Unfiltered Extra

Scroll through social media for any length of time and it’s impossible not to notice the intense tribalism around all things nutrition. The followers of different dietary approaches, be it vegan, keto or carnivore to name some of the most vocal and animated tribes, are engaged in relentless promotion of their chosen nutritional path and constant criticism of anything or anyone that deviates even s...

The fitness industry loves to declare one method as "the best" way to achieve specific goals. Spend any time on social media, and you'll quickly encounter phrases like "this is the best way to lose fat" or "this is the only way to build muscle." For years, we've been told that it's nearly impossible to train for multiple fitness goals at once. The most common myth? "You can't build bigger muscles...

Childhood trauma can take a lifetime to overcome but understanding and accepting even just some small part of it can be converted into a superpower of drive and determination to never let a single second slip by without wringing every last drop of opportunity from it. That’s the message Georgie Spurling , founder and CEO of wellness company ARVRA, wants to share. Born with an extremely rare heart...

Have you ever wondered why you seem to just instinctively prefer one lift over another, or why your bench press seems to improve so much more easily than your deadlift? Or even why some lifts seem to hurt, no matter how much you warm up, while others feel great. Well, this interview will answer your questions. Lee Boyce, one of the fitness industry's most respected voices, explains how understandi...

Do you want to be ready to overcome any challenge, anywhere and at any time? Then you need to listen to Josh Bryant, the legendary strength coach and bestselling author of more than 30 books on every aspect of strength, training and optimal performance. Whether you're a seasoned athlete or just starting your fitness journey, Bryant has advice that will change the way you train for the better. Brya...

We are living in a time of revolution. We’ve seen the enormous impact of the AI revolution with Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, and also the weight loss revolution with GLP-1 agonists like Semaglutide and related obesity drugs. Next in line is the longevity revolution. At the forefront of this coming revolution we find Dr Gil Blander, a man who as founder and chief scientific officer of...

When was the last time you went to your doctor with a chronic health problem, such as high blood pressure, depression or weight gain? And what was the outcome?

 Alongside your prescription to tackle the most severe complications of the condition, were you give any dietary advice to help ease your symptoms? What about any positive lifestyle changes that may put you back in control of your physical...

What was your response the last time you received an unexpected compliment? 
Did you instantly downplay it? Deflect it entirely? Or maybe you even quickly criticised yourself or your achievement is a desperate self-deprecating act that not only made you look bad, but likely made the compliment-payer feel a bit stupid too. What about when someone asks you to do something you really don’t want to do...

In the ultra-competitive health and fitness arena, few stories are as inspiring as that of Luka Hocevar. In this exclusive Unfiltered conversation you don’t just get 20 years of professional insights on the power of coaching and the relentless pursuit of self-improvement, you’ll also discover his personal story: a narrative that will resonate with anyone determined to unleash their potential. Hoce...

From leading covert counter-terrorism operations for the British military for two decades to becoming the fastest Briton to solo row the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge – achieving the 3000-mile crossing from San Sebastian in the Canary Islands to Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua in just 46 days – Mike Bates knows a thing or two about performing under pressure . Whether the enemy was a Taliban insu...

Over the past decade Nick Shaw, the co-founder and CEO of Renaissance Periodization (RP Strength) has transformed RP Strength from a niche service into a powerhouse in the fitness and nutrition world, recently experiencing explosive subscriber growth on YouTube and other social media platforms, including Instagram . RP’s unique model includes highly credentialed coaches – almost all with PhDs – wh...

“The Fittest Man on Earth”. That’s the title that was bestowed upon Jason Khalipa after he won the 2008 CrossFit Games. That alone makes him a man worth listening to, but Khalipa’s legacy transcends the boundaries of fitness and personal development to something far more consequential. Khalipa retired from CrossFit in 2016 following his daughter Ava’s devastating leukaemia diagnosis. In the face o...

For far too long the main health and fitness message directly at women of all ages was along the lines of “move more, eat less”, thanks in no small part to the toxic diet culture and body image pressure heaped upon women for generations. Yet a far better mantra, and one infinitely more useful to improving the health, fitness and wellbeing of all women, is “lift weights and eat more protein”. Becau...

For Victoria Felkar, a front-line researcher in the fields of women’s health and training, and performance-enhancing drugs, the rise of anabolic steroid use in young women is a hugely troubling trend. Driven by social media personalities, photo and video editing software, unrealistic body images and the easy of accessing these substances through online chemists, Felkar reveals how fitness influenc...

In what’s generally regarded as one of the ultimate expressions of athleticism, Muhammad Ali in his prime could “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee”. It’s rare to see a 260lb (118kg) man who looks like a bodybuilder but moves like a ballerina. It’s rarer still - and perhaps even unique - when that man is a father and combat veteran in his mid-forties with a demanding full-time job. Enter...

With notable exceptions - such as abortion and euthanasia - few medical interventions elicit such a polarisation of opinion as TRT. But why does the mere mention of testosterone replacement therapy provoke such strong views? In recent years the TRT market has exploded into public view. Once the hush-hush secret of Hollywood elites and high-flying CEOs, TRT has become much more mainstream, shedding...

It’s said that the fastest way to start an argument online is to post about politics. But talking about nutrition can’t be too far behind in what’s most likely to annoy, rankle and infuriate anyone who comes into contact with your comment, however innocent or innocuous you think it is. Much like politics, and many other matters in the modern world, nutrition and, by extension supplementation, have...

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a condition most women will have heard of, but you’ll only truly appreciate just how debilitating a disorder it can be if you’re unlucky enough to be one in the 10 women globally who suffer from it. 


 In simple terms PCOS is an endocrine disorder characterised by a variety of symptoms that can severely impact life quality: irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, wei...

How would you celebrate your 1000th birthday? As fanciful as it sounds, many scientists working at the cutting-edge of life-extension medicine and technology believe that milestone is in reach. Some even believe that the first human to live to reach four figures has not only been born, but is already well into middle-age. Which begs the question, is ageing an inevitable part of life? Or is it just...

There are few things people fear, especially once they enter middle-age, as much as major cognitive decline. Neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia, affect more than 55 million people worldwide, with 10 million new cases every year, according to the World Health Organisation. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for between 60% to 70% of all cases – and dementi...

As the old adage goes, from little acorns grow mighty oaks. DeFranco’s Training Systems began life in a 500 square foot storage closet, and has grown into one of the most successful and highly regarded brands in the fitness and sports performance industry. Spear-headed by Joe DeFranco, a world-renowned personal trainer and educator with more than a quarter of a century’s experience in the fitness...

Inspired - and frustrated - by seeing the same creatine question get asked time and again on Reddit, serial entrepreneur Sol Orwell co-founded sports nutrition research service Examine.com in 2011, growing from a two-man-band in Toronto, Canada, to the world’s most trusted authority on critiquing the claims made by the $380-billion-a-year global supplement industry. But, as he reveals in a wide-ra...

It would be difficult to overstate Stan Efferding’s impact on the world of health, fitness and performance. Having reached the pinnacle of both bodybuilding and powerlifting - he is both a world record holding powerlifter and an IFBB professional bodybuilder - he is now one of the most highly sought after consultants to many of the world’s most popular and successful athletes across an incredibly...

Artificial intelligence and wearable technology have already had a huge impact on improving elite athletic performance, and many of these technological breakthroughs are beginning to trickle down into the amateur athletic space. But if the relationship between AI, smart tech and physical performance is still in its nascency, just how big an impact can and will it have on pushing the limits of huma...

British army soldier. Physique athlete. Cover model. Personal trainer. Online coach. Gym owner. Author. Broadcaster. Social media superstar. If Jay Alderton had a business card that listed his career roles it wouldn’t fit in his wallet. In a remarkable and varied professional journey, completed with unfathomable highs and heart-breaking lows, Alderton has developed a unique online voice to distill...