interview of martin

8/20/2019 Interview of Martin

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Martin Berkhan And Intermittent Fasting: Interview

MARCH 14, 2011

Inked by Leigh

It has been a few years now since Martin and I did this interview. I am updating it for a few reasons:

1. There are some small additions and specifics Martin has released since the initial interview. I thought

readers would enjoy that aspect of it.

2. It

was

lonely

on

the

old

site

with

outdated

graphics.

I don’t

feel

it

did

it

justice.

3. I have a lot coming up in the future about my own approaches with clients that involve fasting and

cycling. It makes sense to have this here to point to during those articles.

One More Thing

I want to make something clear, and I don’t do this frequently in the area of nutrition. When Martin and

I did this interview years ago, people scoffed at the idea of this protocol. They were caught up in their

dogma of meal timing, 5‐6 meals a day, and fasting ruining your metabolism. At the time, I remember

looking into fasting on small levels and finding the results interesting and not supporting this general

dogma. When

Martin

came

along,

I was

extremely

impressed

with

his

level

of

knowledge

on

the

subject

and the depth his goes in his research and anecdotal work.

I have since done a lot of research myself on the subject and anecdotal work. Fasting and their protocols

can come in all shapes and sizes, but I do believe there are intelligent and educated methods of applying

the application. It has been seen as a taboo in the past, but hopefully people are opening their eyes to


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critical thinking and research on the subject, instead of wives tales or bad experiences from those

lacking educated actions.

So, for those of you new to this or learning about it for the first time, keep an open mind on the science

behind what has previously been ruined by fad propaganda.

Questions We Cover

1. What are your current credentials (education, certs, position, favorite late night TV program, you

know the basics)? And what got you into this field in the first place?

2. What was it that drove you to intermittent fasting? Is this an idea you have been toying with for

sometime?

3. What are the bare basic principals of your approach to IF?

4. Is there a specific recommendation you have for pre‐post workout meals? Do you stick to any sort

of carb/protein ratio?

5. Do calories matter on IF?

6. What

are

the

biggest

mistakes

people

make

with

IF?

What

makes

your

program

different?

7. What do you feel that IF offers that sets it apart from other methods of dieting? Where do you

think it really shines?

8. Have you found a difference between men and women using this program?

9. Can IF work for my nutrition for maintenance as well?

10. When will the book be released? Are you taking on Clients?

Leigh Peele: What are your current credentials and what brought you into this field?

Martin Berkhan: I have a bachelor’s degree in Medical Sciences and Education and my major is in Public

Health

Sciences.

While

my

background

has

helped

me

to

separate

facts

from

bullshit,

of

which

there

is

plenty of in the fitness and bodybuilding community, my knowledge of nutrition and weight training is

purely self ‐taught. I consider passion the best tutor and I have that in spades, when it comes to

improving body composition through nutrition and weight training.

I got into the field by earning respect for my theoretical and practical knowledge, without any formal

education in the matter, and ended up as a writer for a Swedish bodybuilding and fitness magazine (the

only one we have here, called “Body ”). This was about year ago and at the same time I started doing

personal consultations and coaching on diet and training, working with regular joes, as well as the more

hardcore fitness and bodybuilding crowd. Since then much has happened; I have finished

university, started up my own website and looking to write a book on intermittent fasting. As of right

now, I’m supporting myself as a writer and nutrition counselor.


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*Authors Note: Do not ask Martin when the book is coming out. You have been warned.*

Leigh Peele: I agree with you 100% on passion being the best tutor. I consider myself a student of self ‐

driven knowledge. What was it that drove you to intermittent fasting? Is this an idea you have been

toying with for sometime?

Martin Berkhan: I have been doing intermittent fasting every day since June 2006, changing calorie

intake, macros, and other variables depending on my goals during different time periods. I started doing

it because of two things. First of all, I didn’t like how my life became centered around my diet, and I

was starting to get fed up with my own behavior. The constant meal preparing, the obsessiveness about

eating the

perfect

meals

at

the

right

time,

and

the

way

I sometimes

made

excuses

not

to

participate

in

social gatherings in order to meet my calorie and macronutrient goals for the day. I’m sure some of the

people reading this can relate. I wanted to stop this pattern cold turkey, so I started to question the

need for regular feedings and the way it was constantly being pushed as the most optimal way to eat for

physique conscious people.

The science certainly didn’t support the approach [eating ever few hours], so how come everyone was

ranting about high meal frequency patterns being ideal? I already had my doubts, but I needed to have a

closer look at the hard facts in order to convince myself to quit the meal pattern that started to become

a burden on my life. Was eating every second or third hour important in order to “stoke the metabolic

fire”? No,

there

was

no

scientific

support

for

that

idea

and

studies

on

the

subject

were

carefully

controlled, showing no correlation at all between meal frequency and metabolism. Perhaps a high meal

frequency was needed in order to provide the body with a regular stream of nutrients, making sure that

you had a constant supply of amino acids in order to stave off muscle catabolism and promote muscle

growth? No, looking at how the body processes and digests meals, this wasn’t the case either. Digestion

of a regular meal takes about 6‐7 hours and during this time amino acids are being released into the

bloodstream. 30 g’s of casein takes about 7 hours to get fully assimilated. Double that amount and you


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will have amino acids in the bloodstream most of your waking hours. Was a high meal frequency needed

in order to keep hunger at bay and not overeat? This is the only point where a high meal frequency has

some empirical backing – at least when you look at how inactive test subjects in lab settings rate hunger,

on different meal patterns, while being fed a high carb diet compromised of calorie dense foods. Not

really something that can be applied the physique conscious crowd, or the environment most people

spend their

waking

hours

in.

There are also some correlation studies showing a link between high meal frequency and lower

bodyweight in the general population, but this is easily explained when you look at the behavioral

aspects surrounding low meal frequencies among “regular” people. For example, your average low meal

frequency eater is usually a spontaneous eater, snacks between meals and has no clue about proper

nutrition (a snickers bar on the go, maybe something from the vending machine after lunch, and so

forth). Again, this is not something that can be applied to the health conscious crowd, which has a basic

grasp on proper nutrition, and strives to improve his or hers body composition – the crowd reading this

interview, for example.

Now, having cleared my mind of any doubts about the meal pattern I was about to embark on, I couldn’t

believe how good I felt on my new “diet”. My head was clear and I didn’t spend anytime thinking, or

obsessing, about when, nor in what form, my next meal was going to arrive in. Worrying about such

things had been my default behavior for a good amount of time since I started becoming more involved

in my training and nutrition, and being it was a relief not having to spend any mental energy on it

anymore. I’m sure anyone that has “been in the game” for awhile can relate to what I mean when it

comes to these kinds of thought patterns, since it is something that seems quite unique to people in the

fitness and bodybuilding community. Besides liberating myself from my food obsessiveness, I noticed

several other positive effects. I had lots of energy during the day, I made faster progress with my

training

and

reduced

my

body

fat

simultaneously

–

at

the

same

time,

while

being

able

to

eat

until

satisfaction, after the 16 hour fast I employed. Since then, I have integrated the approach into my life

and helped several others achieve great results in terms of body composition using the very same

approach. For myself, I can honestly state that I will stick to this eating pattern for the rest of my life.

Leigh Peele: A majority of the population and my readers don’t understand the principals of “IF.” Can

you give us a brief rundown of the basic principals? The quick and easy, if you will.

Martin Berkhan: Intermittent Fasting involves a longer period of no food intake followed by a

relatively brief period of eating.There’s not really a clear cut definition of it, and studies looking at IF,

and human subjects, have been using a wide range of fasting periods; 20 hours in a recent study and up

to 48

hours

in

studies

on

ADF

(Alternate

Day

Fasting).

This

is

where

it

becomes

a bit

problematic

with

regards to weight training and diet adherence.

We know that we need proper pre‐workout nutrition in order to maximize protein synthesis, in

conjunction with weight training, and research supports the benefits of ingesting carbohydrates and

protein prior to the workout. Not really doable with one meal per day. There’s also the issue of diet

adherence – limiting the calorie intake to one big meal, once a day might not really be conductive to


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staying on track in the long term, and may even cause some gastrointestinal problems due to ingesting a

day’s worth of calories in such a short time.

My take on IF shortens the fasting period down to 16 hours – in my opinion, an ideal compromise

between getting the best out of the fasting, without the negatives that may follow with a longer fast.

This leaves

eight

hours

as

your

eating

window,

in

which

myself

and

most

of

my

clients,

eat

three

meals,

leaving room for proper pre – and post workout nutrition. I should note that I cycle calorie intake

depending on where the current priority lies (fat loss, recomposition or lean mass gain). However,

regardless of goals, the absolute majority of the day’s calorie intake is to be ingested in the post

workout window. In my experience, this may have a nutrient partitioning effect which makes it possible

to gain, or maintain, muscle even on a weekly calorie deficit, or when dieting to very low bodyfat levels.

All of this is based on trial and error with regards to my own, and my clients, personal experiences. I feel

that extreme measures, like confining the eating window to four hours or less, aren’t needed to in order

to reap the benefits of intermittent fasting for those wishing to improve their body composition.

Leigh Peele:

You

brought

up

pre/post

‐workout

nutrition.

Is

there

a specific

recommendation

you

have

for these meals? Do you stick to any sort of carb/protein ratio? I am specifically curious as to the pre‐

workout guidelines.

Martin Berkhan: In an ideal situation, I’d like to place approximately 80% of the day’s total calorie intake

in the post workout window. As a consequence, the pre‐workout meal is often the “fast breaker” on

workout days. For the pre‐workout meal I usually recommend a meal consisting of an equal carb/protein

ratio – for example, 50‐60 g carbs, 40‐50 g protein and some fat for taste (about 500 kcal total). The goal

of this meal is to provide satisfaction, provide enough carbs to fuel the workout, and maximize protein

synthesis for the workout (another reason for the high protein intake is to induce satiety).

One of my typical pre‐workout meals may consist of 8 oz lean meat with veggies or potatoes and a large

apple. A bit of fructose might mediate the effect of the post‐workout feeding, since liver glycogen is

beneficial to hormones involved in anabolism, therefore the fruit. Keep in mind that the pre‐workout

meal is dependent on training volume, but I’ve found that these general guidelines work for most

people doing moderate volume resistance training (about 10‐15 sets of 6‐10 reps, per workout, in total).

Athletes and others, subjecting themselves to a greater training load than the average weight trainer,

require different pre‐workout guidelines.

The post workout meal is, ideally, a high carb, moderate protein and low fat feeding. This is what I have

found most beneficial in terms of maximizing growth, recovery and limiting whatever extra fat might get

stored during hyper caloric conditions. The absolute majority of carbs should be starch based, since we

want carbs that gets stored as muscle glycogen primarily, but as noted before, some fructose might also

be beneficial to allow for muscle growth processes to occur. The post workout meal should be the

largest of the day and you may split your remaining calorie intake as you see fit. I usually have two

substantial meals post‐workout; one directly following the workout and another one an hour before

going to bed.


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The exact amount of calories and macronutrients consumed in the post‐workout window is largely

dependent on the individual’s primary focus, be it fat loss, re‐composition or lean mass gains, so this is

nothing more than a quick summary of some general guidelines that I apply across the board.

*Authors Note: Martin has also discussed fasted training sessions and workout nutrition. In regards to

fasted workouts

he

states,

“Training

is

initiated

on

an

empty

stomach

and

after

ingestion

of

10

g BCAA

or similar amino acid mixture. This “pre‐workout” meal is not counted towards the feeding phase.

Technically, training is not completely fasted – that would be detrimental.”

You can find his full take on workout nutrition here.

Leigh Peele: Do you think it is important to state that those utilizing the IF protocol, need to

understand that this isn’t some sort of free pass to binging? That they still need to fit it within their

caloric needs for daily energy? This would make “eating to your hearts content” mean more like

“don’t be stupid and scarf down a box of doughnuts correct?”

*Authors Note:

This

excludes

cheesecake

day.*

Martin’s Birthday Cheesecake

Martin Berkhan: Exactly. I don’t make any claims whatsoever on calorie counting not being necessary on

IF. Studies show that resting metabolism increases in fasting (again, quite contrary to popular belief),

mediated by increases in catecholamines like noradrenalin, but this effect is quite insignificant when

you’re talking about humans ability to eat boatloads of calories, when introduced to energy dense and

palpable foods. As shown in empirical studies, recall that both humans and rats maintained their

bodyweight on an ADF (Alternate Day Fasting) regimen, when encouraged to eat ad libitum in the

feeding phase. If you let hunger and appetite dictate what and how much to eat, it’s quite easy to undo

the energy deficit accumulated through 16, 20 or even 48 hours of fasting. That being said, you’ll

discover that you can indulge quite a bit, while still dropping fat, if you limit the most energy dense

foods. For example, I eat a lot of ice cream myself, but I make sure that the majority of my calories

comes from meat, veggies, fruit and starch sources like potatoes, oatmeal and whole grain bread.


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Leigh Peele: Can you tell me what makes your program different? I have noticed, for example, your

“fast time” is different than other programmers. And if you could, what are some of the mistakes

people or program designers might be making?

Martin Berkhan: If I were to broadly generalize the most common mistakes IF’ers make, I’d break it

down to

two

points;

diet

and

nutrient

timing.

In

this

context,

let’s

classify

a ‘mistake’

as

a behavior

that

isn’t conducive to achieving a set goal. The first mistake is linked to diet, and I’ll outline a conversation

between me and another IF’er to illustrate my point.

IF’er: I feel great on IF, but I’m not losing any weight. Please help!

Me: Very well then. Tell me about your diet.

IF’er: I fast 20 hours a day and I follow a strict low carb Paleo diet. I lost 10 lbs in two months and now

my fat loss seems to have stalled. Do you think there’s anything wrong with my metabolism? Maybe I

should try alternate day fasting instead. You know, to get a better growth hormone release and

effectively mobilize

the

fat.

Me: But how about your calorie intake? What’s the macrocomposition of your diet?

IF’er: Like I told you, I keep a Paleo Diet. No processed foods. I eat meat, veggies, lots of fatty fish, whole

eggs and nuts. I eat berries now and then, but I limit my fruit intake and I don’t eat any dairy. I don’t

really know how many calories I’m eating.

This conversation took place just a few hours ago, and pretty much sums up what I think a large group of

people is missing. Here, all the focus is on the method, not the process. While this individual had some

success with a ‘lifestyle’ approach to dieting, by making dietary changes that brought about fat loss

without actively

paying

attention

to

calorie

intake,

that

style

of

dieting

eventually

stops

working.

Recall that the body is extremely adept at making you stop losing fat, and by allowing spontaneous

eating, even if restricted to select ‘ healthy’ food items, people are inviting plateaus. It’s actually pretty

easy to undo hours of fasting with an uncontrolled food intake when the feeding phase starts – even

with healthy, ‘clean’ foods. For example, nuts, typically consumed by low carbers and the paleo clique

(which also tends to be the groups of people often experimenting with IF), is being pushed as the second

coming of Christ and an ‘optimal’ snack, yet contains more calories than chocolate on a unit per unit

basis. Chocolate is a big no no for many dieters, yet nuts are ok? Sure, nuts have a decent fatty acid

profile, but they’re worthless as a protein source and there’s a lot better ways to get your essential fatty

acids

than

snacking

on

nuts,

especially

if

you

want

to

lose

weight.

Rationalizing

the

consumption

of

nuts in favor for the exclusion of fruit and dairy is absurd, especially since the latter are less calorie

dense and has shown to exert a positive effect on satiety and fat loss.

Simply put, people are missing the forest for the trees. Reality check: even if IF might have benefits not

seen with other diet approaches, it doesn’t magically alter the human metabolism. Calories count,

regardless of the method used, and people needs to learn that. I guess this scenario is just as common

among followers of any other diet approach out there, but I’ll throw it out there just to make sure


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everyone understands that you can’t get away with an excessive calorie intake just because you’re doing

IF. Some people reading this will go ‘no shit, Sherlock, I knew that’ but the same people don’t have the

slightest clue about what the average dieter knows or doesn’t know. Trust me, I’ve had more than my

share of clients that thought fat loss was all about watching your carbs and staying away from dairy.

My regime

takes

the

guesswork

out

of

the

equation

and

doesn’t

rely

on

special

food

restriction

rules

seen in other diet approaches. Since the diet is cyclic, rotating higher carb days with lower carb days, no

foods are excluded from the diet if it’s taken into account calorie wise, and consumed on the right day. I

also believe in a more or less optimal macrocomposition of the diet, a subject every IF regime out there

ignores, but this is a complex topic and will be covered in greater detail when the time comes.

Another mistake I believe many IF’ers are doing, is fasted weight training. The research on pre‐ and post

workout nutrition today is quite substantial and I don’t think anyone in their right mind should be lifting

weights on an empty stomach – regardless of goals. I believe the protein synthesizing effect of the pre‐

workout meal overshadows any small benefit to be had from higher amounts of growth hormone that

comes from fasted workouts and scientific evidence supports this. This doesn’t mean fasted workouts

are a no go, but it means we should compromise a bit – which is why I suggest the ingestion of an

adequate amount of essential amino acids or BCAA prior to the workout. This wouldn’t technically make

it a fasted workout, but I believe the caloric impact of 10 g EAA/BCAA is so small that it would leave you

with most of the benefits of a fasted workout, while at the same time getting many of the benefits of a

solid pre‐workout meal. My regime uses different pre and post workout meal setups depending on

workout timing, and I just described the one I’ve successfully used with fasted workouts. As far as I

know, pre‐workout isn’t even mentioned in the context of the other IF regimes out there.


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Leigh Peele: What do you feel that IF offers that sets it apart from other methods? Where do you

think it

really

shines,

not

only

in

a scientific

standpoint,

but

mentally

as

well?

Martin Berkhan: The answer to this question is best answered from different point of views. Bear with

me and you’ll understand where I’m going here.

For the dieter, IF offers something very unique, in terms of enjoying physically and psychologically

satisfying meals while losing weight. The absence of hunger and cravings are also a welcome feature

when using IF for weight loss. Contrary to popular belief, the fasting phase has a suppressive effect on

hunger. Hunger pangs may come, but they disappear quickly, to be replaced by a sense of well being

and total absence of hunger.

This is

my

take

on

generic

weight

loss

methods:

I believe

that

the

“nibbling”

approach

to

dieting,

which

is so often encouraged by mainstream nutritionists and mass media, may aggravate hunger, rather than

keeping it at bay. I can speak for myself, and several of my clients, when I’ll say that several small meals

a day does more to potentate cravings, and subsequent hunger, rather than suppressing it. There’s also

the psychological sense of hunger that must be taken into account, while discussing how dieters think

and work. I honestly feel that the psychological form of deprivation, i.e. the absence of some favorite

foods that you might not be able to enjoy on a generic high meal frequency plan, is much worse than


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any form of physical hunger. Some people will gladly trade constant cravings for the casual physical

hunger that might occur during the fasted phase on IF. Notice that I’m saying “might”, since some

people, including me, don’t get hungry at all during the fast (there’s probably an adaptive component to

be taken into account here).

Now, obviously

the

above

doesn’t

hold

true

for

everyone.

Like

every

diet

approach

out

there,

there’s

differences among individuals in what works and what doesn’t, but so far, in my experience, there

seems to be a lot more “hits” than “misses”, when it comes to the success rates of people using IF for

weight loss.

There’s also the nutrient partitioning effects I believe that IF may provide when combined with strength

training – basically, I think that IF is a very flexible tool, that can be used in several ways, to improve

body composition.

Others will enjoy the cognitive effects of IF. I’m mainly thinking about people with professions that

require a high degree of focus and concentration; for example programmers and writers, that may want

to increase

their

productivity

during

work

hours.

Due

to

the

increase

in

catecholamines

during

the

fast,

productivity goes up and you’ll feel more involved in whatever you’re doing; the effect can be compared

to a mild stimulant. Personally, that’s one of the benefits I really appreciate as a writer and online diet

consultant. I spend a lot of time in front of the computer, reading, writing and corresponding back and

forth. Having not to think about food, and feeling clear headed and focused, is something I find very

useful when it comes to time management and productivity.

And then again, there are the health benefits not to be forgotten. Improving insulin sensitivity and other

health indicators, such as cardiovascular health for example, is undoubtedly of interest to a large

number of people, whose main priority is to stay healthy and reduce risk factors for different types of

metabolic and

cardiovascular

diseases.IF

also

offers

neuroprotective

benefits,

which

may

protect

from

brain degenerative diseases like Alzheimers, for example. These benefits are unique to this diet

approach and cannot be achieved, to the same degree, with traditional calorie restriction and exercise.

Leigh Peele: Have you found a difference between men and women using this program?

Martin Berkhan: Due to differences in body weight, body composition and calorie needs, very few

women, especially those already within a ‘normal’ weight range, get away with an unstructured

approach to dieting. That goes for all diet approaches, not just IF. Sure, a lifestyle approach to IF will

likely get a few pounds of you, but it won’t work all the way down to getting really lean for most

women. The female body is very adept in protecting against fat loss below a certain body fat percentage

and spontaneous eating without logging calories will often set people up for failure, unless they have a

very solid track record of dieting in the past (i.e very attuned to their bodies caloric needs).

As we’re on the subject, I’ll also mention that I’ve revamped the diet guidelines I use for my female

clients. For example, the fasted phase is now 14 hours by default, not 16 hours which is the case for

men. This has brought about much greater diet compliance and less negative symptoms among women.

The rationale for changing the guidlines makes a lot of sense based on the amount of feedback I’ve been


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getting, as well as my research on the topic. It turns out that women has lower plasma glucose

concentrations than men after the same time spent fasting. In practical terms, this means that women in

general are more likely to get moody and hungry if they go too long without feeding, while men can go

longer without experiencing any negative effects, and this is exactly what I’ve been seeing. Men can do

16 hours quite easily, not so with women; for them, 14 hours is the sweet spot.

I’ve also made some other dietary alterations that increased has diet compliance for women, but I think

I’ll save that part for the book. For now, I’ll just say that moving towards an isocaloric approach, with a

healthy dose of carbs from fruit, has worked very well. Thus, I believe the optimal diet on this regime

will depend on gender, which makes logical sense if you look at the differences in substrate metabolism

between the sexes.

Leigh Peele: I know we have talked about fat loss a lot, but IF can also be a really great approach to

maintenance as well correct?

Martin Berkhan: My approach to IF is hands down the easiest approach to maintaining low body fat,

while at

the

same

time

being

able

to

eat

liberally

and

enjoy

life

–

at

least

in

my

view,

but

a lot

of

my

clients and other IF practitioners would agree to do that notion.

It wasn’t until I settled into the IF lifestyle that I was able to maintain low body fat with ease; in the

past, I felt the constant focus on meals only made me crave more food, yet never left me fully satisfied.

Based on feedback from numerous enthusiasts, I know that a lot of people are dealing with this issue.

Let me expand on this. For the great majority of people, maintenance is a lot harder than dieting or

bulking – it’s a grey area, seemingly lacking purpose, where many seem to fall into a pattern of

overeating one day and undereating the next day in order to make up for the ‘bad’ day. Been there,

done

that,

and

I

know

I’m

not

special

in

that

regard.

Unless

your

calorie

needs

are

staggeringly

high,

you’re faced with the fact that you’ll be eating small, boring meals if you’re left with the ingrained habit

of eating six times a day. It’s like dieting, except you’re more likely to go give yourself a pass some days

and go ’screw this’ and overeat just because you’re sick of your monotonous meals.

Now, cut that meal frequency in half and what happens? You now have three substantial meals that will

leave you fulfilled. And there’s even time for dessert or a treat – something I certainly think should be a

part of a lifestyle approach to maintaining your physique once you’ve reached a condition you’re happy

with. That just isn’t possible with six meals a day.

Another fact is that the constant meal preparing chores of a high meal frequency plan interferes with

other things

you

should

be

doing;

work,

studies,

social

networking

and

leisure

time

takes

a toll.

Personally, I hated the mental distraction that my six‐times‐a‐day eating habit brought about, and

despised the fact that I allowed such a trivial issue take up so much of my time. Maintenance should be

effortless, not a full time job where all your attention is devoted to your diet and what you’ll be eating

next. My approach includes a 14‐16 hour fast, which fits perfectly with most peoples work schedules; it

isn’t extreme, nor is it hard to adapt to, but it let’s people be more productive and get things done,

without being distracted. The mental clarity triggered by the fasting is just an added bonus.


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Adopting the IF approach has allowed me to maintain single digit body fat without the effort needed in

the past and to be honest, I don’t think you can fully appreciate your physique until you’ve put your

thoughts off your diet and eased into a pattern of training and eating that doesn’t take up a large part of

your mental activity. When I eat, I eat big. When I don’t, I like to stay occupied with more important

stuff, without having to think about when my next tupperware sized meal should come. That’s just not

my style,

and

I think

a lot

of

people

involved

in

this

game

feels

the

same

way

–

they’re

just

reluctant

to

change, as they keep rationalizing their behavior by believing it to be a superior or ‘optimal’

approach. These commonly held beliefs are either false or based on depraved interpretation of

research, yet they are constantly propagated by supplement companies (which love the fact that you

believe eating six times a day is good for you), mass media and the fitness/bodybuilding community.

These institutions either have a financial interest in keeping these myths alive or are to lazy to think for

themselves.

Leigh Peele: Do you have a date now that is set for the release of the book? Are you still taking on

clients to work with at all? Basically, if someone wanted to start adopting this style of eating, what

can they

do

and

where

should

they

go?

Martin Berkhan: I dare not say when the book will be out, but I’m hoping to get it released some time

later this year. I’m still taking online clients and if anyone wants to try the approach before the book is

out they can find the contact details on my site.

*Authors Note: Martin is still taking on clients, but currently has a waiting list. You can find more

information here.

If you desire a book or product on the subject, I recommend Brad Pilon’s Eat Stop Eat.

—

interview of martin

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