The first interview I did back in 2008 also happens to be the most extensive. Though the basic Leangains protocol(s) hasn't changed dramatically, Leigh Peele was kind enough to update and add the new information to the original interview.

Martin Berkhan and Intermittent Fasting: Interview

Speaking of Leigh Peele, I have reviewed her book on fat loss here: Fat Loss Troubleshoot Review. I think she has improved and added to the book bundle since then. Good primer on fat loss and the issues related to dieting in general.

That's that. Though some might get the impression that I'm only drinking and partying, which as we all know by now is not as bad as some people believe, I've actually had my hands full. Now that things are settling down, I have several articles planned over the next few weeks. Here's a preview of what I have in store for you:

1. A nutrition- and diet-related article that will include some new research very relevant to a topic readers would be interested in. This should be up quite soon. I just need to do some fact-checking.

2. A co-op article featuring a secret guest. Topics include intermittent fasting, training and a little something I haven't talked much about in the past.

3. An article about cardio and strength training, cardio for fat loss, how to combine the two, and so forth.

4. The Protein Fluff Special. Making the perfect protein fluff is not easy. Fear not, noobs. Once I show you the secrets behind a fine fluff, you will be on the fast-track to Protein Fluff Mastery Level 10. The basic protein fluff recipe can be found here: Amazing High-Protein Recipes and Jack3D Review.



Protein fluff seems to be the favorite topic on my Facebook wall. Here's Tom showing off his creamy vanilla berry fluff.

5. Leangains Meals Part Three. These meals would make a Tupperware carrying 6-meal-a-day'er curl up in a ball on the floor and enter a catatonic state. Check out Leangains Meals Part One and Leangains Meals Part Two if you haven't done so already. Part Three will include calories and macros for the meals.

By the way, I post on forums every now and then, and over the years I've written quite a bit in the Intermittent Fasting Mega Thread on Bodybuilding.com. They recently had to make a part two, since the original - spanning hundreds of pages with more than a million views - got too damn long.

I figured some of you - especially new readers interested in the Leangains protocol - would want to check it out. I'd recommend Intermittent Fasting for Strength Training and Fat Loss - Part Two since the knowledge and quality of discussion has evolved quite a bit over the years. A few of the posters there are well-versed in the Leangains methodology and would be happy to answer your question (or direct you to the right resource). A few recent forum posts of mine:

A Calorie Deficit is a Recovery Deficit. I will elaborate on some of the points made here in the upcoming article I talked about earlier (#3).

The Most Satiating Foods per Calorie?

That's it for now.

For those of you who haven't read the interviews with me over at Richard Nikoley's site, head over there and check them out.

Here's the first part: "Martin Berkhan Means It."

Second part: "Martin Berkhan's Workout Approach."

Third part: "Leangains: The Dietary Approach." This is the latest one where I talk about net metabolizable energy of protein, the benefits of post-workout carbs, insulin sensitivity and more.

You'll also find a great deal of ideas for Paleo-friendly and Leangains-certified meals over at Richard's site.




Richard is a skilled practitioner of meat mastery.

New interview at Wannabebig. Why You Should Be Skipping Breakfast: The Secrets of Intermittent Fasting.

Would appreciate readers dropping by and their sharing experiences with my method in the discussion thread dedicated to the article.

See other interviews here.

New interview at Elitefts. Intermittent Fasting — to Feast or Not to Feast: An Interview with Martin Berkhan.

Here's a short interview I did for Simplyshredded.com last week.

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Q: How did you get started with bodybuilding?

A: Think I was around 16. Always wanted to be lean and strong. Started going to the gym with my buddies, using some haphazard Flex-magazine-inspired bullshit-routine. But it was fun and I enjoyed it.

Q: Where does your motivation come from?

A: First of all, I was fat as hell and I thought bodybuilding was going to magically unfatten me (which it didn’t). Second of all, I was fascinated by strength. Lifting big things just sounded very appealing to me. I wanted to be strong. A friend of the family was a lumberjack. Never went to the gym a day in his life, but was strong as an ox and there where various stories floating around about him. How he once lifted a log two guys were struggling with to get off the ground, stuff like that. I recall thinking I wanted to be like that one day. The one people told stories about.

Q: When trying to cut down do you prefer to use HIIT or just normal cardio?

A: Normal cardio mostly. Brisk walking. For some clients, I use a mix of the two.

Q: What is your diet like?

A: My diet approach is called intermittent fasting. That means I fast 16 hours daily and eat three meals during an 8 hour feeding window. I make sure to get the great majority of my daily calorie intake post-workout. Diet is cyclical. More carbs, less fat on training days, vice versa for rest days. Protein stays relatively high.

Q: What is your supplementation like?

A: Fish oil, multivitamin and Vitamin D. Extra calcium if I’m going low on dairy. BCAA pre-workout if I train fasted. The occasional protein powder from time to time.

Q: Future plans?

A: Finishing my book and continue helping people get great results with intermittent fasting.

Q: Favorite quote?

A: “I must create a system or be enslaved by another mans; I will not reason and compare: my business is to create.” By William Blake.

Interview conducted by: Bob Kupniewski

I participated in a roundtable on Jamie Hale's site a while ago.

The topic was whether it mattered much if people ate clean (non-processed whole foods) or dirty (refined foods) during a diet assuming a caloric deficit was in place. Here's my input:

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"From a purely physiological standpoint, it probably doesn't matter if you're including foods in your diet that may be labeled unclean by the generic bodybuilder. As long as protein remains a constant, there won’t be any measurable differences in fat loss in the short term when comparing two diets where the rest would be made up by either “clean” or “unclean foods.”

There might be some long-term effects on body composition on a diet where fat and carbohydrate food choices are the worst possible (think trans fats and high fructose corn syrup), but these extremes aren’t relevant to the discussion in this context. I don't think any competing bodybuilder subsists on such foods to a significant degree pre-contest.

I do think one should opt for food choices that have satiating and nutritive properties in relation to their caloric content. These foods will in most cases be made up with foods that are traditionally labeled “clean.” However, I do think having cheat meals or “unclean” foods at least once a week has benefits in terms of adherence and sanity during the pre-contest diet (or any other diet for that matter)."

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I wrote this a few years ago and it was originally published in Hale's book, I think. Can't say I've changed my stance that much since then. Judging from discussion this doesn't appear to be a polarizing topic by any means. Seems like everyone was in agreement. More or less.

I was generalizing quite a bit though. With "from a purely physiological standpoint" I alluded to a clinical point of view. In real life, food choices matter greatly. Food choices and macrocomposition affects mood, hunger and appetite. It's an important factor to consider when designing diets and meal plans for clients.

Part two of my interview with nordic body fitness champ and intermittent fasting user Kristine Weber.



Me: Could you describe your training routine - for example, do you have a preference for lower or higher volume, or lower or higher rep ranges? Do you stick with the basics or do you include a lot of assistance movements to target smaller muscle groups?

Kristine: I like to variate my training when it comes to volume and rep ranges. I have stuck with a 2-split since I started and it works good for me. I prefer lower reps with higher volume, so I often train a 5x5 program. Then I usually go over to high reps with lower volume, I try to have a period of 3-4 weeks before I change it around again. I have since the summer trained after something called "myo-reps" and it has worked very well. It emphasizes the importance of increasing volume after every pass - it is easy to forget sometimes, routines usually take over. I like the combination of both basics and assistance, but my priorities are basics and free weights.

Me: I see. I like the fact that you're currently doing 5x5 and not some foo-foo routine. Might set a few of my female readers on the right path. Make them steer clear of the usual pump 'n tone bullshit. You've called yourself a perfectionist. How does this quality affect your training? Does it cause stress? If so, how do manage your stress?

Kristine: I call myself a perfectionist, yes. That can work as a motivation, but be careful not to let it bring you down. I always want to be the best I can - and when I reach a goal I set another one almost immediately. I have always wanted to do things in my own way, and I don't like asking for help. I like it tough and independent. I love training, especially when I experience "good" stress and I often feel strong because of the pressure I put on myself. That is what has brought me to where I am now, hard work and no breaks.

I have also experienced a lot of bad stress, the kind that will eat you up inside. That is why I emphasize the importance of having a balance in life. As long as you're aware of it you can do something about it. And part of having a good balance is knowing that everything will fall into place if you give it some time. Some things are more important than others, so pick your battles wisely.

Me: Wise words. I know what you mean. On to something completely different. Obviously a very sensitive topic, but how common is steroid usage among your peers?

Kristine: I have chosen to follow my own plan and as a result of this I have very little to do with the environment, therefore I don't have much insight as to how common usage is. I do know that it is more uncommon to not use. I have taken a stand and I am proud to say that I'm not even close to ever consider it.



Me: That's a very healthy and sound mindset to have. Glad to hear it. You've had a lot of success in a short amount of time: what else do you desire to achieve in the sport?

Kristine: I have achieved more than I could dream of in this short period of time, it gives me motivation to continue. I would like to compete in figure, USA some time in the future. My physique is not only more suitable there than in Europe, but it's also my ideal and what I want to accomplish body-wise.

Me: Excellent. I wish you all the luck in the world. Finally, what are the three most critical pieces of advice you have for the female reader that wants to lose fat and gain muscle? Diet, training, attitude, anything you can think of.

Kristine:

Training: Don't be afraid to train hard! Girls have to lift those heavy weights in order to see progression. I also recommend cardio in your everyday life, it doesn't have to be for hours or in the morning - do it whenever it fits your schedule.

Diet: Learn as much as you can about your own body; when do you like to eat, how much do you like eat in a meal etc. The main key is to eat 400-500 kcal less than you use every day, when or how you eat is not important. In order to lose fat it is important to eat clean, high-protein food and always a lot of vegetables. There are a lot of healthy desserts you can make as well.

Don't overanalyze everything, keep it simple and fun.

Attitude: The only person who can change your life, body and mind is you. Find out what kind of changes you want to make, learn about all the healthy foods out there and get in to it. The first step is always tough, but the sooner the better.
You have to believe in yourself, we all have willpower - more than we might think.

Andreaz Engström wasn't the only one at the Nordic Championships using intermittent fasting to take first place in his category.

Norwegian beauty and body fitness gold winner Kristine Weber is a big fan of the approach as well.






Me: Tell us a little about yourself - anything at all you'd like to share with someone that doesn't know you.

Kristine: I am a goal-oriented girl who works very hard to achieve what I set my mind to. I never give up and I prefer to do things my own way - this means that I proudly can thank my own determination and knowledge if it goes well, and if it doesn't I only have myself to blame and can and will learn from my mistakes. My training is my passion, and my main motivation is good health and just enjoying life with a fit and lean body. I work as a controller in finance and I love cats.

Me: Sounds like you have a solid mindset. I like it. How did you come across intermittent fasting and for how long have you been using it - you've mentioned that this eating pattern came naturally to you, and that you've never been a breakfast eater?

Kristine: Breakfast is something I eat occasionally on sundays or whenever I'm staying at a hotel, because I do enjoy a good breakfast - just not in my everyday life. Since I went to junior high I have prefered to skip breakfast, I've never felt a big hunger sensation early in the morning. Finally I got so fed up with eating just for the sake of it, so I began to eat my first meal at lunchtime - sometimes even later. I started to have this as a routine when I began to work after my studies, mainly because I get up at 5 am in the morning and the last thing on my mind at that time is food. I enjoy eating later in the day, especially after I come home from work and training. I first started reading about fasting/IF and all the benefits concerning this for over 2 years ago when my better half, David* started posting articles and research done on this subject. I was very glad to find out that I could continue my diet the way I had been doing for almost 10 years without any concerns about "your metabolism will slow down if you don't eat every third hour" and all these myths, in addition this way of eating has a lot of benefits for me.

* I helped David Höök get started with intermittent fasting a few years ago. He later went on and took first place in classic bodybuilding (Loaded Cup -07, Denmark). You can find him in the testimonials section (second from the top).




Me: Needless to say, I'm not much of a breakfast eater either. Could you describe a typical day in terms of diet and training?

Kristine: A typical day goes like this

5:00 - get up and get ready for work
6:15 - at work
9:00 - have had 4-5 cups of green tea by now
12:00 - a big tuna salad for lunch if I'm hungry, otherwise I'll have a fruit (before a competiton I almost always skip lunch).
15:15 - at the gym; weight training (2-split) and cardio (I always do my cardio workout in the afternoon, besides the weekends)
17:00 - at home, a post-workout meal is usually cottage cheese with protein powder + some cereal, protein pancakes or an omelet
19:00 - dinner is usually fish, ground beef, pork and always with lots of vegetables.
21:00 - a small meal which is often similar to the one at 17:00, f.ex cottage cheese and some nuts
22:00 - good night, sleep tight

Me: Cool. So that's a nine hour feeding window, which is fairly close to the ten hour feeding window I usually recommend for women. You've only been training since 2007. What resources did you first turn to?

Kristine: I have danced ballet since I was a little girl, so just over 20 years now. I joined a gym for 4 years ago because of a heart diagnosis, and that is one of the best decisions I have made. I started doing cardio and I went to many of the group lessons: aerobic, easy weight training, bodypump and so on. I did this for about 1.5 years and I transformed my body in a way I didn't think was possible. I realized by now that I had to lift heavier weights on my own in order to continue my good progress, so I did - in Aug 2007. I started eating more vegetables and more proteins, and 7 months later I was ready for my first figure competition.

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This concludes part one of the interview. Stay tuned for part two where we'll talk some more about training among other things. Kristine will also share some valuable advice for female readers out there. In the meanwhile, feel free to check out Kristine's blog.

Here's a recent interview I did for a dutch site.

Other interviews and articles can be found here.

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Martin, we can all read your bio on your blog, but what have you been up to in the last 6 months? Any news on a book for example?

I've been keeping very busy with clients, articles (for the swedish bodybuilding mag "Body") and book writing. More of the former, less of the latter, but I'm picking up the pace to get the book out fairly soon. I actually have a date set in my mind, but won't say anything more on that topic. It'll be done when it's done (and hopefully worth the wait).

Some people complain of headaches during the fast, any idea what causes this and better yet, how to solve it?

The most probable cause in this context is hypoglycemia and the headaches are likely to occur after low carb (rest) days. I rarely encounter this among my own clients, but I'd wager a bet that most people experiencing the headaches are eating very low carb/ketogenic on rest days, which is why hypoglycemia may occur early in the fast on the next day. If that is the case, I'd then suggest to up carb intake on rest days - 1 g cho/kg body weight is a good starting point. The goal is not to hit ketosis on rest days like some people seem to believe; if you do, then you're doing it wrong (and shifting in and out of ketosis isn't exactly ideal for mental performance either). Make sure protein and carbs are high enough to not go ketogenic on rest days if you're having problems with fasting headaches.

Another factor that plays into this is the caloric surplus and deficit; if you're having headaches, make sure that the gap between training days and rest days isn't too steep in terms of calorie surplus/deficit. Large swings, i.e eating +50%--50% maintenance/ on training/rest, can also cause headaches and other mood disturbances during the fast.

Other possibilities not related to hypoglycemia include dehydration and caffeine withdrawal, both easily solved by drinking more and keeping your regular caffeine habits intact.

If all of the above can be ruled out as explanations to your headaches, studies show that there is a pretty strong genetic predisposition to migraines, which can be triggered by very small fluctuations in blood glucose - if that's the case, well, fasting simply isn't for you, and you may in fact be better off with more regular meals.

Do you recommend a different training approuch especially volume wise when following the IF guidelines?

Whatever works for you will work just as well on an IF regimen. That being said, I am biased towards a certain style of training; my own training methodology is inspired by the works of Stuart McRoberts and Arthur Jones, for example, and puts a heavy focus on training core movements with proper intensity and set structure. I also consider some of the 3-5 x 5-templates out there to be solid, success-proof, routines. So sure, given that I believe 90% of trainees out there are much better following the likes of these training routines than the stuff I see people doing in the gym, these are approaches I would recommend for most people doing IF as well; but again, there is no need for a special approach due the diet. However, for fasted state training, i.e if you're working out at the end of the fast (with only a small amount of BCAA, as I recommend as a pre-wo 'meal'), I would definitely recommend starting out doing shorter weight training sessions as a general rule for everyone.

A lot of questions are asked about recomp. Lots of powerbuilders (not bodybuilders) want to get leaner, but don't want to loose a lot of bw and especially no strength! Can you give us some guidelines about recomping (eg some people say +25% kcal on training days and -50% kcal on off days)?

That's what most people want, and it's not something easily covered in a few lines here. On the topic of the diet, I'll say this: if the +25%/-50%-approach is working for you, that's great. If it isn't, consider keeping a tighter caloric interval, especially if you're already lean. And what is absolutely crucial - make sure to get a lot of protein on rest days.

Is bulking up just a matter of upping the calories or do you have some special approuch for this as well?

Another topic that I won't try to cover in depth here, rest assured that special measures have to be taken if you want your gains to be lean. First of all, training wise, I do things differently. Aside from visual cues, I rate the quality of gain by relative strength. If anything, that is something people should take away from this interview. Look at your weight gain in relation to your strength gains. If you're losing reps in chins on your bulk, odds are you're getting fat. If you've gained 10 lbs on your bench in the last month, while similarily gaining 10 lbs of body weight, you're getting fat. You get the point. I have a system for that, sort of a minimum standard of relative strength I think people should gain in relationship to their weight. This is complex and dependent on training experience, body leverages and so forth. Needless to say, there are exceptions such as training a beginner or when introducing a new movement, the system cannot be applied.

Diet wise, it's a matter of finding the sweet spot when it comes to weight gain, calorie intake and macros; dependent on training experience and insulin sensitivty, among other things.

What do you think are average natural muscle gains in a month's time?

Hard to say, since there is such a tremendous variability here. However, assuming that a) you've already tapped into your newbie gains, b) you're not completely retarded when it comes to your diet or training regimen and c) you wan't to keep the gains lean, then we're looking at 1-1.5 lbs per month for most people.

Anything else you don't want my dutch readers to miss out on?

Nothing I can think of.

Here's an interview I did with Adam Steer from Better is Better. Includes a book excerpt.

Other interviews, discussions and articles:

Interviewed by Leigh Peele

Intermittent Fasting Roundtable

Sure-Fire Fat Loss

Excerpt from Knowledge and Nonsense

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There are only a handful of big names in the Intermittent Fasting game. As many of you will know, I'm a big fan of Brad Pilon and his Eat Stop Eat approach. But another name that continues to attract my attention is Martin Berkhan of Leangains. His approach is quite different to that of Brad, so I contacted him to see about getting an interview with him. To my great pleasure he agreed.

As you'll see, Martin's focus, like Brad's, is mainly on physique. However, the evidence supporting the health benefits of Intermittent Fasting just keeps piling up and I think that no matter what approach you take you'll reap the rewards of vitality and wellness.

Enjoy!


Adam: When asked to tell us a bit about his background and how he became interested in Intermittent Fasting, Martin was gracious enough to offer this excerpt from his upcoming book.

Martin:

"When I got into weight training and healthy eating, my goals were no different than most people’s; I wanted to get stronger and look better. I started out overweight and quite out of shape, the consequences of years of bad eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle. Because I put in work at the gym and eagerly learned everything there was to know about nutrition (or so I believed at the time), I made decent improvements over the years to come. Most noticeably, I lost a lot of weight.

I did it all according to the rules of the game, or at least how I had read and been told I should be doing it. And I was a slave to many rules. These rules dictated that I had to eat small meals throughout the day, that I needed “fast” carbs and whey protein after workouts, and that I should cut out carbs in the evening. Everyone that has spent some time reading fitness magazines, or browsed around on some of the countless fitness/bodybuilding forums on the net, should know what I’m talking about. There are many rules to follow if you want to optimize your results. Or so we are told.

This escalated to a point where I would get obsessed with my diet and everything pertaining to it; when to eat, meeting the right amount of protein and carbs in my meal plan, and so on. Whenever something happened that would interfere with my meal plan, I would get anxious and my mood would take a turn for the worse. Social interactions became crippled and my diet would basically dictate my daily routine. Simply put, I was obsessed with food and meal timing.

It was draining on me, mentally and socially, but I persisted because I feared breaking the rules in any way would have detrimental effects; muscle loss, a slowed down metabolism, or something else born out of irrational thinking.

I dabbled in many different approaches; low fat, low carb, cyclical ketogenic diets, the Paleolithic diet and others, always looking for that magic diet that would be easy to integrate into my lifestyle and one that wouldn’t feel like a neverending diet. I was always envious of guys that managed to look muscular and ripped without much effort.

At one point, I reached a point of diminishing returns. I didn’t think the amount of effort I put in was remotely proportional to the results I got. I had basically been spinning my wheels for years. I didn’t like how my life had become so centered around my diet, and I was starting to get fed up with my own behavior. I couldn’t justify it any longer.

Enter intermittent fasting

The high meal frequency diet I followed for years, called for eating around the clock. I always got too fat, too fast, when trying to gain muscle. The frequent eating also made cutting a chore and very challenging; contrary to popular belief, frequent feedings seemed to trigger my appetite, rather than keeping it at bay. Yet I never questioned the method - I questioned my discipline for my poor results.

It wasn’t until after some experiments with a lower meal frequency that I began to question the methods I had used in the past. This lead me to explore the research surrounding the topic of meal frequency - reading the studies myself and not letting so-called gurus, magazine and supplement companies give me their skewed and biased interpretation. My findings will soon be presented, but suffice to say, I discovered that the diet I had been following for so many years was based on one big hoax, with no scientific foundation.

Gradually, I started to lean into a more relaxed approach, which also felt more natural to me; fasting throughout the morning and not eating my first meal until 1-2 pm. I would eat more later in the day, often enjoying my largest meal around 9-10 pm in the evenings after workouts. I was never fond of breakfast, but always hungry in the evening, so this approach fit me perfectly. At a later point, I would move the first meal to 4 pm and then feed until midnight.

Suddenly, everything started to come easier for me. I got into great shape (177 lbs at 6% body fat), with relative ease. I played around with the approach some more, and gained a good amount of muscle mass with little fat gain (202 lbs at 9% body fat). And finally, I achieved my peak condition (195 lbs at 6% body fat) by combining periods of fat loss with periods of muscle gain; what some people would refer to as body recomposition. I revamped my body completely in 18 months.

After embarking on the intermittent fasting regimen, I also became more productive, focused and had lots of energy during the day. Contrary to my initial concerns, hunger was almost never an issue during the fast. I felt great. My head was clear and I didn’t spend much time thinking, or obsessing, about when, or in what form, my next meal was going to arrive. Worrying about such things had been my default behavior for a good amount of time and it was a relief not having to spend any more mental energy on it.

I wanted to look better and get stronger, and do it in a manner that appealed to me. Intermittent fasting turned out to be the approach I had been looking for all these years."

So, now you know how it all started. As for my education, I have a bachelor’s degree in Medical Sciences and Education and my major is in Public Health Sciences. But most of the things I've learned about nutrition and weight training is purely self-taught.


Adam: You've developed your own unique approach to fasting. Can you tell us about the guidelines of your methods?

Martin: 8 hrs feeding, 16 hrs fasting. Fasting means abstaining from food, not from fluids. You may drink coffee, tea, diet coke, whatever you like, as long as no calories are ingested. Trace amounts are acceptable - such as a tiny splash of milk in your coffe or the 1-2 calories found in a diet coke.

So, you might be eating between 1-9 pm, for example. On workout days, you train in between those hours and eat the absolute majority of your daily calorie intake post-workout. I usually set it up with three meals, as that is what I have found most practical. Some of my clients prefer two or four meals, but most do three meals.

Calories and macronutrient intake is always cycled, being higher on training days and lower on rest days.

That's the gist of it.


Adam: From what I understand, you have a very unique and effective approach to nutrition timing around workouts. Can you share with us how you approach workout nutrition (pre / peri / post) and what principles lead you to your approach?

Martin: I like to keep pre-workout nutrition to a bare minimum. Enough to satisfy a psychological need, enough to support and enhance the training session. No more. The greatest amount of calories should be ingested post-workout. By providing calories when they are needed the most, and are more likely to be used for muscle anabolism and recovery, you will get an edge. The insulin sensitizing effects of intermittent fasting on muscle cells further enhances the effect. There's more to it, but I'll save that for now.

That's the kind of theory and thinking that I'm basing my method on. I should note that there isn't a lot of research that can be applied in this context. So, unlike gurus that claim to have found The Truth or a magic pill, I'll put in a disclaimer saying that I might be crazy.

For me, writing the book has been about finding theoretical/scientific support for a practical approach that has turned out to work very well and not the other way around. For me, my clients and for many others that tried it.


Adam: There has been great anticipation for your book and I'm very much looking forward to reading it. Can you tell us a little bit about it? Do you have a release date?

Martin: No, and I need to keep my mouth shut, because I keep failing the deadlines I set up for myself. When I said I was going to have it out during the first quarter of 09, I was really in the flow of things and it seemed realistic at the time being. Then I got distracted. Work kept piling up. Moved to another city. Etc. Anyway, it's done when it's done.


Adam: Is there anything else you would like readers to know?

Martin: Be careful who you listen to. There's a lot of clowns and conmen in this industry. Also, egg whites and peanut butter. Don't frown until you try it.


Adam: Where can people go to find out more about you and your methods?

Martin: My site www.leangains.com. Yes, I'm lousy at updating. I'll get better when the book release draws closer. Right now I'm just busy as all hell.

Caleb Lee asked me to write an article for his new product and I thought it was a good opportunity for me to get the message out.

Product page is here

This product is primarily aimed at the beginner and consists of two e-books, interviews (mp3 + transcript in pdf) with seven trainers and a 14 page pdf file called "The Leangains Approach".

It's basically me talking about the approach, dispelling some myths surrounding meal frequency, fasting and your metabolism, and protein absorption. Also included in the article is a sample beginner plan and a list of references pertaining to the topics discussed.

I've been knee deep in client work, which is why I haven't updated in a while. I'm also now managing my own column in the one and only swedish bodybuidling mag we got here www.body.se. Also been working on the book, or at least trying to fit it in when I can.

Jesus, can't believe it's been two months since last update. I'll get better.

I just threw together some questions people sent me these last few weeks, enjoy.

For those new to the site or intermittent fasting, my approach is described here:

Interview with Leigh Peele
- This interview covers a lot of issues about intermittent fasting and how I prefer to go about it.

Intermittent Fasting Roundtable
- General discussion, also featuring Brad Pilon and Mike O'Donnell.

Sure-Fire Fat Loss
- How to lose fat with intermittent fasting, the fast and smart way.

Excerpt from Knowledge and Nonsense
- A piece I wrote for Jamie Hale, about the basic principles of the approach.

You can also click the "Interview" tag for miscellanous discussions regarding intermittent fasting.

And finally, you can see how well my approach works in practice by viewing client results, my transformation and various testimonials.


Intermittent Fasting FAQ November

A few random questions people sent me the last few weeks.

Q: Can intermittent fasting be combined with PSMF?

PSMF, which stands for Protein Sparing Modified Fast (or Protein Strictly Mother Fucker), is the nefarious invention of Lyle McDonald. PSMF is decribed in the The Rapid Fat Loss Handbook. My Review is here.

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A: Yes – in fact, the earliest creation of my system were more or less days of post-workout overfeeding combined with PSMF type days (though not quite as extreme). For some people, including me, PSMF spread over 3 meals eaten within 8 hours feels a lot less restrictive vs the default high meal frequency approach.


Q: What’s the maximum amount of fructose allowed in the post-workout meal?

A: I’m probably going to have specific guidelines in the book, but you can’t go wrong on this one if you don’t do something completely retarded for your post-workout meal (too much processed junk).

Even so, fructose isn’t all that bad in moderation, according to a recent study*. In this particular study researchers gave a) 90 g carbs in the form of 30g fructose and 60 g glucose or b) same amount, all glucose, and found no difference in muscle glycogen synthesis after testing (post-workout).

Basically, fructose and glucose in a 1:2 ratio replenishes muscle glycogen just as well as pure glucose due to different metabolic pathways. Sucrose, which is part fructose and part glucose, should therefore not be completely shunned post-workout.

The KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) approach to Leangains rules in favour of a starch based meal followed by a sugary treat for those high carb feasts I always include post-workout.

* Wallis, et al. Postexercise muscle glycogen synthesis with combined glucose and fructose ingestion. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008 Oct;40(10):1789-94.


Q: Why is protein kept so high on rest days?

A: Protein is kept high for three reasons.

1) Highest TEF* of all macronutrients; 20-25% of the energy gets wasted as heat, making the true metabolic impact closer to 3,25 kcal/g** (carbs and fat have a TEF around 2-4%, making the effect negligible).

* = Thermic Effect of Feeding.

** = Livesey. Metabolizable energy of macronutrients. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995 Nov;62(5 Suppl):1135S-1142S

2) Greatest effect on satiety.

3) Spares muscle protein stores. While, 1 g/lb may be adequate assuming energy balance, it is not so during dieting conditions. In a calorie deficit, de novo gluconeogenesis, which is the conversion of dietary protein or muscle protein to carbs, is greatly accelerated. Having an ample supply of protein available from the diet, ample in this case being much more than enough (>1 g/lb), prevents amino acids from muscle being used in the dnl process.

You'd want to maximize these three factors to lose fat while preserving muscle mass, but even so I generally recommend a higher than adequate protein intake for anyone wanting to maximize lean gains and avoid fat gains regardless of energy balance (more so for reasons 1 and 2 when in energy balance).


Q: Martin, am I allowed to drink any fluids during the fast?

A: Of course, this ain’t Ramadan. You're free to drink unlimited water, coffee, diet pop or other non-caloric beverages during the fast.


Q: Can I change the feeding window on a day to day basis or can I the 16-8 split on weekdays while eating normally on weekends?

A: Yes, but there are benefits to using a fairly regular eating pattern on all days - regular in this case meaning if you're used to feeding between 1-9 pm you'd be well served trying to stick to it when possible.

Ghrelin, a hunger hormone which is partly regulated by anticipatory feeding, is why people get hungry on times they're used to eating - regardless of actual need (one reason the 6-meal-a-day crowd get hungry again shortly after having eaten).

When you change meal pattern you're also "reprogramming" ghrelin to a certain extent and shitfting back and forth too much may mess with this adaptation to some degree. Not a big deal, worst thing that can happen is you get a bit hungry - and real world experience tells me that nothing bad happens if you resort to a regular eating pattern a few days (i.e 16-8 split on weekdays, regular on weekends). Problems, which in this context means a grumbling stomach, only seems to arise if you move the feeding phase back and forth on a daily basis (1-9 pm one day, 4 pm-12 am the other day etc).


Q: I want to try intermittent fasting, but I'm not sure it will work for me. Does intermittent fasting work for everyone? Have you identified a body type that does better or worse with intermittent fasting?

A: Probably not, but I'm surprised how well the 16-8 split works and the fact that almost everyone likes it. I've only dealt with a handful of people for whom the 16-8 split was challenging to maintain, and in those cases it was more a question of external factors (irregular shit work, extremely high energy expenditure that made it impractical to eat a few, very large meals etc). In the beginning, when I used to recommend 16 hours of fasting across the board, some women didn't do as great as men; this was solved by shortening the fast to 14 hrs for women.

If I were to pinpoint a certain body type, assuming we can put such a label on people, I would have to say endomorphs do exceptionally well on the approach. Exceptionally well meaning it works very well for fat loss in these cases and endomorphs meaning people that usually struggle to maintain a normal weight and always have problems getting lean and staying there.

General

Q: How should I train?

A: I'm biased towards lower volume, higher intensity, compound based workout routines and I think you can go a long way just pressing, squatting, deadlifting and chinning.

I believe the great majority will do better just trying to get as strong as possible; if aestethics is a high priority, maximizing relative strength will go a very long way towards a lean, muscular physique. This is a core principle of my training ideology. Adding 10 lbs to your bench is not impressive if you also added 10 lbs of body weight, but adding 10 lbs to your bench, or 15-20 lbs to your deadlift, while only adding 5 lbs of body weight will go a long way to ensure most of the weight gained is lean mass (exception being the rank beginner where strength gains will be rapid due to neural adaptation).

As for how to train more specifically, well that's probably another blog post in it's own, but if I were to recommend a few resources that has influenced my thinking on the subject, I should mention Mark Rippetoe and Stuart McRobert. The former for his sensible, tell-it-like-it-is approach to training and coaching, and the latter for opening up my eyes to the key princples beyond effective training. It wasn't until I read Beyond Brawn I actually started seeing consistent progress.

Starting Strength



"Starting Strength is a unique approach to coaching weight training, written by coaches and designed specifically for training beginners. Learn how to effectively and safely coach the basic core lifts and their programming in an easy to do, step-by-step process. Featuring the most heavily illustrated exercise chapters in print, Starting Strength shows the reader not only how to teach the lifts, but how to recognize and correct technique errors..."

- Starting Strength Wiki


Practical Programming



Practical Programming offers a different approach to exercise programming than that typically found in other exercise texts. Based on a combined 60+ years of academic expertise, elite-level coaching experience, and the observation of thousands of novice trainees, the authors present a chronological analysis of the response to exercise as it varies through the training history of the athlete, one that reflects the realities of human physiology, sports psychology, and common sense.

-Starting Strength Wiki


Brawn



Beyond Brawn

The sequel to Brawn. If I were to recommend only one book on the topic it would be this one.



A great book, very comprehensive and highly influential on my own training. I was surprised when I checked out the review section and found an old review from the highly criticial Lyle McDonald where he gave it 4 out of 5 stars:

"At just under 500 pages, BEYOND BRAWN is, bar none, THE most comprehensive book I've ever read on the topic of bodybuilding, and I¹ve read several hundred books.
BEYOND BRAWN is written in very non-technical language. With 22 total chapters, no aspect of productive weight-training has been overlooked.."

And I'll cosign on that.

Last week I participated in an intermittent fasting roundtable at Mike O'Donnell's blog. Nothing groundbreaking if you're familiar with the gist of my protocols and ideas, but well worth a read to see what Mike and Brad has to say about IF.

On the topic of blogs, you should also check out Lyle's six part series on the hormones of body weight regulation. A very good and comprehensive read about leptin, the body fat set point and it's implications for the dieter.

Another blog of interest is Chris Highcock's Conditioning Research which has heaps of studies on intermittent fasting.

That's all for today, but later this week I'll be announcing the winner of the anniversary/summer competition and post some new client results.

You'll find it here.

This is a follow-up on the interview I did with Leigh Peele a while ago. New topics include women and IF, and why I believe IF is the best approach for maintenance. It's quite length, but after having read it you'll get a very good idea what my approach is all about. Check it out.

Below follows a brief, and a bit informal, e-mail exchange with Matt Metzgar on intermittent fasting and how it can be used for muscle growth and fat loss.

It may answer some questions the new reader may have about my methods, so I thought I'd put it up here.

New readers may also wan't to read the interview I did with Leigh Peele, where I delve a bit deeper into the Leangains methodology and explain how it evolved from the beginning. You'll find it here.



Martin, I came across your website and think it is terrific. I mentioned it on my blog the other day as well (www.mattmetzgar.com). I had a question for you, since you seem to have done a lot of experimentation with intermittent fasting (IF). First off, I am a big fan of IF and use it occassionally. I think it's a great tool for getting leaner without losing muscle mass. My question is, can intermittent fasting impede muscle growth?


If you're referring to gene expression that might get activated by the fasted phase, there is one study showing gene expression for proteolysis after 40 hours of fasting. To my knowledge, none of the popular IF regimes out there (Leangains, Fast-5, Eat Stop Eat, Warrior Diet) uses more than 24 hours max. In that context, my answer to your question would be no.

My hunch is that it might actually be other way around - since IF improves insulin sensitivity, it might equal more favourable nutrient partitioning when you feed. Simply put, more calories might get used for muscle growth and recovery processes (amino acids to muscle, carbs to glycogen stores) in trained individuals vs the amount that would get stored in fat cells, had you been eating with regular intervalls. That is, of course, speculation from my part as there is no hard data on trained individuals to suggest such a thing.

There are of course other ways, aside from the hormonal/physiological side of things, that IF may impede muscle growth, or cause muscle catabolism; an insufficient protein intake and poorly matching calorie intake to energy expendiure (resulting in a large calorie deficit) for example, but this goes for every dietary approach out there.



I wonder if IF can lead to less resources being available when the body is trying to build muscle?


Well, it's a question of properly matching intake to expenditure. A large protein intake in your last meal will result in the body having amino acids available during the sleep and the fasted phase. For reference sake, 30-40 g casein or animal protein takes 7-8 hrs to fully digest, during which time amino acids are trickled into the blood stream for growth and muscle cell repair. For my last meal, I eat much more than that. I probably still have amino acids from the foods I ate in my last meal the night before, floating around in my blood when I break the fast 16 hours later.



Also, could IF indirectly limit muscle growth by decreasing overall calorie intake? By this I mean, even if a person isn't restricting calories, they may find it hard to eat enough in the compressed window to get enough food in.


This would only be a problem for a very small majority of people, and I'm sure even they could amend the problem by eating more calorie dense foods.



One last related question: putting aside the issue of IF, what have you noticed as far as building muscle in a calorie deficit, sufficient calories, or a calorie surplus?


IF aside, building muscle during a constant calorie deficit is generally only possible for beginners or people taking up weight training again after a layoff (muscle memory). Using a cyclic diet approach, such as the way I generally structure IF diets, is another thing and may allow muscle growth (though you're technically not in a calorie deficit all days of the week, the weekly calorie balance average is negative and enables fat loss as well).

By sufficient calories I assume maintenance intake/matching calories to demand in order to maintain status quo on a constant, day to day, basis. This is a tough question to answer, but since muscle growth requires a certain amount of calories above baseline, it will be obviously be limited. Again the issue of training status; I don't doubt that beginners maintaining calorie balance will grow muscle regardless, but for an experienced trainee, not much will happen, or at least not much will happen unless measured in the very long term (and even that is speculative). With a cyclic diet approach, equaling out to a weekly average of maintenance level calorie intake, I believe things are different and this mirrors my practical experience as well.

A constant caloric suplus is a sure fire way to grow muscle, but also to gain fat (the last part is one more reason I usually cycle calorie intake whether I'm dieting, maintaining or bulking).



This cycling of caloric intake is exactly what I've been thinking about! I'm thinking/hoping there has to be a way to gain muscle without fat. You see children grow and get bigger without getting fat (when eating healthy foods); you see an animal getting bigger and stronger without getting fat. My best guess now is that there could be "mini-cycles" of calorie surplus and deficit, and that can lead to a net gain of muscle without fat. For example, after a workout, you might have two days of "feasting" and most of the food is getting partioned to muscle, along with some to fat. Then you might have a day or two of deficit to lower the fat stores, while retaining muscle (perhaps through fasting and the associated GH). So there is a net surplus over this cycle, but it all ended up in muscle.

What do you think?


While your analogy to the growth processes in children and animals might be a bit faulty, gaining lean body mass in the form of muscle and not fat, is the premise behind the Leangains concept.

The way to achieve this is done by placing calories strategically, in a time period (post workout) where they are more likely to get used for muscle synthesis rather than fat gain. Seeing that protein synthesis is elevated 24 hrs post workout, it makes sense to consume a large amount of calories shortly after working out; a substantial load is consumed, then assimilated during the sleep and several hours into the fast phase upon waking, during which muscle repair/synthesis occurs. As protein synthesis declines, calorie intake is lower, allowing for fat loss.

The net result, measured over several such minicycles of workout days (higher calorie) and non-workout (lower calorie) days, will be an increase in lean body mass and a decrease in fat mass.

I guess the main question is which approach will produce the fastest results; for example, is the fast/feed system superior to a more traditional bulk and cut cycle? I have my own opinion of course, but I make no unsubstantiated claims to know the true answer. For someone like myself, putting aestethics and quality gains before a sledgehammer approach to weight gaining, it surely has it's advantages though.


End. Thanks to Matt for giving me an ok on posting the discussion here.

Do we need BCAA supplementation? The debate rages on.

The following is an excerpt from Jamie Hale’s new book Knowledge and Nonsense: the science of nutrition and exercise.

I recently gave my opinion on BCAA (Branched-Chain Amino Acids) in a roundtable discussion with HST founder Bryan Haycock, Alan Aragon and natural bodybuilder Layne Norton, among others.

Click here to check it out

I'm not very wordy here, but this pretty much sums up my opinion on most dietary supplements on the market.

Note: This discussion revolves around the need for supplementing BCAA in the fed state. For fasted training you need BCAAs pre-workout to optimize your progress. I've explained why in the Leangains Guide.

I recently did an interview with Leigh Peele and I consider this a good summary of my thoughts on the subject.


Click here to read the interview

Enjoy.

26/9 Update: Congratulations to Seth Ronland for taking 2nd in the 2007 Swedish Athletic Fitness Championship in Karlstad (+180 cm). His achievement is especially impressive, considering his recovery from injury.




Seth is a strong supporter of the Leangains approach and you can read his thoughts on the subject in the testimonials section.

19/9 Update: Possibly coming soon, an exclusive interview with one of the most famous Golden Era bodybuilders (and no, I'm not saying who).

* IFRP is now Leangains. Why? I thought Intermittent Fasting Recomp Protocol sounded overpretentious and gimmicky. Leangains is like honey on the tongue, can you taste it? I bet you can. Don't act like you can't.

* I bought www.leangains.com where my upcoming website will be located. I have a great guy working on it, hopefully it will be complete with forums, articles section and everything. Stay tuned for more info on that one.

* Leangains Q&A coming up later this week.

* 10/7: Added more testimonials.

* 10/7: Added some lifting vids from november. Squatting in chinos, 390 lbs for 4 reps, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDCj7M3d0bM and an attempt at a 555 lbs deadlift: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYAQLPSgRnc. Im stronger now, and I´ll have some new vids up soon to prove it. For some reason I can't get the links to work so just copy and paste the link in your browser, while I try to fix it.

So that's it for now. Keep checking in for some good stuff and information about the upcoming book on Leangains/Intermittent Fasting with nutrition guru Lyle McDonald.

In the mean time, here's an excerpt from BB nutrition roundtable part 2 out of Jamie Hale's upcoming book "Knowledge and nonsense: the science of nutrition and exercise" (www.maxcondition.com)

Bodybuilder Nutrition Roundtable 2

J Hale: Many competitive bbers seem to have a fear of consuming dairy pre-contest. Assuming they have no intolerances or allergies to dairy products do you feel this fear is warranted?

M Berkhan: No. There is nothing “fattening” about dairy related to insulin or whatever bullshit some gurus make up in order to rationalize their stance on dairy pre-contest. Questioning of these gurus “wisdom” is an unknown concept for many competitors, allowing old superstitions spread like wildfire among the bodybuilding community. It's a tired old myth which should have been dead a long time ago, especially considering the studies pointing to calcium, of which there is plenty in dairy, accelerating fat loss rather than a negative impact .

There might be other reasons for cutting dairy, high sodium content causing water retention and so forth, but nothing related to metabolic factors. However, since bodybuilders tends to become extremely obsessive in the pre-contest period, one may opt to cut dairy in order to minimize “inefficient” carbohydrates (lactose, which gets stored in the liver rather than muscle) just like some bodybuilders will cut fruit in order to avoid fructose. Therefore, they go to great length ensuring that they make the most out of their carbohydrate calories, cutting both dairy and fruit. The necessity of this could be questioned. It’s like pissing in the ocean and fearing the sea level may rise.

J Hale: What are your thoughts on pre-contest fat loading? Have you used this strategy with bodybuilders? Is there any Primary Scientific evidence supporting benefits of fat-loading for bbers?

M Berkhan: I don't have enough practical experience with this, in order to offer any valuable opinion, but some off my competing friends swears by, what would probably be termed, “junk-loading”; basically eating a mixture of high carbohydrates and high fat on contest day (rice crackers or bananas with peanut butter for example). I think it holds benefit to load on both carbohydrates and fat, seeing that muscle holds not only glycogen but also triglycerides. Since insulin has edematogenic properties, sky high insulin levels may lead to water retention; raising fat intake, on behalf of adding more carbohydrates, may be “playing it safe” and avoiding the culprits of loading on carbohydrates only.

J Hale: Should bbers eat clean (non processed whole foods) all the time when preparing for contest? Assuming calorie and macro levels are same from so-called dirty or clean foods if in calorie deficit does it matter?

M Berkhan: From a purely physiological standpoint it probably doesn’t matter if you’re including foods in your diet that may be labelled as unclean by the generic bodybuilder. As long as protein remains a constant, a comparison of two diets where the rest would be made up by either “clean” or “unclean foods”, would show no measurable difference in fat loss in the short term. There might be some long term effects on body composition on a diet where fat and carbohydrate food choices are the worst possible (think trans fats and high fructose corn syrup), but these extremes are not relevant to discuss in this context, since I don’t think any competing bodybuilder subsist on such foods to a significant degree pre contest. Saying that, I do think one should opt for food choices that has satiating and nutritive properties in relation to their caloric content. These foods will in most cases be made up with foods that are traditionally labelled as “clean”. However, I do think having cheat meals, or “unclean” foods, at least once a week has benefits in terms of adherence and sanity during the pre-contest diet (or any other diet for that matter).


J Hale: Many Contest Prep Specialists promote the use of mega doses of BCAAs even when in positive calorie balance and eating a ton of protein. Have you seen any evidence or is there a logical reason to assume BCAAs from supplements are superior to BCAAs found in food?

M Berkhan: No. You will get plenty off BCAA’s from food protein sources, especially whey protein, and there is nothing showing any benefit of excessive dosing. Since BCAA’s are very glucogenic, they will most likely end up in your blood stream as glucose. Bodybuilders eating piles of protein and consuming BCAA's on the side are throwing money down the drain.

J Hale: Casein vs. Whey. Which one do you like or do you like both? Explain.

M Berkhan: Casein. Long lasting anti-catabolic properties makes it the ideal protein source for almost all occasions. A mixture of whey and casein would be the best choice post workout.

J Hale: Any thoughts on the supposed magic properties of grapefruit for fat loss ? One popular supplement company swears by it.

M Berkhan: I've seen the studies and there seems to be some measurable effect on fat loss, but I have yet to hear about someone noticing anything special from taking grapefruit supplements.



Martin Berkhan has pioneered the concept of intermittent fasting, in combination with weightlifting, in order to improve body composition. The diet has sparked controversy and is the antithesis of the traditional, high meal frequency diets usually employed by bodybuilders.

Martin Berkhan is a personal trainer and magazine writer, living in Sweden. He has a bachelor's degree in Medical Sciences and Education, with a major in Public Health Sciences.