Ep 256: Jason Walsh: Training Bradley Cooper & Transformation Truths

Filmmaking Conversations Podcast with Damien Swaby

Guest: Jason Walsh — Strength & Performance Coach
Mentors & background (as stated in the episode):

• Worked under Greg Gatz at the University of North Carolina (Olympic athlete S&C environment).
• Mentored by Luke Richardson (respected strength coach).

Selected clients & projects mentioned in the episode:

• Bradley Cooper — American Sniper: Discussed as a standout “all-in” transformation Jason was involved in (“the transformation that we did in American Sniper”), including addressing tendon issues from prior high-volume work and rebuilding capacity more intelligently.
• Also discussed (not presented as clients): Jake Gyllenhaal (praised for exceptional discipline); Jennifer Aniston (raised by Damien as a comparison point for training history), Chris Kyle referenced as the role target in American Sniper.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Foundations over fads: Why movement quality, progressive overload, and recoverability beat “miracle” plans.
• Load management done right: Practical ways to prevent overuse and tendon flare-ups when volume spikes or schedules get hectic.
• The creative athlete: How filmmakers and crew can train for long days—grip/carry strength, posture endurance, and simple maintain-during-shoot protocols.
• Mindset & longevity: Program to the job, not the trend—sleep, steps, protein, and stress become programmable variables, not guesswork.
• Beginners vs. trained: How Jason onboards true beginners vs. those with training history (same fundamentals, different starting loads, tighter guardrails on volume and intensity).

Episode Sponser: https://starwalkerorganicfarms.com
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