Top all-time · #1247
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Martin Berkhan
Personal blog · leangains.comhealth
Martin Berkhan writes Leangains, a personal blog at leangains.com about health. Since 2010, 56 different Hacker News readers have linked it 72 times, most often “Nutrition Myths Debunked”. It is still writing: the last post was on 2026-06-19, and you can follow it by feed.
72mentions?
15recommend?
56HN people?
2010–2025first – last linked?
Sometimes recommended · 15 of 40 sampled comments recommend it?
Why HN links it
Martin Berkhan's blog on intermittent fasting, lifting and body recomposition. Commenters cite it as an early source of 16:8 fasting and as a well-researched place to start, with research summaries and myth-debunking posts.
- Recommended for · 15 comments
- Called a well-researched, informative resource with useful summaries, myth-debunking articles and a good place to start.
Summarised by Claude from a sample of 40 HN comments that link here. Each comment is marked recommending, critical or neutral (citing without judging); how this works.
Home to Martin Berkhan's The Leangains Method and birthplace of 16/8 Intermittent Fasting, discover reverse pyramid training, advanced fat loss tactics, more.
Most-linked posts?
- /11 people · 11 mentions · first linked 2010-12-16
- Nutrition Myths Debunked11 people · 11 mentions · first linked 2010-10-22
- /2010/04/leangains-guide.html9 people · 9 mentions · first linked 2012-05-22
- /4 people · 4 mentions · first linked 2012-08-02
- /3 people · 3 mentions · first linked 2019-12-27
- /2009/02/low-carb-talibans.html2 people · 3 mentions · first linked 2010-08-13
- /2011/03/intermittent-fasting-for-weight-loss.html2 people · 3 mentions · first linked 2011-03-29
- Fuckarounditis (2011)2 people · 3 mentions · first linked 2023-05-14
- /2012/06/why-does-breakfast-make-me-hungry.html2 people · 3 mentions · first linked 2015-01-16
- Fuckarounditis2 people · 2 mentions · first linked 2012-01-14
What Hacker News says?
Sorry for the crosspost/copy-and-paste: For me personally this worked quite well for reducing bodyfat: Intermitted fasting[1] and lifting weights 3 times a week[2] and being on a cutting regime[3] (cutting on the rest days with low carb and loading on the workout days wiht more carbs). In the beginning IF was quite difficult but after a while the body get used to it and also I tend to have less cravings during the d…
Comment linking /2011/03/intermittent-fasting-for-weight-loss.html
on “Machine Learning and Ketosis”Submitted Fuckarounditis (2011) as a story · 25 points
HN discussionThe satiation thing is a valid point (as others have pointed out). I just don't like the super high level view he took of it. I'd prefer something more controlled like eating calorically equal foods and then ranking them by how long they satisfied his hunger. Fasting is a very effective tool for losing weight. By itself it doesn't really cause any magic (meaning, it doesn't increase the rate of fat loss on its own o…
Comment linking /2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html
on “Machine Learning and Ketosis”Submitted Fuckarounditis as a story · 6 points
HN discussionStart here: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/a-primer-on-nutri... http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/a-primer-on-nutri... Then explore the rest of the site: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition When you're ready, start reading LeanGains: http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debun... http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html
Comment linking /2010/04/leangains-guide.html
on “Cutting Back Sugar Improves Obese Children's Health in Just 10 Days”Submitted The Truth About Alcohol as a story · 6 points
HN discussionThe only reason I recommend that is it's the best pre-workout stimulant I've ever tried, and I've tried a few. YMMV but Jacked 3d with the DMAA ingredient is known in weightlifting circles as a miracle substance. Tear off the damn label if it bothers you. Edit: http://www.leangains.com/2010/09/high-protein-recipes-and-ja... make sure not to get the "micro" stuff and instead look for the one with the DMAA in it
Comment linking /2010/09/high-protein-recipes-and-jack3d-review.html
on “The Scientific 7-Minute Workout”Submitted Fasted Training Boosts Endurance and Muscle Glycogen as a story · 2 points
HN discussion> but can't understand how that's even possible when working out on gym daily... Fasting while working out is actually a common practice and has been used for a while. I myself tried it 3 months during the end of last year with outstanding results (dropped fat faster than ever). My eating window was from 3pm to 9pm. Training from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Only Tea and Coffee while fasting. I plan to get back to a fasting ro…
Comment linking /2010/04/leangains-guide.html
on “Fasting leads to stress resistance, self-renewal, and regeneration (2014)”Submitted Nutrition Myths Debunked as a story · 2 points
HN discussionWith respect 'common sense' is frequently wrong which is why I was asking for some study, evidence, documentation etc. Along the lines of the articles I provided. If you just want an anecdote it certainly works for this guy [1]. And he, in turn links out to a ton of studies. To be clear at no point did I claim that fasting would grow muscle, I don't have any data to back that up. What I said was that your body will…
Comment linking /
on “Time-restricted eating reduces visceral fat and improves metabolic syndrome”Submitted The truth about alcohol, fat loss and muscle growth as a story · 1 points
HN discussionhttp://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debun... See number 7.
Comment linking /2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html
on “Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging”This is patently false. Martin Berkhan created a very lucrative coaching platform with Intermittent Fasting: https://leangains.com/ Many books have been written on IF for profit: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Fasting-Intermittent-A... https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Stop-Brad-Pilon/dp/177511080X/ref... And countless others.
Comment linking /
on “Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease [pdf]”Intermittent fasting has long been a standard staple in the Paleo diet[0] and bodybuilding[1] communities, both for health and aesthetic reasons. [0] http://www.marksdailyapple.com/health-benefits-of-intermitte... [1] http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html
Comment linking /2010/04/leangains-guide.html
on “Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system”This article addresses the concept very well: http://www.leangains.com/2012/06/why-does-breakfast-make-me-...
Comment linking /2012/06/why-does-breakfast-make-me-hungry.html
on “Intermittent Fasting Is Gaining Acceptance”At least one study did find that many subjects exhibit better insulin response in the morning, implying that such people should shunt their carb consumption to earlier in the day rather than later. EDIT: then again, here's useful background as to why this occurs: http://www.leangains.com/2012/06/why-does-breakfast-make-me-...
Comment linking /2012/06/why-does-breakfast-make-me-hungry.html
on “Intermittent Fasting Is Gaining Acceptance”I've been doing Leangains style IF for the past four years. I'd like to share a few quick tips. If anyone here wants to try intermittent fasting, do it for the sake of convenience. I don't eat breakfast or lunch, I just eat when I get home from work or after weight training. On weekends I break my fast earlier than on weekdays. I wouldn't say you should do it for the "benefits" if it doesn't fit your lifestyle. Righ…
Comment linking /2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html
on “Intermittent Fasting Is Gaining Acceptance”http://www.leangains.com/ Check a few articles on most popular.
Comment linking /
on “Two Months of Soylent”Thanks! I pull conventional, I'm no good at sumo. I would agree that multi-day fasts would not be good for strength sports. There doesn't seem to be a authoritative source but LeanGains states you won't lose muscle if you're fasting less than 24 hours. ( https://leangains.com/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked-major-u... )
Comment linking /top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked-major-update-nov-4th/
on “Exercise, fasting shown to help cells shed defective proteins”Lyle McDonald: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/meal-freque... Probably the best and most researched article on this. Bullet point 4 here: http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debun... has an article reference. Basically, you can certainly go into starvation mode, but not in any reasonable amount of time. Skipping meals or even fasting for a whole day will not cause "starvation mode…
Comment linking /2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html
on “Fat-fueled brain: unnatural or advantageous?”Martin Berkhan, the guy that popularized the 16:8 "Leangains" approach puts milk in his coffee. From [0], "So, it’s a question of a dose-response effect. Can you have some milk in your coffee? Sure, I wouldn’t worry about it and I have it myself. Life would just be too damn boring with only black coffee, especially if you’re used to having some milk with it. How much milk/cream? I would put the limit at 50 kcal tota…
Comment linking /questions-answers-5/
on “The Fasting Cure Is No Fad”Please let me point you to https://leangains.com It has a ton of info - Martin Berkhan is really first person who popularized 16:8. One of advises there is that you can have black coffee with some milk, because milk is really low on calories. Also, from his site again, 10g of BCAA pre and postworkout does not change expression of fasting markers in blood. 10g of BCAA is ~40 calories. Put differently, it is equal to…
Comment linking /
on “Intermittent fasting works – not only for weight loss but also for heart health”Bodybuilders were the first people to start intermittent fasting after the mouse study. The title of the front page of https://leangains.com/ is "Leangains - Birthplace of Intermittent Fasting" April 14, 2010: https://leangains.com/the-leangains-guide/
Comment linking /the-leangains-guide/
on “Eating less can lead to a longer life: study in mice shows why”I love the "barbershop workout" analogy! The original "Fuckarounditis" article on Leangains: http://www.leangains.com/2011/09/fuckarounditis.html
Comment linking /2011/09/fuckarounditis.html
on “This Is Why You Don't Go to the Gym”You can indeed get very strong and very lean with Intermittent Fasting. This is a goto site backed by plenty of good research. http://leangains.com/
Comment linking /
on “Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Applying the Health Benefits of Fasting”Since James Clear's blog is getting shared because it's old (2012), I will share the OG post that kicked off the intermittent fasting trend: Leangains (2010). Leangains didn't invent IF, but it did inspire more people in the last decade than anything else, including James Clear (it's the first reference he cites in this article). https://leangains.com/the-leangains-guide/
Comment linking /the-leangains-guide/
on “A beginner's guide to intermittent fasting (2012)”Eat five times a day and never fast is very old school. When I was trying to gain weight I would eat 6 times a day. Watched low fat and low sugar. But it seems things changed Intermittent fasting is actual working and even a 24 hour fast can be beneficial. Also Calories in and out are a very easy way to lose weight if you calculate correctly. Lot of people overestimate what they burn. I practice intermittent fasting…
Comment linking /2010/04/leangains-guide.html
on “Please don't let gaming consume your life”http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html This worked really well for me.
Comment linking /2010/04/leangains-guide.html
on “A Guide to Intermittent Fasting”It appears your paper advocates a combination of partial fasting with cardiovascular exercise, which I'm confident, works exactly as described :) and lines up with the research I've seen that exercising while fasted is more beneficial than when fed. [1] Though the fasting research I have done seems to indicate that protein sparing fasts aren't necessarily better than total abstention of food, and that protein lost d…
Comment linking /fasted-training-for-superior-insulin-sensitivity-and-nutrient-partitioning/
on “Why Do Rich People Love Endurance Sports? (2017)”
