Health & FitnessMental HealthEducationSelf-Improvement

The Adversity Advantage with Doug Bopst

Doug Bopst

The Adversity Advantage is where life’s hardest struggles become your greatest strengths. Each week, host Doug Bopst — a former felon and addict who used fitness to save his life — brings you raw, powerful conversations with world-class experts and thought leaders.

From Andrew Huberman to Mel Robbins, Gabby Bernstein, Gabor Maté, Robert Greene, Rich Roll, Kevin O’Leary, and more - you’ll hear the untold stories of how they turned setbacks into comebacks.

You’ll also walk away with practical, everyday tools to help you: build resilience in the face of adversity, rewire your brain and body for growth, strengthen relationships and mental health, transform your health, recover from addiction and unlock the discipline to create the life you want.

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Today · 1 hr
Steve-O: I Thought I’d Be Dead By 30… Then Everything Changed
Steve-O (Stephen Glover) is a stunt performer, comedian, and entertainer best known for his iconic role in Jackass. After years of addiction and self-destructive behavior, he got sober in 2008 and completely rebuilt his life. Today, he’s focused on comedy, health and fitness, his career, and caring for animals at his Tennessee sanctuary.Today on the show we discuss: why Steve-O never thought he’d live past 30, how getting sober completely changed the trajectory of his life, the surprising origins of Jackass and his obsession with being remembered, how health and fitness became a major priority in his 50s, the role accountability and forgiveness played in overcoming years of shame, and why he believes phone addiction, comparison, and a loss of faith are making modern life harder than ever and much more. Special thanks to Mosaic Asset Partners for letting us record in your beautiful conference room. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Monday · 1 hr 49 min
Why You Still Feel Empty Even When Everything Is Going Great | Patrick Teahan
Patrick Teahan is a childhood trauma therapist, educator, and content creator known for helping people understand how dysfunctional family systems shape mental health, relationships, addiction, and emotional patterns in adulthood. Drawing from both his professional experience and his own recovery from childhood trauma and addiction, Patrick makes complex psychological concepts accessible through practical, relatable language. His work focuses on childhood trauma recovery, inner child work, dysfunctional family rules, emotional neglect, boundaries, estrangement, and rebuilding a healthier sense of self. Today on the show we discuss: refrigerator buzz depression and how to recognize it, how childhood trauma fuels addiction and emotional shutdown, the hidden family rules that shape adult relationships, when estrangement from a parent may be necessary, how to rebuild damaged family relationships with boundaries and realistic expectations, how trauma therapy and inner child work can help you heal and much more. Today's sponsor: ⁠⁠Waking Up ⁠⁠ Join me on my meditation journey and get your free 14-day trial here: ⁠⁠https://wakingup.go2cloud.org/SH1L⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Saturday · 57 min
The Self-Help Tools That Actually Work | Spencer Greenberg
Spencer Greenberg is an entrepreneur and mathematician with a PhD in applied math from NYU. He’s the founder and CEO of ClearerThinking.org, a psychology education and research organization that designs and conducts novel studies in psychology and offers more than 80 interactive educational tools to the general public, used by hundreds of thousands of people. His work has been featured by numerous major media outlets, such as Forbes, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Independent, Lifehacker, Gizmodo, Fast Company, and Financial Times. Today on the show we discuss: why most self-help advice gets recycled, how to spot grifters and too-good-to-be-true promises, why smart people still get manipulated, the dangerous side of manifestation and toxic positivity, the evidence-backed psychological tools that actually improve your life, how to stop overthinking and turn better decisions into action and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 27 · 1 hr 9 min
How to Read People, Spot Manipulation & Protect Yourself | Chase Hughes
Chase Hughes is the founder and CEO of Applied Behavior Research, a leading expert in the field of human behavioral science, and a neuroscientist. After serving in the U.S. Navy for 20 years, Chase developed world-class behavior science tools, such as rapid behavior profiling and enhanced persuasion techniques, which he teaches to the United States military, law enforcement, Fortune-500 CEOs, doctors, attorneys, executives, and intelligence organizations. Today on the show we discuss: the early red flags of dangerous manipulators and why dopamine draws people into toxic dynamics, the biggest body language myths alongside the core framework for detecting real behavioral changes, why analyzing language patterns and word choices reveals far more about someone than physical movements, how to tell the difference between genuine insecurity and harmful manipulation, tactical interrogation techniques to uncover the truth and defend against gaslighting, and how to shift your perspective to build authentic connections without the fear of social judgment and much more. This episode is brought to you by: - Momentous - Waking Up Try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine: ⁠https://www.livemomentous.com⁠ Use code ADVERSITY for up to 35% off your entire first order Join me on my meditation journey with Waking up: Get your free 14-day trial here: ⁠https://wakingup.go2cloud.org/SH1L Download the SLATE method PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CkCSxl3YKNd2zs-AU45u7mHuKG_ihw1W/view Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 24 · 51 min
Why So Many Women Feel Terrible Despite Doing Everything Right | Tamsen Fadal
Tamsen Fadal is an award-winning journalist, author, filmmaker, and host of The Tamsen Show. After three decades in television news, she became one of the leading voices on menopause and women’s health, building a global community focused on helping women navigate midlife, reinvention, and what comes next. Today on the show we discuss: why so many women feel like they’re doing everything right but still feel terrible, the hidden signs of perimenopause and menopause, how hormonal changes can impact sleep, weight, confidence, and relationships, why strength training, protein, and stress management become increasingly important with age, how to reinvent yourself when the identity you built no longer fits, and why getting older can be the beginning of your most fulfilling chapter yet and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 22 · 55 min
Why Heat May Be One of the Best Tools for Longevity | Bill Gifford
Bill Gifford is a veteran magazine writer and editor who writes about extraordinary athletes and cutting-edge health science. He is coauthor of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Outlive, which has sold more than two million copies, as well as the New York Times bestseller Spring Chicken: Stay Young Forever (Or Die Trying). He is a longtime contributing editor at Outside, and his work has appeared in Wired, Bloomberg Businessweek, Men’s Health, Bicycling, The Washington Post, and others, as well as in Best American Sportswriting. Today on the show we discuss why sauna may improve cardiovascular health and longevity, the surprising connection between heat exposure and cognitive decline, how heat can reduce stress and improve mental well-being, the biggest mistakes people make with sauna temperature and hydration, why cold plunging after strength training may hurt your gains, and the ideal sauna protocol for maximizing benefits without overdoing it and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 20 · 1 hr 15 min
The Brutal Truth About Fitness Optimization | Dr. Andy Galpin
Dr. Andy Galpin is a professor and human performance scientist with a PhD in Human Bioenergetics and more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and presentations. For over 20 years, he has worked with elite athletes across the NFL, NBA, MLB, UFC, Olympics, boxing, military special forces, and more, and he also hosts Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin. Today on the show we discuss why over-optimizing your health can actually backfire, which wearable metrics matter and why deep sleep scores can mislead you, how to improve your VO2 max without obsessing over one “perfect” protocol, the strength and symmetry markers that matter for long-term performance, how much weekly training volume you really need to build muscle, and the recovery tools Andy actually uses versus the expensive hacks you probably don’t need and much more. Thank you to today's sponsors: ⁠Momentous⁠ Try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine: ⁠https://www.livemomentous.com⁠ Use code ADVERSITY for up to 35% off your entire first order Waking Up ⁠ Join me on my meditation journey and get your free 14-day trial here: ⁠https://wakingup.go2cloud.org/SH1L Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 17 · 1 hr 6 min
How To Find Humor When Life Gets Hard | Chris Duffy
Chris Duffy is a comedian, writer, and podcast host who explores the role humor plays in resilience, connection, and everyday life. He has worked in comedy for more than a decade, taught improv, and hosts a podcast on the TED Audio Collective. His work focuses on how laughter can help people navigate stress, adversity, relationships, and difficult life experiences without minimizing what they’re going through. Today on the show, we discuss: why humor is a powerful tool for getting through adversity, how to tell when humor creates connection versus avoids the truth, why toxic positivity can make hard times even harder, simple ways to become funnier and more observant, how to laugh at yourself without tearing yourself down, and why embracing imperfection can build stronger relationships and greater resilience and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 15 · 1 hr 4 min
How To Break Free From Your Old Story & Change Your Life | Cate Hall
Cate Hall is a Yale-trained Supreme Court lawyer turned #1-ranked female poker player, turned recovering addict, turned biotech founder and CEO. Today on the show we discuss why your identity can keep you trapped in a life you no longer want, why willpower is overrated for lasting change, how the crisis manager mindset can help you take action when life feels overwhelming, why being willing to look foolish can accelerate growth and reinvention, how addiction and failure can force you to redefine success, and why building agency starts with getting honest about the life you are living and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 13 · 1 hr 12 min
The Everyday Habits That Are Aging Your Brain | Dr. David Perlmutter
Dr. David Perlmutter is a Board-Certified Neurologist and six-time New York Times bestselling author whose work focuses on the intersection of neurology, nutrition, and brain health. A Fellow of the American College of Nutrition, he serves on its Board of Directors and on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. His books, including the #1 bestseller Grain Brain, have been published in 32 languages and sold over a million copies. Dr. Perlmutter lectures globally at leading institutions and has been featured on major media outlets including 20/20, CNN, The Today Show, and Oprah. His contributions have earned him numerous national and international awards for clinical innovation and leadership. Today on the show, we discuss why Alzheimer’s may be driven more by lifestyle than genetics, how insulin resistance and blood sugar can quietly damage the brain, the foods and eating habits that may protect cognitive health, why sleep, exercise, and social connection are critical for preventing decline, what caffeine, nicotine, marijuana, and alcohol actually do to the brain, and the simple changes you can start making today to protect your memory for decades to come. Thank you to today's sponsor: Momentous Try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine: https://www.livemomentous.com Use code ADVERSITY for up to 35% off your entire first order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 10 · 51 min
How to Train Your Mind To Do Hard Things | Wim Hof
Wim Hof, known worldwide as “The Iceman,” is a pioneer in unlocking human potential. As the creator of the Wim Hof Method — an empowering blend of breathwork, cold exposure, and mindset — he has inspired millions to reconnect with their inner strength and resilience. Today on the show we discuss: how losing his wife forced Wim to find a way through unimaginable grief, why cold exposure became his tool for quieting emotional pain and building resilience, how breathwork can help you stay calm when your body is under stress, the simple way beginners can start using cold showers without overwhelming themselves, why voluntarily embracing discomfort can change your relationship with pain and anxiety, and how transforming suffering into purpose can help you become stronger through adversity and much more. Today's sponsor: Waking Up Join me on my meditation journey and get your free 14-day trial here: https://wakingup.go2cloud.org/SH1L Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 8 · 1 hr 2 min
How ESPN Became the Worldwide Leader in Sports | Mike Soltys
Mike Soltys is the official Historian for ESPN. Prior to that role he spent 43 years in Public Relations at ESPN and has won numerous awards for media relations. Today on the show we discuss how ESPN nearly collapsed before it ever launched, why Bill Rasmussen’s intentional optimism kept the vision alive, how SportsCenter became the backbone of the network, why iconic personalities built a deeper bond with fans, how ESPN survived fierce competition and adapted to new media, and the resilience and risk required to build a global brand from an idea everyone thought was crazy and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 6 · 1 hr 26 min
Why You’re Always Tired & How to Finally Fix Your Sleep | Dr. Kristen Holmes
Dr. Kristen Holmes is the Global Head of Human Performance and Principal Scientist at WHOOP, where she leads pioneering research on the interplay between physiological metrics and behavioral patterns Today on the show we discuss why sleep consistency can matter more than duration, how caffeine can sabotage recovery even when you fall asleep easily, why alcohol and marijuana leave you unconscious but not deeply restored, how daytime stress and artificial light disrupt your nervous system at night, the simple daily routine that resets your circadian rhythm, and how Kristen healed from trauma and stopped tying her self-worth to achievement. Thank you to today's sponsor: Momentous Try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine: https://www.livemomentous.com Use code ADVERSITY for up to 35% off your entire first order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 3 · 1 hr 5 min
How to Break Free From Sugar Addiction & Take Back Control of Your Health | Dr. Jen Unwin
Dr. Jen Unwin is an award-winning clinical health psychologist and leading expert in food addiction, behavior change, and drug-free type 2 diabetes remission. For more than 13 years, she has helped patients transform their health through hope-based care, while pioneering research, treatment models, and international consensus in the emerging field of food addiction. Today on the show we discuss whether sugar addiction is real, how ultra processed foods hijack the brain’s reward system, why stress and childhood trauma can drive compulsive eating, the difference between food addiction and eating disorders, how to identify trigger foods and create healthier boundaries, and why whole foods, exercise, community and purpose are essential for lasting recovery. ⚠ WELLNESS DISCLAIMER ⚠ Please be advised; the topics related to mental health in my content are for informational, discussion, and entertainment purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your current condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard from your favorite creator, on social media, or shared within content you’ve consumed. If you are in crisis or you think you may have an emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. If you do not have a health professional who is able to assist you, use these resources to find help: Emergency Medical Services—911 If the situation is potentially life-threatening, get immediate emergency assistance by calling 911, available 24 hours a day. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org. SAMHSA addiction and mental health treatment Referral Helpline, 1-877-SAMHSA7 (1-877-726-4727) and https://www.samhsa.gov Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 1 · 1 hr 9 min
Johnathon Schaech Opens Up About Addiction, Hollywood Trauma & Staying Jacked at 56
Johnathon Schaech is an actor, writer, director and producer best known for his roles in That Thing You Do!, How to Make an American Quilt, The Doom Generation, Hush and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Throughout his three-decade career, he has appeared in more than 160 film and television productions. He currently stars as Sheriff Justin Wise and serves as an executive producer on the family crime series Blue Ridge, where his personal journey through trauma, sobriety, faith and fatherhood has deeply influenced his work. Today on the show we discuss how hidden trauma can shape a person’s life and career, why addiction becomes an escape from shame and pain, how abuse can destroy confidence and self-worth, how the 12 steps and faith create a path toward healing, why service is essential to lasting recovery, how sobriety can rebuild a family and revive a career and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 30 · 1 hr 2 min
How to Overcome Financial Anxiety & Build Lasting Wealth | Ben Carlson
Ben Carlson, CFA, is the Director of Institutional Asset Management at Ritholtz Wealth Management and the creator of the widely read financial blog A Wealth of Common Sense. He is the co-host of the Animal Spirits podcast and the author of several books on investing, including A Wealth of Common Sense and his latest release, Risk and Reward: How to Handle Market Volatility and Build Long-Term Wealth. Ben is known for making complex financial concepts practical, accessible, and easier for everyday investors to understand. Today on the show, we discuss why financial anxiety persists even when you are doing everything right, how to build a simple plan around your goals and risk tolerance, why automated investing can help you ignore market noise, how much cash you really need for emergencies and short-term goals, why more money does not automatically create security or happiness, and how to save, invest, and spend without guilt or constantly moving the goalposts and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 27 · 56 min
Addiction Psychologist: Why Drugs Are So Hard To Quit (It's Not About Willpower) Dr. Adi Jaffe
Dr. Adi Jaffe is a UCLA-trained psychologist, nationally recognized addiction expert, and bestselling author of The Abstinence Myth and Unhooked. Drawing from both his clinical expertise and his personal experience overcoming addiction and incarceration, he challenges traditional, shame-based recovery models and helps people address the emotional patterns driving destructive behaviors. Today on the show we discuss why addiction is often a solution to deeper emotional pain rather than the problem itself, how trauma and social anxiety can drive compulsive substance use, why removing the substance without addressing the underlying pattern can lead to relapse or replacement behaviors, how changing your internal narrative can reduce the need to escape, the daily practices that rebuild confidence and emotional stability over time, and why setbacks can become lessons that accelerate lasting change and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 25 · 54 min
The Fat Loss Mistakes That Destroy Your Metabolism | Ben Azadi
Ben Azadi is a podcaster, YouTuber and founder of Keto Kamp. Why losing body fat becomes more difficult with age, how preserving muscle supports insulin sensitivity and long-term metabolic health, the meal timing and fasting strategies Ben uses to help people become more metabolically flexible, why chronic calorie restriction and excessive exercise can eventually stall progress, how walking for 10 minutes after meals may improve glucose control, and why sleep, recovery, stress management, real food, and relationships matter more than supplements and trendy biohacks and much more. Try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine: https://www.livemomentous.com use code ADVERSITY for up to 35% off your entire first order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 23 · 58 min
How Cannabis, Alcohol and Stress Impact Fertility | Dr. Natalie Crawford
Natalie Crawford, MD is double board certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and author of the bestselling book, The Fertility Formula. She is co-founder of Fora Fertility, a boutique fertility practice in Austin, Texas and CEO and co-founder of Learn at Pinnacle, a medical education network. Dr. Crawford completed her undergraduate at Auburn University obtaining a degree in Nutrition Science, Medical School at University of Texas Medical Branch, OBGYN Residency at University of Texas Southwestern, and REI Fellowship at University of North Carolina, concurrently obtaining a Master of Science in Clinical Research. Today on the show we discuss how cannabis and alcohol affect fertility in men and women, how long reproductive health may take to recover after quitting, the surprising relationship between GLP 1 medications and fertility, how chronic stress and insulin resistance can make it harder to conceive, the five lifestyle habits that support healthier eggs and sperm, and why proactive fertility testing can help couples avoid losing valuable time. Try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine: https://www.livemomentous.com Use code ADVERSITY for up to 35% off your entire first order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
July 20 · 1 hr 10 min
Hunter Biden Opens Up About Addiction, Shame & The Fight To Rebuild His Life
Hunter Biden is an artist, author & recovery advocate. Today on the show we discuss: what the public never understood about Hunter Biden, the hidden pain behind his most destructive decisions, what happened when addiction stopped being an escape and became a prison, how he survived being publicly exposed at the worst possible moment, the accountability required to face the damage he caused, what it has taken to rebuild his life, whether or not he will run for president in 2028 and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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