Unfiltered Extra

In an Unfiltered exclusive, two-time World's Strongest Man Tom Stoltman opens up to editor-in-chief Joe Warner about life, lifting and how he plans to secure his legacy as the greatest strongman of all time.In a raw, honest and wide-ranging conversation, Tom reveals how his difficult and lonely childhood - his teachers told him he'd amount to nothing - was navigated thanks to the love and support of his close-knit family, and how his brother Luke's decision to invite Tom to the gym was the moment that saved his life.Since that first brother-in-arms session, the two have conquered the strongman world, and Tom reveals how he knew he was destined for greatness, the major sacrifices he had to make to achieve his dream, how he channels his autism as a "superpower”, and how wears his diagnosis proudly as a beacon of hope and optimism for the hundreds of thousands of people, and their families, in similar situations.For the full interview as well as exclusive access to all Unfiltered's video interviews, features and documentaries visit https://unfilteredonline.com/worlds-strongest-man-my-autism-is-a-superpower/For exclusive access to all Unfiltered's video interviews, features and documentaries visit https://unfilteredonline.com/Get in touch in the comments below or talk to us on:Email: editorial@unfilteredonline.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSV7XVaBYUYq5YidLI12owInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unfiltered.extraTwitter: https://twitter.com/UnfilteredExtra

College football star, champion physique athlete, international cover model, and social media superstar. There’s not many things Steve Cook tries that doesn’t result in huge success.At least from the outside. Throughout the prism of Instagram, he’s living the perfect life and his legion of fans adore him.But does the reality mirror what it’s really like to live under that social media spotlight? Or he is just as affected by some of the negative impacts of living your life online that we all suffer?In a hugely honest and revealing conversation with Unfiltered editor-in-chief Joe Warner, Steve opens up about his life, lifting and his legacy and - in a world exclusive - reveals his experiences with using performance-enhancing drugs and the impact they've had on his long-term health.In their wide-ranging intimate chat, Steve also explains how he bounced back from getting burned out by the challenges of satisfying the relentless demands of creating new content; his mental health struggles as COVID-19 restrictions kept him and wife Morgan continents apart; the internal pressure he put on himself by seeking external validation for how he looked with his shirt off; the body dysmorphia and eating disorders issues that are prevalent in the health and wellness industry.He also explains why his new-found love for golf is the greatest metaphor for a life well lived: the more effort you put in, the more joy you get back.To watch our video on Steve Cook talking about how he deals with the pressure of living his life in the spotlight, including battling his demons around burn out, imposter syndrome, body image pressure and more, visit https://unfilteredonline.com/steve-cook-social-media-body-issues/For exclusive access to all Unfiltered's video interviews, features and documentaries visit https://unfilteredonline.com/Get in touch in the comments below or talk to us on:Email: editorial@unfilteredonline.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSV7XVaBYUYq5YidLI12owInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unfiltered.extraTwitter: https://twitter.com/UnfilteredExtra

What do a large adult male polar bear, a grand piano, and a 1962 Lotus Elan all have in common? They each weigh around 1300lbs, the equivalent to about 600kg or 94 stone.Which also means that the bear, the piano and the seminal sports car could all be successfully squatted by Brian Carroll, the retired powerlifter and spine health consultant, who holds the record for the heaviest squat of all time at an incredible 1,306lbs.Even for the serious strength athlete that’s a number that’s almost impossible to comprehend. For a clearer comparison, picture someone squatting with 14 plates each side: they’d still be almost 30lb shy of Carroll’s record.As if this wasn’t outrageously impressive enough, imagine achieving it after such a serious back injury you’d been told you’d never lift again, let alone break world records. In an exclusive and wide-ranging conversation with Unfiltered's contributing editor Dr Jonny Rees, PhD, Carroll he explains how he bounced back stronger from a near career-ending injury to the amazement of everyone concerned, except him, and reveals his mental processes and strategies to make possible such incredible physical feats of strength.He also details his approaches to maintaining optimal spine health so you an avoid so many of the common back problems that cause significant mental and physical health problems. So sit back and listen to this masterclass in strength and performance from the strongest man to ever set foot in a squat rack. Watch the full interview at https://unfilteredonline.com/brian-carroll-the-squat-world-record-holder-on-how-you-can-build-serious-strength/For exclusive access to all Unfiltered's video interviews, features and documentaries visit https://unfilteredonline.com/ Get in touch in the comments below or talk to us on:Email: editorial@unfilteredonline.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSV7XVaBYUYq5YidLI12owInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unfiltered.extraTwitter: https://twitter.com/UnfilteredExtra

In an evermore polarised and conflicted world, it’s tempting to focus our efforts on minimising our exposure to stress. So we shy away, avoiding people, places and situations that stress us out.

Yet this strategy is at best only ever a short-term fix. Stress is everywhere and so impossible to avoid.

A far more beneficial and positive approach is to instead build up your reserves of resilience so you’re fully prepared to tackle and overcome whatever life throws at you. 

To empower you to do exactly that, Unfiltered editor-in-chief Joe Warner visited the LA home of Dr Stephen Sideroff, Associate Professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA School of Medicine, and a world-renowned expert in resilience, stress management and peak performance.

In a fascinating and thought-provoking conversation, Dr Sideroff offers his career-defining advice on the optimal strategies for dealing with stress; the biggest obstacles people face when trying to build resilience, and how to overcome them; the importance of having a sense of meaning and purpose in life to become resilient; the role of optimism and positive thinking in building resilience, and how to cultivate a more positive outlook in the face of adversity; and much more life-changing advice and insight.

Watch the full video interview: https://unfilteredonline.com/stephen-sideroff-anger-resilience/For exclusive access to all Unfiltered's video interviews, features and documentaries visit https://unfilteredonline.com/Get in touch in the comments below or talk to us on:Email: editorial@unfilteredonline.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSV7XVaBYUYq5YidLI12owInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unfiltered.extraTwitter: https://twitter.com/UnfilteredExtra

It doesn’t take long once you start your own journey towards a fitter, stronger and healthier body that you encounter the name Kris Gethin.The coach, editor, author and entrepreneur has been an ever-present in the global fitness world for the past three decades and a constant voice of authority, innovation and motivation in an industry prone to fads, frauds and quick-fix fallacies. Amongst his peers, and indeed to anyone who knows anything about lifting, training and realising your potential, Gethin garners nothing but the utmost respect, praise and admiration for his countless contributions to the global fitness conversation. His career has been defined by relentless pursuit and adaptation. His journey from the rugged coastlines of Wales to the top of fitness entrepreneurship, has included sculpting the physiques of amateurs, elites and professionals. But it is as a writer, editor and author - he edited the hugely successful bodybuilding.com at its most influential - that Gethin has forged a legacy that extends beyond the gym walls, reaching into and improving the lives of millions of people around the world with his impactful and pragmatic approach to health and wellness. In a wide-ranging and in-depth conversation with Unfilteredonline.com editor Joe Warner, Gethin shares the lessons he’s learned over the years - many the hard way - that have invaluably shaped and informed his philosophy on life and lifting. He describes the “fork in the road” moment that led to his escape from a life of drink, drugs and criminality. He reveals the career-defining decisions he navigated with a blend of instinct and integrity that took him first to travelling around the world on cruise ships - first as a personal trainer, then as a masseuse (because the passengers tipped the massage guy more than the gym trainer) - to Australia where he opened his first gym, before landing in LA to work for the biggest fitness magazines in the world. And he discusses some of the biggest issues facing the fitness industry today, including the rise of social media influencers unqualified to offer health advice; the prevalence of performance-enhancing drugs in leading Hollywood and Bollywood icons, as well as regular gym goers; and how the impact of the bio-hacking movement, with its ice baths and sunlight staring, has changed our understanding of the big pillars of health and wellbeing. For the full interview with bonus content, visit: https://unfilteredonline.com/kris-gethin-want-success-in-business-or-bodybuilding-dont-have-a-plan-b/For exclusive access to all Unfiltered's video interviews, features and documentaries visit https://unfilteredonline.com/ Get in touch in the comments below or talk to us on:Email: editorial@unfilteredonline.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSV7XVaBYUYq5YidLI12owInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unfiltered.extraTwitter: https://twitter.com/UnfilteredExtra

The fastest way to start an argument on the internet? Post about politics.The second fastest? Talk about nutrition. And just as politics has become more polarising, in part thanks to the rise of social media and its ubiquity in our lives, how we eat and to which nutritional strategy we adhere has become equally tribal, with people passionately arguing how one dietary approach is “right” and all other options are inherently “wrong”. Vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, carnivore, intermittent fasting, paleo, Mediterranean, flexitarian, FODMAP, the list goes on. But one dietary approach has captured the zeitgeist more than any other: the ketogenic diet. Keto, which is characterised by high-fat and very low-carbohydrate intake, has gained huge popularity for its promise not only to facility rapid weight loss, but also to improve metabolic health and cognitive function. Adherents wax lyrical about its myriad physical and mental health improvements, even though the diet requires significant planning to keep carb intake so low. At the forefront of our understanding of the ketogenic diet stands Dr Dom D’Agostino, a distinguished scientist and researcher whose groundbreaking work has shed light on how keto works for the general population and the therapeutic applications of ketosis in conditions ranging from epilepsy to neurodegenerative diseases. He is also an expert in the science behind intermittent fasting, another nutritional strategy that has become hugely popular, primarily as a tactic to rapidly reduce bodyweight.In our exclusive interview Unfiltered contributing editor Dr Jonny Rees speaks to Dr D’Agostino to discover how and why keto diets and intermittent fasting can be such effective weight-loss and performance-boosting strategies, whether you should try these nutritional approaches and, if so, how you should begin, and ask him to detail his own personal nutritional and lifestyle protocols he believes helps him look, feel and perform at his very best. Watch the full video interview with bonus footage at https://unfilteredonline.com/dr-dom-dagostino-the-health-and-peformance-benefits-of-keto-diets-and-fasting/ For exclusive access to all Unfiltered's video interviews, features and documentaries visit https://unfilteredonline.com/ Get in touch in the comments below or talk to us on:Email: editorial@unfilteredonline.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSV7XVaBYUYq5YidLI12owInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unfiltered.extraTwitter: https://twitter.com/UnfilteredExtra

The gut is often called our “second brain” for the huge role and influence it has in our physical and mental health and wellbeing.But it should really be known as our original brain.Go back far enough on our family tree and you’ll find a common ancestor of all vertebrates alive today who had a digestive system long before the cerebellum, parietal lobe or thalamus evolved.It’s little wonder then that our gut is intrinsically involved in so many bodily functions outside of its core remit of extracting nutrition from the food we eat the getting rid of the waste, not least its role in managing metabolism, modulation of the immune system and creating hormones. What’s more, the bacteria that call your gut and digestive tract home have a huge say in how good you look, feel and perform.What is more surprising is how little we still know and understand about how the gut works, and the myriad intricate and interconnected ways it works with other parts of the brain and body.At the current leading edge of our knowledge is Dr Emeran Mayer, distinguished research professor in the Departments of Medicine, Physiology and Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Founding Director of the UCLA Brain Gut Microbiome Center.His work and research have hugely advanced our understanding of optimising gut health and combating increasingly common gut-related health issues, including Crohn's disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.In an exclusive conversation with Unfiltered editor-in-chief Joe Warner, Professor Mayer details our latest understanding of how the gut works and uncover why debilitating conditions such as IBS, which often begin as a slight physical ailment before advancing into a major psychological health risk, are on the rise in all parts of the Western world.He also explains the simple steps you can take, starting today, to improve your physical health and mental happiness by taking better care of your gut and digestive system, and ask whether expensive big budget advertising campaigns purporting the gut-health benefits of dietary supplements, prebiotic drinks and probiotic yoghurts are worth your hard-earned cash.For the full interview with Professor Mayer visit https://unfilteredonline.com/dr-emeran-mayer-fix-your-gut-to-improve-immunity-lose-weight-and-look-and-feel-fantastic/For exclusive access to all Unfiltered's video interviews, features and documentaries visit https://unfilteredonline.com/Get in touch in the comments below or talk to us on:Email: editorial@unfilteredonline.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSV7XVaBYUYq5YidLI12owInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unfiltered.extraTwitter: https://twitter.com/UnfilteredExtra

If you know a friend or family member suffering from dementia, you’ll know all too well just how cruel and destructive a disease it is.You’ll also know that a dementia diagnosis is currently a death sentence, albeit one that is heart-breaking drawn out over years and decades as the person you know and love and have shared a life with gradually disappears from view, until just their physical shell remains once the light that powered their personality is extinguished forever.It happens right in front of your eyes. And you are completely powerless to do anything about it.But there is growing hope that dementia - which is the term used to describe several diseases that affect memory, thinking, and the ability to perform daily activities - may soon join the list of other previously-terminal illnesses that are now easily treated, reversed and cured.Leading that charge is globally renowned neurodegenerative health expert Dr Dale Bredesen, MD. He has led research that resulted in the first reversal of cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, using a precision medicine protocol instead of the generic and long-established forms of treatment that at best slow the acceleration of the disease.His work has led to the publication of more than 230 papers and he has written two books, both New York Times best sellers, on his work and methods.Now the senior director of the world’s first precision medicine programme for neurodegenerative diseases at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Dr Bredesen advocates for novel forms of treatment for patients with both early- and late-stage dementia, focused on precision medicine.In a wide-ranging and in-depth conversation with Unfiltered editor-in-chief Joe Warner, Dr Bredesen explains how his treatments work in first halting and then reversing dementia, why he believes dementia and related neurodegenerative diseases are effectively now a choice, especially for younger people, because of the tools and techniques now available to halt these illnesses in their tracks - so long as the early warning signs are spotted soon enough.He also reveals and details the seven essential steps he recommends everyone takes to better protect their brain and to reduce the risk of them developing dementia in later life.Watch the full video interview, and access bonus content, at our website: https://unfilteredonline.com/dr-dale-bredesen-dementia-is-now-a-choice-and-we-will-cure-neurodegenerative-disease-for-good/For exclusive access to all Unfiltered's video interviews, features and documentaries visit https://unfilteredonline.com/Get in touch in the comments below or talk to us on:Email: editorial@unfilteredonline.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSV7XVaBYUYq5YidLI12owInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unfiltered.extraTwitter: https://twitter.com/UnfilteredExtra

It's said that there's two certainties in life: death and taxes.But you could add another to that list: suffering. At multiple times in life we will suffer. It may be a small or slight inconvenience, a life-changing event, or anywhere it between.But as sure as night follows day no one goes through life without periods of suffering. While it is inevitable, it's how we choose to experience that suffering that ultimately defines us - not only through our own eyes and those of others, but also defines the quality - or difficulty - of our limited and fragile existence on planet Earth.So what's the key to finding lifelong peace and happiness? You need to learn to "suffer beautifully". That's the mantra of Brian Alsruhe, a strongman, strength coach and founder of online coaching and consultancy website Neversate.com.Watch our exclusive video with Brian Alsruhe to discover how you can stop suffering ugly and learn to life the richer, happier and stress-free life you want.For the full video visit https://unfilteredonline.com/brian-alsruhe-do-hard-things-often-then-suffer-your-struggles-beautifully/For exclusive access to all Unfiltered's video interviews, features and documentaries visit https://unfilteredonline.com/Get in touch in the comments below or talk to us on:Email: editorial@unfilteredonline.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSV7XVaBYUYq5YidLI12owInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unfiltered.extraTwitter: https://twitter.com/UnfilteredExtra

How often do you upgrade your smartphone? What about your wardrobe? Or your car?In today’s modern capitalist and consumerism world we feel compelled to upgrade our possessions for the latest and best versions to try to look and feel as good as possible.But how much time, money or energy do you spend upgrading or optimising yourself so that you are able to perform at your highest possible level?Brain function, muscle function, alertness, stress management, recovery from injury as well more intangible factors like joyfulness and freedom from suffering.All these things can – and arguably should – also be optimised, and with a greater sense of urgency than most of us pay to our gear and gadgets.In our exclusive podcast interview with self-professed “longevity athlete” Bryan Johnson you met the highest-profile personality that’s the public face of the longevity and anti-ageing movement.But there are many experts in this field working behind the scenes at the coal face of anti-ageing research around the world.One such authority is specialist regenerative medicine physician Dr Ash Kapoor. In an in-depth conversation with Unfiltered contributing editor Dr Jonny Rees, Dr Kapoor explains that we live in a world where there’s a mismatch between our cells and our environment, and that this creates problems for our health and wellbeing.The good news is that there’s plenty you can do to mitigate the damage caused by this discrepancy. In a wide-ranging conversation Dr Kapoor reveals the myriad benefits of regenerative medicine, and the ways in which it can help you optimise your physical and mental capabilities to live smarter.Some practices have existed since time immemorial, such as fasting. Others are at the bleeding-edge of biomedical developments, including peptides, nutritional supplements and other innate mechanisms that can improve our resilience and fight back against many of the problems engendered by our modern lives. In short, regenerative medicine can address issues which would have seemed like science fiction not long ago.For exclusive access to all Unfiltered's video interviews, features and documentaries visit https://unfilteredonline.com/Get in touch in the comments below or talk to us on:Email: editorial@unfilteredonline.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSV7XVaBYUYq5YidLI12owInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unfiltered.extraTwitter: https://twitter.com/UnfilteredExtra