I'm Halfway There!

After nine weeks on the U.S. Navy Special Warfare physical training program, I gained only three pounds.  Although I made enormous improvements to my speed, strength, and endurance in swimming, running, and lifting; my physique went practically unchanged.  The Navy's six-days-per-week schedule was designed to wring the most performance out of my body, as it currently existed.  I wanted to change my body first, and then improve the performance of my new self.

So for my tenth and eleventh weeks of training, I have changed tacks entirely.  I am eating much more and exercising much less.  I'm eating 4200 calories each day.  This includes 2300 calories from the Gallon of Milk a Day (GOMAD) plan.  I'm only lifting three days per week, and I'm only doing four lifts: squat, bench press, overhead press, and deadlift.

The results?  In the last two weeks, I have gained 7.5 pounds -- 1.2 of muscle, 3.0 of fat, 3.2 of water, and (oddly) 0.1 of bone!  Overall, I have put on 10.5 pounds and increased my BMI by 1.4 points.  How does this compare with my goals?

WEIGHT (lbs): 

Origional: 155

Current: 165.5 (10.5 increase)

Goal: 176 (10.5 left)

BMI: 

Origional: 21.1

Current: 22.5 (1.4 increase)

Goal: 23.6 (1.1 left)

Eating Much More:

I find the enormous diet to be the hardest part.  GOMAD has been around for decades, and it has remained unchanged in weighlifting circles because it works.  It's an easy, inexpensive way to heap nutritious calories on top of a healthy diet.  A gallon of whole milk gives the body saturated fat to boost testosterone, protein to build muscles, and dextrose to spike insulin and move protein into the muscle fibers.  Whole milk seems to be a nearly perfect food for weight gain.

It's not all fun and games.  Dairy is hard on the the gut and the skin -- especially in the first week, and especially if one is coming from a vegetarian diet that previously contained virtually no dairy.  But the body is a miraculous improviser, and within a week I felt like myself again.  I have personal problems with the dairy industry and the consumption of milk in adults; but I can deal with a temporary (one/two-month) GOMAD program in order to get the results I seek.

For the dietitians out there; my 4200-calorie diet consists of 470g of carbohydrate, 180g of protein, and 180g of fat.  My fat, cholesterol, sodium, and calcium intakes are too high; and my fiber intake is too low.  However, I'm getting perfect daily values on virtually all vitamins and minerals, and the short-term nature of my current imbalances doesn't concern me or my physician.

Exercising Much Less:

Instead of lifting and running and/or swimming every day of the week, as the pre-BUD/S program prescribes, I am following the StrongLifts 5x5 program.  This method uses heavy, compound lifts and plenty of rest and recovery.  The incremental increases in weight lifted with each workout are designed to improve strength and size fast.  How does it work?

• Monday: Squat, bench press, and deadlift 45 pounds five sets of five repetitions.
• Tuesday: Nap.
• Wednesday: Squat, overhead press, and deadlift 50 pounds five sets of five repetitions.
• Thursday: Watch TV.
• Friday: Squat, bench press, and deadlift 55 pounds five sets of five repetitions.
• Saturday and Sunday: Read a book.

I'm obviously oversimplifying things.  There are optional push-ups, chin-ups, and core work.  You can do some light active recovery on your rest days (I'm still addicted to the pool).  Otherwise it's a very cheap, simple program with low risk of injury and rapid rewards in size and strength.  I absolutely recommend you download Mehdi's free StrongLifts 5x5 eBook.