. This reframing carries immediate coaching implications: implement corrective drills, adjust workload, and use mobility tools to restore function before athletes escalate to heavy loads or complex skill work.

Balancing training for sport versus general fitness was another practical theme. Starrett outlined why affiliates should keep general physical preparedness at the core of programming while periodizing sport-specific work for competitive athletes. The approach protects populations who come to the box for health and longevity, while still allowing high-level athletes to pursue peaks.

Listeners also heard concrete ideas for longevity-focused strength and conditioning: prioritize quality of movement, build robustness through progressive exposure, and include consistent joint preparation and recovery modalities. The episode referenced Starrett’s work at The Ready State and his books as sources for drills and protocols coaches can adopt. The podcast entry included a short community feature spotlighting an athlete-coach story and provides links to the episode audio for listening or download.

For affiliates, the episode is a reminder that culture and coaching standards are the backbone of community health. Programming, cueing, and a willingness to scale responsibly keep members training past their 30s, 40s, and beyond. For coaches, it’s a practical prompt to audit how pain is handled in class, and to prioritize movement literacy in youth programming.

Our two cents? Treat pain as useful feedback, not punishment, and build a program that values durability over ego-driven loads. Put movement literacy first, coach consistently, and your athletes will rack up more healthy years in the gym.