Doug Bopst

From Felon to Fitness, Award-winning Personal Trainer, Host of Adversity Advantage Podcast, YouTuber and Author.

[Doug Bopst @dougbopst]

Thanks @TODAYshow for sharing my story! Great job on the piece @RheanaMurray !

[TODAY @TODAYshow]

How getting arrested and going to jail helped 1 young man turn his life around https://t.co/iCkMsrsQeP

[Doug Bopst @dougbopst]

.@Jason would love to get you on my Adversity Advantage pod to chat about your story! Sent you an email.

[Doug Bopst @dougbopst]

.@HunterBiden I’m also in recovery and going to jail saved my life. I’d love to host you on my podcast to share your story. Would you be down to come on?

[Doug Bopst @dougbopst]

@HunterBiden Congrats Hunter! I’ve been in recovery for almost 18 years. Would love to host you on my Adversity Advantage podcast 🙏

[Doug Bopst @dougbopst]

17 years ago today, I thought my life was over.

I was arrested on felony drug charges and thankfully I went to jail where I found fitness that saved my life from the depths of addiction.

Since then, the felony has come off my record and my life personally and professionally has completely transformed.

I share this to give people hope that are in their “darkest hour” right now.

The light will come. Don’t give up on yourself. Keep moving forward.

[Andy Stumpf @AndyStumpf77]

What a wild an interesting journey from idea to publication. Thank you to everyone who helped make this a success. The book ended up on all of the best seller lists, and that was because of all of you!

If you haven't picked up a copy, here is where you can:

https://t.co/OOoaJ485ca

[Doug Bopst @dougbopst]

.@JohnKiriakou is on the pod today!

John Kiriakou is a journalist, author and host of Deep Focus. He was a former senior counterterrorism officer for the CIA until he blew the whistle on its torture program.

Today on the show we discuss: how a CIA whistleblower risked everything to expose the truth, what it actually takes to think independently in a world full of propaganda, how to spot liars, manipulators and gaslighters before they gain control, the hidden ways people are influenced without realizing it, how power, fear and incentives shape human behavior, and the real-life consequences of standing up for what you believe in and much more.

Watch here:

https://t.co/BMBlC73zRN

[Ken Rideout @KenRideout_]

My friend @EricDecker87 had made it. NFL career. Super Bowl. A partner.

Everything most guys spend their life chasing. Then his career ended… and he wasn’t ok. 

No structure. No identity. Depression hit and he had to face himself.

Most guys avoid that part. Eric didn’t.

Full episode tomorrow.

[Doug Bopst @dougbopst]

@theproof Doug Bopst and Adam Sud to chat about their new pod!

[richroll @richroll]

New solo AMA episode on diet, training, and rebuilding my body after spinal fusion surgery. Streaming everywhere + YT.

[Sahil Bloom @SahilBloom]

Working out is the ultimate gateway drug for life improvement. Because it completely rewires your brain to view challenges differently. You start realizing that you’re in control. Capable of taking action to create outcomes. That shift has ripple effects into every area of life.

[Doug Bopst @dougbopst]

.@AndyStumpf77 is on the podcast today!

Watch here:

https://t.co/iBcHgAMDWt

[Doug Bopst @dougbopst]

.@AndyStumpf77 is on the podcast today!

Watch here:

https://t.co/iBcHgAMDWt

[Simon Hill MSc, BSc @theproof]

Back on the @richroll podcast ⬇️

https://t.co/BRZalbM0cM

[richroll @richroll]

On May 8, 2025 I underwent spinal fusion surgery, a 6 hour procedure in which I was filleted from front to back.

First, my abdomen was opened up so that the surgeon could scrape out the disc between L5 and S1, replacing it with a perforated cage containing bone grafting material that was screwed into my vertebra.

Then I was flipped over and opened up on my back so that my surgeon could screw vertical rods into L5 and S1 to secure my spine position to ensure the fusion sets properly.

The procedure was successful, correcting 15 years of lower back debilitation due to severe Spondylolisthesis. However, the recovery process demanded I endure far more than I bargained for, debilitating me in ways I thought might handicap me permanently.

For the first 3 months I could barely move. For the first six months my activity was limited to walking only. Pain was constant.

At nine months I was still in so much discomfort, still so limited in my range of motion, still too unstable to do anything to elevate my heart rate.

My weight ballooned. My muscles atrophied. My mood plummeted. And I was becoming resigned to the idea that my athletic identity (let alone performing extreme feats of ultra-endurance) was a thing of the past, a memory well behind me.

But very slowly after that I began to turn a corner. At ten months, I finally felt stable enough to resume a very modest non-spine compressing return to fitness exercise regimen. Zone 1 indoor cycling, gentle core work, extremely low weight / high rep resistance training.

Proceeding on a ‘less is more’ mandate in late November (which demands discipline for someone like myself prone to taking everything to the extreme, I just showed up every single morning to do what I could, and stop well before doing more than I should.

Today I am down 35 pounds from November (207 to 171) including a body fat reduction from 20% to 11%. More importantly, I am beginning to feel like myself again. Grateful and hopeful.

I still have a long way to go—it takes 12-18 months for the fusion to fully set. My surgeon was not optimistic that I will be able to run again. Time will tell of course, but I’m confident that provided I continue to proceed patiently that I have a future in which running can become part of my new reality.

Towards that end I have a goal—which is to celebrate my 60th birthday this Fall by participating in the NYC Marathon.

But here’s the thing. I’m not trying to return to who I once was. I’ve leaned into the stillness this experience has demanded of me to become someone new and better.

I am posting this story not for external validation but rather to say that change is always possible. And the way to do it is the same way I have navigated every one of my many life transformations, from alcoholism to sobriety, from sedentary to middle aged ultra endurance athlete, and from a corporate lawyer career to becoming an author and podcaster: getting sober and staying sober: by taking contrary action consistently and religiously—one day at a time.

As Chris Paul said on my podcast, “keep stacking days.”

And remember, every obstacle life presents you is simply an opportunity custom-designed for your growth and evolution.

[Ty Beal @TyBealPhD]

Great to see such alignment on @theproof podcast between me and Dr. Christopher Gardner. Whether you’re more plant-based or animal-based, all would benefit from replacing refined grains, added sugar, and ultra-processed foods with high quality whole foods.
https://t.co/O0E1nDC4CY

[Patrick Bet-David @patrickbetdavid]

Life will force you to reset at times.

That’s fine. Just make sure quitting is never an option.

[Patrick Bet-David @patrickbetdavid]

The biggest advantage a boy can have isn’t money, a high IQ or connections.

It’s having a present, strong father.

[Andy Stumpf @AndyStumpf77]

Having been at this podcast thing for nearly nine years now, and just now getting around to an email mailing list, which is something I should have done ohhh about nine years ago.... Regardless, here we are.

Click the link, join up, follow along on the journey.

Or, don't.

https://t.co/QT9mLqKMEn

[Doug Bopst @dougbopst]

.@patrickbetdavid is an entrepreneur, investor, and founder of @valuetainment , one of the largest business and personal development platforms in the world. He also hosts the @PBDsPodcast , where he interviews world-class entrepreneurs, leaders, and thinkers about business, leadership, and building a meaningful life.

Today on the show we discuss: how to stay optimistic when nothing in your life suggests things will get better, why taking personal responsibility instead of playing the victim changes the trajectory of your life, how changing your habits and environment can completely transform your future, the three forces that often shape highly successful people, why keeping your word and stacking small wins builds real confidence and credibility, how adversity and belief in your future self can help you build a life that once felt impossible and much more.

[Chris Williamson @ChrisWillx]

https://t.co/xDCZbcxWap