A Gallon of Milk a Day (The Reality of Mark Rippetoe's GOMAD) | Quick Wits

GOMAD, or "Gallon of Milk a Day," was a protocol popularized by strength coach Mark Rippetoe (of Starting Strength), to ensure rapid weight gain and muscle growth. The idea is to bulk up quickly. You just chug a gallon of milk a day. Easy right?

But before you start doing that, I want you to tune in to today's Quick Wits for my take on this sometimes controversial protocol and why it might not be the best approach for everyone, especially if you're not a skinny 20-something-year-old male.

GOMAD was originally intended for a very specific demographic - skinny, underweight guys in their late teens and early 20s who struggle to put on any weight at all. For these folks, the massive calorie boost from a gallon of milk a day can kickstart muscle gain and help them get out of the "hardgainer" zone.

But if you're not in that category, then GOMAD might not be the best fit. If you're older, or if you're not significantly underweight, drinking that much milk every day is more likely to lead to excessive fat gain than lean muscle growth. Not to mention, it can be pretty tough on your digestive system, especially if you're not used to processing that much lactose.

But I'm not against using milk as a calorie-dense, macro-balanced tool as part of your nutrition plan. Tune in to hear my thoughts on this.

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