<![CDATA[Fitness Unfiltered]]>Welcome to FITNESS UNFILTERED.

No scripts.
No perfect answers.
No fitness bullshit.

Just real conversations with the coaches, athletes, competitors and people who live and breathe fitness.

We’re talking training. Performance. HYROX. CrossFit. Nutrition. Recovery. Mindset. Failure. Discipline.

And everything that happens behind the highlight reel.

Some conversations will inspire you.

Some might challenge what you think you know.

And some will probably get us into trouble.

Good.

Fitness Unfiltered is about getting beyond the reps, PBs and Instagram highlights to understand the people, ideas and stories shaping fitness today.

This is Fitness Unfiltered.

First episode coming soon.

Subscribe. Follow. And get ready for the conversations nobody else is having.

]]>https://youtube.com/@fitness_unfiltered_podcast?si=qv6y9P52PQXKjmJjRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Sat, 31 Oct 2026 19:12:17 GMTWed, 16 Sep 2026 11:11:44 GMT60Liam Mott<p>Welcome to FITNESS UNFILTERED.</p><p>No scripts.
No perfect answers.
No fitness bullshit.</p><p>Just real conversations with the coaches, athletes, competitors and people who live and breathe fitness.</p><p>We’re talking training. Performance. HYROX. CrossFit. Nutrition. Recovery. Mindset. Failure. Discipline.</p><p>And everything that happens behind the highlight reel.</p><p>Some conversations will inspire you.</p><p>Some might challenge what you think you know.</p><p>And some will probably get us into trouble.</p><p>Good.</p><p>Fitness Unfiltered is about getting beyond the reps, PBs and Instagram highlights to understand the people, ideas and stories shaping fitness today.</p><p>This is Fitness Unfiltered.</p><p>First episode coming soon.</p><p>Subscribe. Follow. And get ready for the conversations nobody else is having.</p>episodicLiam Mottmottliam2@gmail.comyes<![CDATA[What coaching and competing at the top level is really like- Mike van Tonder (#1)]]>In the first episode of Unfitness Unfiltered, Liam Mott speaks with Mike van Tonder, a CrossFit Games team athlete, semifinal competitor, and coach based in the UAE.Mike shares his journey from rugby in South Africa to discovering CrossFit in 2016, earning his Level 1, competing at the 2023 CrossFit Games, and building a professional coaching career overseas. They discuss the highs and lows of elite competition, including getting cut at the Games, specialist-event weaknesses, injury, qualification controversies, and the decision to keep competing.The conversation also explores how moving to the UAE changed Mike’s work, training, and lifestyle. He explains why coaching is treated as a serious profession there, how he balances training with a full-time schedule, and why a strong training environment can accelerate development.Mike breaks down his coaching philosophy: identify weaknesses, fill the gaps, manage recovery, and focus on long-term progress rather than simply doing more work. He explains why advanced athletes often need focused solo training, why class competition has limitations, and how sleep, nutrition, stress, soreness, and mood should influence programming.

Key topics
  • Mike’s transition from rugby to CrossFit
  • Competing at the 2023 CrossFit Games
  • Handling disappointment and getting cut
  • Moving from South Africa to the UAE
  • Coaching as a professional career
  • Training around a full-time work schedule
  • The importance of training environments
  • Solo training versus group competition
  • Needs analysis and weakness-based programming
  • Recovery, volume, and long-term athletic development
  • Maximal Recoverable Volume and Minimal Effective Volume
  • Thoughts on Renegade Games and CrossFit’s competitive landscape
  • Quick-fire questions, including Hyrox and race-day mishaps
Timestamps

00:00 - Introducing Mike and launching the show
01:09 - From rugby to CrossFit
04:56 - Mike’s first CrossFit experiences
07:07 - Competing at the 2023 CrossFit Games
08:34 - Missing the cut and specialist-event weaknesses
12:35 - Recovering mentally after the Games
16:05 - Moving to the UAE
17:52 - Coaching as a career
20:55 - Training around a full-time schedule
24:50 - Semifinals, qualification, and competition controversies
33:29 - The Sandton Renegade Games venue
35:30 - Why exposure to strong athletes matters
40:33 - Group programming and class competition
46:27 - Moving to Cape Town for better coaching
51:02 - Why elite athletes often train alone
58:32 - Longevity, recovery, and volume control
59:33 - Needs analysis and identifying weaknesses
61:27 - Sleep, nutrition, and when to rest
70:49 - MRV and MEV in programming
74:09 - Quick-fire questions
77:44 - Closing thoughts

Key takeaways
  • More training is not always better if recovery is poor.
  • Identify your weaknesses before adding volume.
  • Build training around your real schedule and lifestyle.
  • Use training partners to learn, not only to compete.
  • Long-term consistency matters more than short-term ego.
  • A good coach considers sleep, stress, soreness, nutrition, and mood—not just workout results.
Notable quotes

“This is a longevity game.”“Perfect practice makes perfect.”“You have to fill the gaps.”

]]>f127c811-c5b7-4c3c-9ebc-544396dd8084Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:15:02 GMTUnfitness Unfiltered Ep. 1 with Mike van Tonder<p>In the first episode of <i><em>Unfitness Unfiltered</em></i>, Liam Mott speaks with Mike van Tonder, a CrossFit Games team athlete, semifinal competitor, and coach based in the UAE.Mike shares his journey from rugby in South Africa to discovering CrossFit in 2016, earning his Level 1, competing at the 2023 CrossFit Games, and building a professional coaching career overseas. They discuss the highs and lows of elite competition, including getting cut at the Games, specialist-event weaknesses, injury, qualification controversies, and the decision to keep competing.The conversation also explores how moving to the UAE changed Mike’s work, training, and lifestyle. He explains why coaching is treated as a serious profession there, how he balances training with a full-time schedule, and why a strong training environment can accelerate development.Mike breaks down his coaching philosophy: identify weaknesses, fill the gaps, manage recovery, and focus on long-term progress rather than simply doing more work. He explains why advanced athletes often need focused solo training, why class competition has limitations, and how sleep, nutrition, stress, soreness, and mood should influence programming.</p>Key topics<ul><li>Mike’s transition from rugby to CrossFit</li><li>Competing at the 2023 CrossFit Games</li><li>Handling disappointment and getting cut</li><li>Moving from South Africa to the UAE</li><li>Coaching as a professional career</li><li>Training around a full-time work schedule</li><li>The importance of training environments</li><li>Solo training versus group competition</li><li>Needs analysis and weakness-based programming</li><li>Recovery, volume, and long-term athletic development</li><li>Maximal Recoverable Volume and Minimal Effective Volume</li><li>Thoughts on Renegade Games and CrossFit’s competitive landscape</li><li>Quick-fire questions, including Hyrox and race-day mishaps</li></ul>Timestamps<p>00:00 - Introducing Mike and launching the show<br />01:09 - From rugby to CrossFit<br />04:56 - Mike’s first CrossFit experiences<br />07:07 - Competing at the 2023 CrossFit Games<br />08:34 - Missing the cut and specialist-event weaknesses<br />12:35 - Recovering mentally after the Games<br />16:05 - Moving to the UAE<br />17:52 - Coaching as a career<br />20:55 - Training around a full-time schedule<br />24:50 - Semifinals, qualification, and competition controversies<br />33:29 - The Sandton Renegade Games venue<br />35:30 - Why exposure to strong athletes matters<br />40:33 - Group programming and class competition<br />46:27 - Moving to Cape Town for better coaching<br />51:02 - Why elite athletes often train alone<br />58:32 - Longevity, recovery, and volume control<br />59:33 - Needs analysis and identifying weaknesses<br />61:27 - Sleep, nutrition, and when to rest<br />70:49 - MRV and MEV in programming<br />74:09 - Quick-fire questions<br />77:44 - Closing thoughts</p>Key takeaways<ul><li>More training is not always better if recovery is poor.</li><li>Identify your weaknesses before adding volume.</li><li>Build training around your real schedule and lifestyle.</li><li>Use training partners to learn, not only to compete.</li><li>Long-term consistency matters more than short-term ego.</li><li>A good coach considers sleep, stress, soreness, nutrition, and mood—not just workout results.</li></ul>Notable quotes<p>“This is a longevity game.”“Perfect practice makes perfect.”“You have to fill the gaps.”</p>yes01:19:4211What coaching and competing at the top level is really like- Mike van Tonder (#1)full<![CDATA[Fitness Unfiltered Trailer]]>This is Fitness Unfiltered! What is Fitness Unfiltered? Who is Fitness Unfiltered? Why is Fitness Unfiltered.

This is the start of something epic...

]]>43698fba-734b-4753-a445-9b9c5168d4f6Wed, 16 Sep 2026 11:20:52 GMT<p>This is Fitness Unfiltered! What is Fitness Unfiltered? Who is Fitness Unfiltered? Why is Fitness Unfiltered. </p><p></p><p>This is the start of something epic...</p>yes00:00:4311Fitness Unfiltered Trailertrailer