Podcast: He Couldn't Lift 45 Pounds at Age 57. Three Years Later, He Hit 300.
Brian Koppelman on transformation at any age, writing legendary TV and Films, meditation, ADHD, and more.
Brian Koppelman is on the podcast today.
I’m a longtime fan of Brian’s work: He co-wrote the films Oceans 13 and Rounders (one of my all-time favorites), as well as the television show Billions, which ran for 7 seasons … and which I binged like a junkie.
Brian and I connected after he realized, at 57, that his health was going off the rails. So he did something about it: He got obsessive about lifting and got really, really fit.
When Brian started lifting, he couldn’t deadlift an empty 45-pound barbell. And, right around his 60th birthday, he deadlifted 300 pounds. Change is always available—if you work for it.
We talked about his late-50s health transformation, his approach to exercise, how he gets creative ideas, his writing practice, what taking money off Harvard guys in poker taught him about life, his partnership with his longtime co-writer David Levien, meditation, overcoming anxiety, managing ADHD, how he’s the guy who discovered Tracy Chapman (seriously), and why your life will change when you realize you can just do stuff.
This episode has a ton of wisdom for anyone who has a body, creative work, or both.
Brian is also a lifelong, diehard Knicks fan, so please send prayers his way.
Watch the episode
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Show notes
Brian’s Instagram (full of exercise and writing wisdom)
Watch Billions (you’ll get hooked)
Watch Ocean’s 13 (a movie Leah quotes often. Specifically, this line.)
Watch Rounders (and remember “If you can’t spot the sucker in your first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker.”
Have fun, don’t die, start now,
Michael
Excellent podcast, Michael! I love that this goes far and beyond “fitness” as it is often defined/approached. Plus, Brian’s a super interesting and curious dude! Very inspiring! Thanks!
Another great podcast. Here’s a question for your next AMA: I’m one of those folks who hears “your lab results are fine” from my doc, and that’s not good enough for me. I want to know where I can improve, damn it. And there’s a ton of options out there to get 100, 150, whatever, test results, maybe on a regular basis, maybe with “expert analysis.” I’m curious how you sort all these out and where you land on how much testing is actually worth it and if you have any of these services you recommend.