End of GOMAD self experiment

11 04 2012

Hi all.  This post is about me ending my GOMAD self experiment.  Yesterday I did my last madcow workout (finishing with a deadlift of 315 lbf and 130 lbf press.

Final Stats

  • Started 2-27-12, ending 4-10-12, total time 44 days
  • Total Gallons Consumed: 39
  • Total Gallons Missed: 5
  • Starting weight 168 pounds, final weight 180 pounds
  • Final lift maxes (1×5): Squat 250, Deadlift 315, Bench 180, Row 180, Press 130

I will now start to cut my fat and keep working out to maintain muscle/help cut fat.  I will continue working out 3x a week but with lighter weights (because these heavy weights are killing me).  I am going to add running because I want to be in shape (it has nothing to do with losing weight).  I may continue to drink milk to help maintain my muscle mass, but in far less quantity.

Follow Up

Video of me post GOMAD below (taken 4-6-12), as well as after I cut back down, which frankly should be much better.  I plan to get a lipid panel sometime soon.  I will have at least one more follow up post on this subject to detail how my cut goes.

Post Gomad:

For comparison, pre gomad video, 2-27-12


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Categories : Self Experimentation

Self Experimentation: Sleeping on the ground

22 03 2012

"You should be sleeping on a wooden board for at least a week!"

I’ve decided to experiment with sleeping on the ground. The idea first came to me, oddly enough, from watching Seinfeld.  Kramer realigns Elaine’s spine, she gets hurt again from sleeping on her mattress and Kramer says something like, “you should be sleeping on a wooden board for at least a week! It’s common sense!”  After thinking about it a bit, I wondered, why do we need beds anyway?  I don’t imagine humans evolved sleeping on beds, I mean imagine following a heard of antelope and lugging around a 50 pound mattress.  At best we slept on grass or some kind of mat, at worst the ground.  That was my main  jumping off point for trying this experiment.  After already deciding to try this experiment I did a little reading, such as this article, but for the most part I’m trying it out to sate my own curiosity.

You’re probably thinking, “you’re crazy Russell!  Everyone sleeps on a mattress, why even try?”  Here are a few of my reasons:

  1. My bed is extravagant, and I’m striving to be as minimalist as possible.
  2. Sleeping on the ground takes up a lot less room, and all of my sleeping gear can be folded up and stored if more space is necessary.  My room feels much more open without my queen sized bed taking up the bulk of it.
  3. If I am able to sleep on the ground, I can sleep anywhere in the world and not have to worry about it.  I won’t be reliant on my bed for a good night’s rest.
  4. There may be possible benefits, some outlined in this article.  Any benefits, aside from those listed above, would ancillary and are not the main reason for my experiment.

Below is a photo of the setup I’m going to be trying.  I have a camping mat, a bed cover, a sheet, a fleece blanket, and a comforter (these two blankets are good enough for southern California).  Note: I started on 3-19-12.

Since this is an experiment I should have some kind of hypothesis.  Hypothesis: sleeping in this situation will result no negative change, ie back problems, problems sleeping, etc.  I will note any differences in my life in future blog posts or on my ongoing experiment page.

Ciao – Russell


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Categories : Body, Health, Lifehacking, Self Experimentation