Controversy to Comeback? CrossFit Founder Returns with MetFix
CrossFit’s Greg Glassman is building an army of new affiliates to defeat chronic disease at a pivotal time
Greg Glassman, CrossFit founder and the driving force behind its rise as a modern fitness sensation, is writing his next chapter—just over four and a half years after stepping down as CEO and putting CrossFit up for sale.
Enter MetFix (short for Metabolic Fix), a methodology grounded in Glassman’s body of work that blends the mechanics of movement and how the body processes energy through nutrition – a program that intends to equip coaches with the tools to improve health and save lives.
The new venture comes at a pivotal time, with a new administration soon taking hold, vowing to Make America Healthy Again and as discussions ramp up regarding the dangers of ulta-processed foods and consumers are increasingly interested in health and longevity.
For Glassman, MetFix is more than a new business model, but perhaps a comeback following numerous controversies, including accusations of racism in the wake of the death of George Floyd, as well as sexual harassment allegations – both of which Glassman has denied. Although the turbulence of 2020 led to the disaffiliation of numerous CrossFit gyms (with others impacted by the pandemic), CrossFit has largely remained one of the few entities resistant to full-scale cancellation — with devotees of the fitness method in abundance.
And in a nation divided on numerous issues, MetFix plans to burst onto the scene with a stance most would agree on—that chronic diseases are a serious issue. The framework of MetFix is reminiscent of CrossFit, though it carries a heightened sense of urgency to tackle the health issues plaguing Americans.
Dale King, an affiliate CrossFit owner who is reportedly leading MetFix’s affiliate program, sees MetFix as a return to the “original mission.”
“We’re losing the war to an enemy that has more funds, more weapons and more personnel, and we need to utilize these affiliates as an outpost in that work and basically create an insurgency through education and through connection and through fitness to serve as many people as we can,” he said in a MetFix Q&A video with Emily Kaplan.
Kaplan is deeply entrenched in the mission, having co-founded The Broken Science Initiative with Glassman in 2022, with MetFix serving as an offshoot. Multi-faceted, Kaplan has served as principal of The Kleio Group, a strategic communications firm, founded the women-focused Prime Fitness and Nutrition and has experience as a gym owner, podcast host and journalist.
To hear Kaplan tell it, MetFix is an opportunity to hone in on the science of nutrition.
“The big piece is that the base of the pyramid is nutrition, and that wasn’t sort of well-delivered or explained in a technical sense, back when [Glassman] launched 20 years ago,” she explained.
The first 100 affiliates granted access to the MetFix platform include those with a keen interest in The Broken Science Initiative, longtime affiliate owners “in the know” about ongoing developments and those who regularly attend events.
“I thought we would have a few hundred people interested — we’ve had thousands,” Kaplan said. According to a post on Instagram, more than 3,000 affiliates have applied in hopes of securing one of a hundred spots. She emphasized MetFix’s intentional rollout, ensuring that all of the proper systems are in place before expanding.
Although details are limited, New Species CrossFit will be among the first to adopt and promote MetFix within its fitness community, with gym owner John Hunnicutt describing the program to the New York Times as a “grown and sexy version of CrossFit with a little bit more on the critical thinking.” Part of that includes MetFix’s integration of functional fitness and nutrition that has a strong anti-carb focus.
It remains to be seen just how public-facing Glassman will be as MetFix launches, although Kaplan revealed that two-day seminars led by Glassman are slated for sometime in 2025.
In addition to MetFix, there are two other “societies” that appear to be in development, according to the Broken Science Initiative: a medical society and an educational society. The medical society, launching in June, is described as an initiative dedicated to tackling systemic issues affecting modern medicine, while the educational society is aimed at promoting curricula that foster critical thinking, including the philosophy of science.
In the meantime, King emphasizes that MetFix is looking for affiliates who “aren’t afraid to fight.”
“This is a community driven and led thing,” he said. “We’re finding people who are rebels and want to take it to the fight and fight chronic disease.”
As for 2025, it will be the “year of MetFix,” Kaplan said.
