the colorado experiment bodybuilding

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How to gain 63 pounds of Muscle in 28 Days: The Infamous Colorado Experiment

Yet in the early 1970s, Arthur Jones, creator of the Nautilus machines, claimed it was possible through his own brand of High Intensity Training (HIT). What’s more, he claimed he had scientific backing for his claims.

So what exactly happened during the Colorado Experiment conducted by Jones and was he telling the truth? Have strength enthusiasts been selling themselves sort by setting low targets for muscle gain? After all if such training can yield 15 to 63 pounds of muscle in one month it must be worth doing.

Background to the Experiment

Jone’s goal in conducting the experiment was to gain publicity and credibility for his particular type of High Intensity Training. As detailed by Randy Roach in ‘Muscle, Smoke and Mirrors’, Jone’s advocated a style of training that many in the bodybuilding industry were uncomfortable with. Jones maintained that a high intensity was required for optimal muscle building and promised that short bursts of high intensity interval training could produce remarkable results. An anecdote from the 1970s often told to demonstrate the intensity of Jone’s training was that renowned bodybuilding Champion Arnold Schwarzenegger couldn’t finish a workout with Arthur Jones because it was too hard.

For the Colorado Experiment, Jones teamed up with Dr. Elliot Plese at Colorado State University’s Department of Physical Education Laboratory to conduct a one-month long study. The goals laid out at the beginning of the study were as follows

• To prove that very brief workouts are capable of producing rapid and large scale increases in muscular mass and strength.
• That nothing apart from a reasonably balanced diet is required.
• That the so-called “growth drugs” (aka steroids) are not required.

Jones himself was a very outspoken and often disliked voice in the fitness industry. He had a poor opinion of the general consensus on fitness and was not shy about it. In numerous interviews, seminars and publications, Jones would regularly take pot-shots at others in the industry for using false claims and unsound training principles. Take steroids for example. Jones held the view that drug use hindered rather than enhanced muscular growth and strength. In many ways he was a voice for those uncomfortable with the shift towards steroids in training that swept across the US (and most of the Western world) from the middle of the 20 th century. For Jones what really counted was genetics and training. It couldn’t be any old training mind you, it had to be intense. Once such rules were applied, results would come. Or so it was promised.

The Experiment

In May 1973, Arthur Jones and Casey Viator began their training under the watchful eye of Dr. Plese. Everything they did would was monitored from their training to their eating patterns. It would be a month of training, eating, recovering and very little else. True to his word, Jones made sure they were put through their paces.

An illustrative example of a regular workout for Casey was as follows

• Leg Press 750lbs for 20 reps
• Leg Extension 225lbs for 20 reps
• Squat 502lbs for 13 reps
• Leg Curl 175lbs for 12 reps
• One-legged Calf Raise with 40lbs in one hand for 15 reps (Two-minute rest)
• Pullover 290lbs for 11 reps
• Behind-the-neck Lat Isolation 200lbs for 10 reps
• Row Machine 200lbs for 10 reps
• Behind-the-neck Lat Pull-downs 210lbs for 10 reps (Two-minute rest)
• Straight-armed Lateral Raise with Dumbbells 40lbs for 9 reps
• Behind-the-neck Shoulder Press 185lbs for 10 reps
• Bicep Curl Plate Loaded 110lbs for 8 reps
•  Chin-ups bodyweight for 12 reps
•  Tricep Extension 125lbs for 9 reps
•  Parallel Dip Bodyweight for 22 reps

The exercises were performed one after the other on Jone’s Nautilus Machines or MedX machines. Each set was done to failure and unless specified above, there was no rest between exercises. Jones once wrote of his training philosophy

“High-intensity training is not easy . . . the training sessions are brief, indeed must be brief, but there is an apparently natural inclination on the part of most subjects to hold back.”

In his 1999 autobiography, Viator described how Jones would often sit in on Casey’s training sessions and use a variety of tricks, including outright insults, to ensure Casey didn’t hold anything back. So the training was not only intense, it was supervised by a trainer who had no compulsion about a tough love approach.

Jones and Casey

What were in the results?

In September of that year, Jones publicised the results in Ironman magazine. An abbreviated version is posted here.

The Colorado Experiment by Arthur Jones

The following is a brief, preliminary report of an experiment conducted at Colorado State University in May of 1973.

Location . . . Department of Physical Education, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Supervision . . . Dr. Elliott Plese, Director of Exercise Physiology Lab., Colorado State University.

Dates … May 1, 1973 through May 29, 1973 for one subject (Casey Viator), an elapsed period of 28 days . . . and May 23, 1973 for the second subject (Arthur Jones), an elapsed period of 22 days…

First subject (Casey Viator), 28 days

Increase in bodyweight……..45.28 pounds

Loss of bodyfat…………..17.93 pounds

Muscular gain……………..63.21 pounds

Second subject (Arthur Jones), 22 days

Increase in bodyweight …….13.62 pounds

Loss of bodyfat……………1.82 pounds

Muscular gain……………..15.44 pounds

The results being claimed were nothing short of spectacular but Jones was quick to qualify such success:

It should be clearly understood that neither of the subjects was an “average” subject, and there is no implication that subjects of average or below average potential will all produce equal results from a similar program of exercises.

Casey Viator has trained on a fairly regular basis for a period of several years; with barbells and other conventional training equipment until June of 1970, at which point he placed third in the Mr. America contest and with both barbells and Nautilus equipment until June of 1971, when he won the Mr. America contest. From September of 1971 until September of 1972, he trained primarily with Nautilus equipment with limited use of a barbell, primarily the performance of barbell squats. From September of 1972 until December 23, 1972, he trained exclusively with Nautilus equipment limiting his exercises to “negative only” movements. At the end of that period of training he weighed 200.5 pounds.

In early January of 1973, he was involved in a serious accident at work and lost most of one finger as a result and almost died from an allergic reaction to an anti-tetanus injection. For approximately four months, most of January through April of 1973, he did not train at all; and since his level of activity was low, his diet was reduced accordingly. During that period of four months, he lost approximately 33.63 pounds but 18.75 pounds were lost as a direct result of the accident and the near-fatal injection. So his loss from nearly four months out of training was only 14.88 pounds, less than a pound a week.

The second subject (the author, Arthur Jones) has trained on a very irregular basis for a period of thirty-four years … and reached a muscular bodyweight of 205 pounds at one time, nineteen years ago.

The author did no training of any kind for a period of approximately four years until late November of 1972 and then trained on a fairly regular basis in the “negative only” fashion for a period of approximately six weeks. Training was ceased entirely in early January of 1973 … and no training was done again until the start of the Colorado Experiment.

The author’s bodyweight has varied from approximately 145 to 160 over the last ten years briefly reaching a level of 190 at the end of approximately six months of steady training that was concluded four years prior to the start of the Colorado Experiment.

So both of the subjects have demonstrated the potential for greater than average muscular mass and both subjects were rebuilding previously existing levels of muscular size.

Despite the predisposition of both men for muscle building, Jones seemingly left no doubts his form of training was effective. In fact he claimed both men had achieved such massive gains with workouts averaging 25minutes.

Was the Experiment Legitimate?

Unsurprisingly given the results claimed, scrutiny of the Colorado Experiment came quick and fast. After three decades, criticism has fallen under three broad spheres:

1) Replicability : The Colorado Experiment has never been repeated apart from individual cases by interested trainers. The whole point of the experiment was to gain scientific backing for High Intensity Training and the fact that no one has been able to repeat such results, or even a fraction of them, in a large scale study has hurt Jones’s findings. Jones did conduct another experiment, the ‘West Point’ experiment, using his form of training but finding the exact results from the study have proven difficult.

2) Selection Bias : Both Casey and Arthur had previously trained with weights before. Viator is famed for his amazing genetics and predisposition to muscle building. Likewise Jones had built a solid 190 pound physique years prior to the experiment. Many have speculated that the gains both men experienced came as a result of muscle memory (a physiological phenomena which makes it easier to put back muscle or strength that you lost).

3) Dirty Tricks : This is perhaps the most prevalent claim made against the experiment. Prior to the experiment Casey had lost over 40 pounds due to an allergic reaction to a tetanus shot. Coupled with such a hugh loss in bodyweight, roughly a month before the experiment Casey ate a restricted diet of 800 calories. This has led people to suggest that Casey’s staggering weight gain was due to a severe bounce back to his true size.

Other criticisms of the experiment have suggested that Casey took steroids during the experiment, something he denied until his death in 2013 or that Jones manipulated the results prior to publishing.

So was the Colorado Experiment a sham?

It’s difficult to say. Jones was very upfront about Casey’s genetic potential and the unique position both men were in. There is however another part to the tale that is often forgotten about

Returning to Jones’s Ironman article, the guru of high intensity training also noted that

Several members of the Denver Broncos Professional Football Team visited the lab for the purpose of observing the workouts, and then started training in an identical fashion during the last two weeks of the experiment . . . after the experiment, the Broncos placed an order for several Nautilus machines and drastically reduced their previous training schedule.

And while we were training in Colorado, members of several other professional football teams were training at our facility in Florida. . . in an identical fashion, three brief weekly workouts involving only one set of approximately a dozen exercises, with as much emphasis on the “negative” part of the work as possible.

One member of a Canadian professional team became so strong in the pullover exercise that he was using 675 pounds for several repetitions in good form . . . having started two months earlier with 275 pounds.

Lou Ross of the Buffalo Bills added 20 Pounds to his 6 foot, 7 inch frame … cut a full two-tenths from his already fast time in the 40 yard dash … added five and one-half inches to his high jump … and doubled his strength in many areas of movement. These figures having been provided by the Buffalo Bills coaching staff, who tested Lou before and after a two month Nautilus training program in Florida.

Mercury Morris of the World Champion Dolphins weighed-in 7 pounds above his previous highest weight and still ran the fastest 40 yards of his life when he was tested . . . following two months of Nautilus high-intensity training.

If one wants to learn about the real success of the Colorado experiment, the athletes mentioned in passing are perhaps the best case studies. Casey and Jones knew they would experience great results from the training, the athletes did not. So there’s a chance it wasn’t all ‘smoke and mirrors’, however small.

The Colorado Experiment is still shrouded in controversy. Some in the fitness industry cite it as proof that Jones’s methods were worth their weight in gold, others as proof that Jones was a trickster. Like so much else in the fitness industry, it’s up to the individual to believe in it or not.

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I played college football at Penn State in the early 1980’s. I was a highly recruited player (in the same recruiting class and Parade All America team with John Elway, Dan Marino, Jeff Hoffstetler, Eric Dickerson and RB Curt Warner to name just a few) and a big reason that I chose to accept a scholarship to play at PSU was the strength and conditioning program that was run there by Dan Riley. Riley came to PSU from West Point and was involved in the West Point experiment. I had already read about it (by the way, there was a book in which the results of the West Point Experiment were published) and in high school I spent periods training with the standard “Periodization” Approach- multiple sets, heavy weights & not much focus on the character of each repetition and the High Intensity Training “HIT” approach advocated by A. Jones and Dr. Ellington Darden. I am a firm believer in science (I went on to earn a Ph.D. in Geology & Geophysics from Rice University) and at that time I did not find the quality of support in the scientific literature for the “Periodization” Approach as I found for the principles behind HIT. The nature of the strength training of a college football program made a big difference to me. Consequently, I chose PSU over Notre Dame (who had no strength training program then), Nebraska (home of the Icon Boyd Eply, who was an advocate of Periodization), Alabama, Ohio State, UNC (all Periodization programs) and many others because I felt that the best way for me to meet my potential was through a great strength program combined with great coaching in a pro-style offense. Of course Joe Paterno’s “Great Experiment”, the philosophy that big-time football and high caliber academics could and should co-exist was also a tremendous attraction.

The information above was background to establish some credibility for the observations I will provide. These observations support the author’s point about how the results cited by NFL players, who tried the HIT approach, serve as replication of the results of the Colorado Experiment. In my time at PSU, I saw results that supported Jones’ assertions. A few examples that I saw involved players in the class a year ahead of me. During my recruiting trip in January of 1979, I met 3 players who would go on to be 1st and 2nd round NFL draft picks (two 1st rounders and one 2nd rounder). At that time they all ranged between 6’1″ and 6’3″ in height and weighed between 225 and 235 lbs. in high school all three had played fullback and defensive end. When I came back in late April to visit for a spring scrimmage, I learned that their weights ranged between 240-245 lbs. and when I reported for pre-season practice, in August, there weights ranged between 245-255 lbs. and all three ran faster 40 times than when they weighed between 225-230 lbs. At that time these guys were playing Offensive Guard (2 of them, both starting) and the other was a back-up inside LB, who was starting as a DT before the season ended due to injuries and his continued growth. By the time the three finished their senior years, all three played at 265 lbs, with the fastest running a 40 yard dash in 4.6 sec. and the slowest ran 4.85 sec. They could have been larger, but our line coaches restricted them to no more that 265 lbs. because they believed that if the weight wasn’t muscle, it was unnecessary baggage. During their last season we played teams with bigger guys like the USC Trojans and I remember watching the two OG’s literally beating the DT’s across from them, almost to death. In that game, our RB, Curt Warner finished the game with more yards than the Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Allen (who did not break 100 yards that game). That was a tribute to how dominant our O and D Lines were in that game and a big reason for that was our HIT strength and conditioning.

The reason that PSU adapted HIT for strength and conditioning was multi-fold and it fit perfectly with the philosophy of the program. Paterno’s recognized that for his “Great Experiment” to succeed, guys had to have time to get everything done. We had to use time efficiently. I recall that before each practice, the schedule for the practice was posted for all to see and it was broken down into 30 sec intervals and usually ran for about an hour and a half (rarely ever approaching 2 hours). Because time was a premium, we never did anything that did not have a clear and direct link to the game. There were no Mickey Mouse drills and conditions came from us sprinting between drills and our strength training (because the high cardio demands of HIT). We ran after practice only 2 maybe 3 times a season. The HIT approach fit nicely with the desire for efficiency because during the season we lifted only 2 times a week (to avoid overtraining) and each session took no more than about 35 minutes to complete. During the off-season we lifted 3 times a week, with each session lasting no longer than 40 minutes. Another very desirable aspect of this approach is that we never used or approached maximum weights during lifting sessions because Riley also emphasized safety and exercising in a manner that emphasized proper technique to avoid injury.

So HIT yielded many benefits for PSU football. We saw amazing growth in muscle mass and strength and speed, minimum time expended in the weight room, leaving more time for meeting and academics and almost no injuries occurring during strength and conditioning.

Now I realize that some could take me to task for only citing 3 guys, but these 3 guys were just examples of what occurred with a number of guys. The point that Jones makes about genetic freaks definitely plays a big role in how many guys can show this kind of growth. Dan Rilely was also very aware of this. He used to say that all of the guys on the team were genetic freaks. A very small proportion of the population has the combination of size, speed, strength and athleticism of major college football players, and only a small subset of that group has the genetic potential to grow in the manner of the three people that I described. To further exemplify this fact, the most challenging times trying to block people I experienced occurred in practice, rather than games and that includes games in which Infaced first round draft picks.

I think that the results of the West Point experiment are the most revealing about the validity of using HIT for muscle growth. It was a real experiment that contained a control group and a “treatment group” and the population tested was not chocked full of genetic freaks. Yet, the treatment group had very significant gains relative to the control group. To me, that is the “proof” of the advantages of HIT.

This is absolutely fascinating, thanks so much for sharing it here. Do you happen to know the name of the book containing the West Point results?

Fantastic to read from someone who was so closely related to the beginnings of Jones’ system. As nowadays it’s been diluted quite radically in some quarters.

If you didn’t mind my asking, how did Riley’s weight lifting philosophy compare with those of other colleges? Did other teams give such it the time it deserved or avoid it in favour of more traditional training regimes?

Additionally how long did you continue the HIIT method post-college and do you feel it works best in short time periods (1-2 seasons) or is truly a lifelong approach?

Thanks once more for your fascinating read! Just so much wonderful information there!

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The value of intensive exercise during very short time periods has been amply documented, there is a lot of info corroborating your article on the web.

Even short, 5 or 10 minute brisk walks interrupting your office work several times a day, are now known to do more for your cardiovascular health than hours long exercizing several times a week.

Absolutely and it’s interesting to note the rise of High Intensity Interval training as a form of weight loss during the past two decades. Many now prefer short bursts of activity in place of long hours on the treadmill!

Total fiction, forget the loss of weight due to accident, illness or diet beforehand or whatever else is used as some type of excuse, there is no way that a person can gain over 2lbs of “muscle” per day AND lose nearly a pound of fat per day and be a human being. Not even with the best drugs. It’s amazing that people actually believe an unverified study done by a self-interested person with no research background. Where is the raw data? Where are the methodologies? Where are the peer reviews? Even the follow up West Point study didn’t show anywhere near these results in a 17 week trial. In fact, that study didn’t even attempt to measure fat and muscle loss and gain during the study from what I’ve heard about it.

The pictures, one must wonder how long apart and which was really the before and the after, show the classic marketing angles of puffing up, angling, clothing arrangement et al. It’s clear that Viator was already well conditioned and already over halfway through his genetic potential for muscle growth even before the study. It’s also clear that there is no way he is 45 pounds heavier in the “after” picture, nor did he lose nearly 20lbs of fat. Seriously, are people this gullible?

Hi DGB, how are you? Thanks so much for dropping by. You have fantastically laid out many of the criticisms and critiques that have been applied to the Colorado Study over the years.

The purpose of the article is not to present the study as fact (as I myself am skeptical of the results) but rather to highlight one of the most important ‘scientific’ trials in bodybuilding at that time.

This study and the one at West Point were used by Arthur Jones and others as proof that his system worked. What is important is that they appeared scientific, at least by bodybuilding standards, and also heralded in a new training method in the Nautilus era. Jones himself was a highly intelligent man so who knows why these standards weren’t put into place as you point out.

Whether or not people are gullible…I think the rise and fall of numerous fitness trends answers your question!!

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My name is Jimmy Allen, and I trained exclusively the HIT training regime. While in the Marine Corps stationed in South Carolina I would drive down to Lake Helen Fla. and train at the quansat hut, under Author Jones. That was the year Sergio was getting ready for the Mr. Universe. I was 22 years old then. Now I’m sitting on top of 70 year’s. I have had physically degenerating sever arthritis. Both shoulders have been total replacement, hip total replacement and soon too have both knees replaced. I’m into 14th training session as of 11/7/17 my knee supporting muscle tissue has improved dramatically in the 14 workouts. All workouts single primary movement to a compound movement. 12 exercises total.

Conor, This is Lou Bartek, the person who played football at Penn State and commented on your blog about HIT and Author Jones. You asked several questions in reply to my comments and I am just seeing them now. I will be happy to address your questions, but prefer not to do it online. So if you respond to me using a private email address, I will do my best to answer your questions about the West Point Experiment etc.

Best, Lou Bartek

Louis R. Bartek III, Ph.D.

Cell- 919-259-9263

Email- [email protected]

Hi Jimmy. How are you? Thanks so much for stopping by and please do forgive my late reply.

That’s fantastic to hear that you’re still training. Something for me to aim for! Are you still following a Jones esque plan of training? With modifications of course!

What days of the week did Casey Viator workout or how many days off between workouts?

Hey Jimmy, I’m not sure but that’s a great question. Let me do some digging

A number of Viator’s contemporaries such as Jeff Everson and Dave Draper have claimed that Casey admitted to steroid use before, during and after the Colorado Experiment. And it is very likely that Jones knew about it and choose to turn a blind eye to it.

The weight gain. Just as surely it was not all muscle. Muscle simply does not grow that fast. That is an average of 1.5 lbs of muscle per day. And remember that is muscle (not fat or anything else but lean body mass). I have no doubt that Casey did indeed gain some muscle but most of it was simply gaining back what he had before. As for losing fat, no, that was pure speculation on Jones’ part.

How do I know this? Because to lose fat the body must be in a caloric deficit. Casey went from eating 800 to 5000 calories so where is this deficit coming from? Moreover (and this is something rarely touched on) when you undertake a severely restricted diet for for any real length of time, your metabolism slows down. At 800 a day it must have been crawling. But this takes time (1-2 weeks) and assuming that you haven’t permanently damaged your metabolism by said diet it also takes about the same amount of time to get back to where you were before.

So for at least the first week, if not longer, Casey was consuming 5000 calories a day on the metabolism of a turtle. By all the laws of human physiology he MUST have gained fat. Even after it picked up, he wasn’t in a caloric deficit because remember he was gaining muscle. Again according to human physiology you can not gain muscle while losing fat AND at the SAME time be in a caloric deficit.

Bottom line. Both Jones and Casey had a financial interest in this project. Their claims violated both the laws of thermodynamics and human physiology. Anyone who tells you different has an agenda to push. Oh and as for the football players…As already pointed out they were genetic freaks. They would likely have gained the same mass from any training program.

Absolutely right to point this out. Its a pity people haven’t replicated it with more rigorous controls. You’re right to be sceptical on this and it’s well worth remembering that even modern claims of miracle muscle gain are usually suspect!

http://irongangsta.blogspot.com.es/2013/04/bodybuilding-dirty-little-secrets.html?m=1

Scroll down a bit less than about halfway to read the interview with Casey.

I can’t speak as for the veracity of this site or the interview but from what other people have said about Casey privately admitting to them…it seems in line with the rest.

Huh thanks for sharing this Reilly. I’ll be spending the next wee while trying to track down the sources in greater detail. Hope all is well 🙂

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I think Jones was a complete con merchant regarding this ‘experiment’, I have used his machines in the past though and found them of top quality!

Hi Nick, I’d agree with you on the weight gain. In particular Casey’s obvious underrating allowed for an incredible weight increase once he began training again.

What I do admire about Jones however was his determination to try something new and his eye for new inventions. Have you ever used his Lat Pullover machines? Their gold imho!

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Thank you for sharing this informative article,i really liked the way this article explained everything in details, will follow this tips to gain muscles.

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Thanks so much. I’ll check out that article now!

Hello, my name is Fred, I am 54 years old. About 10 years ago, I tried a multi-exercise diet. I mean, I trained all the muscles, few series and repetitions, and a lot of weight, but I ate every 2 hours, and I gained 1 pound per day in two days. Give up exercise and diet for two reasons. I ended up sore and tired, as well as irritated in my anal part, since I defecated every so often. I came to defecate more than 4 times a day. I am ectomorph and lactovegetarian. I can attach the data of the exercise if you ask me for the information. On another occasion, I gained 2 pounds in a week, training 3 times in a week, two days in a row and resting one and then training, and resting the other days. The supplements I used were: creatine, glutamine and BCAA. Note I am a Dietitian Nutritionist, and I have tried certain exercises due to my physical condition of ectomorph, and difficulty in gaining weight. I think Casey used steroids, and if he did gain weight it couldn’t have been more than 1 pound a day. But lose fat a little. Maybe define yourself a bit, because if you can gain mass and lose some weight. On another occasion an 18-year-old teenage friend gained 10 pounds in a month, and with my guidance he was gaining weight on the barbells and dumbbells, previously using weights and doing body exercises to warm up. Training apart no more than 1 hour, and 3 times a week, I think it was because of food, exercise and his youthful testosterone. His former gym trainer told him that it was difficult for him to gain 2 pounds a month. Like I said before, my nutritional guidance, targeted exercises, and his youthful testosterone made him gain 10 pounds in a month. I am from Ecuador, South America, and I am using the google translator.

Thank you for stopping by. Like you I have tried my fair share of diets…with varying success!

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What if a person with the genetics of one of the people tried this?

What about a genetics?

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Iron and Grit Fitness

Diet Plans and Workout Routines to Burn Fat and Build Muscle Naturally.

Casey Viator’s Workout, Diet and the Infamous ‘Colorado Experiment’

By Jordan 4 Comments | Last updated on February 6, 2022

Casey Viator was a talented bodybuilder. He was built like a musk ox and about as strong as one. He was also the subject of the (in)famous ‘Colorado Experiment’ were he allegedly gained 63 pounds of muscle in 28 days. you read that correctly. The experiment has been a topic of debate since it was realized to the public. It’s a bold claim. And it should make you raise an eye brow.

Anyway, we will talk about Casey’s training routine over the years, as well as the merits of the Colorado Experiment. But first let’s take a trip down memory lane and get to know Viator’s backstory.

The Young Muscle Prodigy

Casey Viator was born and raised in Louisiana, right here in the good ol’ U.S.A. His uncle inspired him to lift at a young age. His uncle was a burly ‘muscled up’ man (‘jacked’ as we say today) and showed young Casey the ropes. He started with olympic training in high school to get bigger and stronger. It worked. Viator became a man child capable of manhandling his classmates in sports.

Casey had a knack for athletics as a boy and weight training helped him become a better athlete. His man-sized body gave him a huge advantage over the children his age, and he became an elite athlete for his time.

He later transitioned to bodybuilding style training to sculpt himself into a living, breathing work of art.

New Kid on the Block

Casey took to lifting like a fish takes to water. He made enormous gains his first few years of training. He responded very well to the physical training and by the time he was 19 he won the Mr. America contest in 1971. Thus becoming the youngest man to ever win the title. Just prior to his national victory the young muscle prodigy won the Jr. Mr. America with a clean sweep of every muscle category (except abdominals.)

The rest is history.

He went on to train with the best of the best for the next decade. During that time Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sergio Olivia proved valuable mentors to Casey. And made a name for himself as a health and fitness expert and bodybuilding icon.

Casey Viator’s Workout Routines

As all bodybuilders and serious trainers do, Viator trained using every rep/set/weight scheme in the book (and wrote a few books of his own about it in fact.)

As a teenager he trained 3 hours a day, 5 days a week. This is a common theme with Elite bodybuilders. Punishing marathon workouts that are beyond reason. Viator did 40 sets per body part then walked home 5 miles.

Overtime he gravitated to High Intensity Training. This condensed his workouts down to 30 minutes while still taking his muscles to the brink. In fact, his training routine leading up to his Mr. America victory was a huge departure from how he used to train. He now did just one set per exercise and trained this way for a year straight.

This article covers Casey’s bodybuilding routine as well as his High Intensity Training Workout.

Before we get into the nuts and buts of Viator’s training routine(s) let’s do an overview of his training philosophy.

Casey Viator’s Training Philosphy

Do cardio – Viator often prescribes cardio to his clients. Casey claims cardio give you quality muscle. There is some truth to this. You need a strong cardiovascular and respiratory system to build muscle. You need a LOT of oxygen to fuel intense workouts if you want to make any progress at all. No need to get cute with cardio. Running, jogging, swimming, stair stepping, rowing or biking are all great cardio.

Train heavy – Some people are born strong. Casey was one of those people. The amount of weight he used for high rep sets was staggering. Most mortals would crumple under the weight he lifted. He was a gifted individual, no doubt, but he put his gift to good use by pushing to the limit.

High Intensity Training (HIT) is best – High Intensity Training means taking muscles to failure. I mean complete and utter failure. It means pushing your muscles so far that you couldn’t lift a broomstick no matter how hard you tried. That’s how these psychopaths trained.

High Reps – Rep range per set is 14-20+ while lifting as heavy as possible.

Slow Reps – Each rep tacks 3 seconds to lift the weight and another 3 seconds to lower it. Each set lasts over 1 minute and 20 seconds. That’s a lot of time under tension.

Train for strength – Casey trained for strength. He let the other guys know it and load up the bar as they shook their head in disbelief.

Training in this manner is highly effective and efficient. The high reps with heavy weight strength every part of your body and mind. Much like the brutal Tom Platz workout .

Casey Viator’s Bodybuilding Training Routine

Iron Man magazine gives an account of Casey Viator’s workout back in the early 70’s. This is the routine that was more likely the way he trained for competitions.

It claimed he trained 3 days per week. Casey training total body and each workout was a marathon workout. 2-3 hours long.

This workout should be done with a spotter. You’ll need the help and morale support.

All leg exercises are performed back to back without stopping. No rest in between. Move to the next exercise as quick as possible.

Leg Press : One set of 20 reps with 750 pounds.

Leg Extension : One set of 14-20 reps with 250 pounds.

Squat : One set of 14-20 reps with 505 pounds.

Leg Curl : One set of 14-20 reps with 150 pounds.

* Seated Barbell Calf Raise : Two sets of 20 reps *done near the end of workout.

Nautilus Pullover Machine : Three sets of 20 reps.

Circular Pulldown : Three sets of 20 reps.

Chin ups : Three sets of 20 reps. Performed very slowly or weighted in order to achieve failure at 20 reps.

Shrugs : Three sets of 20 reps with 280 pounds.

* Deadlifts : One set of deadlifts for 30 reps at the *end of the workout. Great for strengthening the lower back. Deadlifts were the final exercise of the workout.

Standing Lateral Side Raise : Three sets of 20 reps with 60 pounds.

Behind-the-Neck-Press : Three sets of 20 reps with 215 pounds.

Nautilus Special Side Raise : Three sets of 20 reps.

Bench Press : Two sets of 20 reps with 350 pounds.

Incline Barbell Press : Three sets of 20 reps with 225 pounds.

Parallel Bar Dips : Three sets of 20 reps with 100 pounds.

Cable Crossover : Three sets of 20 reps with 40 pounds.

Barbell Curl : One set of 20 reps with 200 pounds.

Nautilus Bicep Curl : One set of 20 reps.

Nautilus Triceps: One set of 20 reps with 120 pounds.

Nautilus Pushdown : One set of 20 reps with 110 pounds.

Compound Tricep Movement : One set of 20 reps.

Wrist Curls : Two sets of 20 reps.

The reason I like Casey’s workout is because it focuses on high reps and heavy weight. A lot of people avoid high reps and it shows. Don’t get me wrong, I love those 6-8 rep grind sets. And those are important. But 15-20+ reps in a set can really bring out the fullness and etch finer details into your musculature. (If you’re a glutton for punishment check out the 20 rep squat workout .)

Casey Viator’s High Intensity Training Routine

High intensity training is effective. However, it was not used year around for training. It was done sometimes for a specific purpose/duration. (There is another workout in the next section that is more typical for bodybuilding)

Exercises for the same muscle groups where performed back to back, no rest in between. (For example, all leg exercises were done back to back to back…same for chest, tricep, etc.)

• One set each exercise.
• 14-20 reps per exercise. Rest as little as possible between sets/exercises.
• Each rep is 3 seconds up and 3 seconds down. Hold contraction at the top and get a good stretch at the bottom.
• Use a weight where you achieve absolute muscle failure

The Exercises

• Leg Extension
• Nautilus Machine Pull Over
• Underhand Grip Pull Down
• Pec Deck Flies
• Chest Presses
• Dips – Negatives
• Bicep Curl Machine

The Colorado Experiment

May 1973 Viator made history once again. This time by gaining the most muscular weight ever recorded by a human being.

Legend goes that one Mr. Casey Viator gained 63 pounds of muscle mass in 28 days. This is an absurd amount of muscle in a very short amount of time. Your bullshit detector should be screaming full blast.

I mean c’mon man, no one in their right mind would believe it…right? Well it turns out people actually do believe it. And every explanation I’ve found about this experiment is low IQ. A lot of details are left out and the critical thinking is almost nil.

My two goals of this section are:

• Is what Casey Viator accomplished actually possible?
• Is it possible given the claims made? (no steroid use, training, diet, etc.)

This is my attempt to draw my own conclusion about the infamous experiment. So here we go – First, a little background about the experiment, then we’ll dive into the details. The experiment took place at Colorado State University under the watchful eye of Doctor Elliot Plese.

Because the experiment took place at an institution under the watchful eye of a doctor people automatically assume the claims are legitimate.

This is not the case, the guy who invented hotdogs paid doctors to eat them in the street to ‘prove’ to the public they were healthy. Doctors would where their white lab coats and chow down on hot dogs for everyone to see. Most people saw the Doctors and assume “oh if doctors eat it it must be ok.” Well, you know the deal. This kind of stuff happens all the time.

The only thing I need to prove this was not a legitimate experiment done for science’s sake is the Colorado experiment before and after image.

The visual tricks displayed here are insulting.

After all, perception is reality.

The Colorado Experiment by the numbers

Okay, let’s look at the facts/claims.

High level, Casey Viator made huge progress in 28 days using nothing but Nautilus equipment. Casey Viator and Arthur Jones claim no steroids where used during this time.

Weight before the experiment = 168 pounds

Weight after the experiment = 213 pounds

Casey went through body recomposition , where fat ‘converted’ to muscle.

Experiment Results

• 45 pound increase in body weight
• 18 pounds of body fat lost
• 63 pounds of muscle gained

Training Method

• 12 exercises per workout
• 1 set per exercise
• 3/4 workouts per week (trained every other day)
• 30 minutes per workout
• Only 14 workouts completed during the 28 day experiment

Before the Colorado Experiment

Now we’ve approached the Critical Thinking portion of the exam.

Here are some details about the Colorado experiment most people don’t know but are important to understand:

Casey Viator dieted hard prior to the experiment – Eating less than 800 calories a day for 6 weeks leading up to the experiment. This lowered his bodyweight all the way down to 168 pounds.

Viator took 5 months off training before the experiment – Time of training makes muscles waste away. Anyone who takes more than two weeks off from the gym knows this.

Casey’s ‘normal’ weight was over 220 pounds – Casey would compete at 217 pounds. His ‘normal’ weight when not preparing for contest was over 220 pounds. And he was this size for many years before the Colorado Experiment. So what? When you are big for a long time then diet down to lose weight, it’s easy for your body to regain the weight.

Muscle memory is real – In line with the previous point, muscle memory is real. Viator took 5 months of training, but because he normally weighs 220 pounds his muscles responded by returning to their state once training and referring commenced.

Steroids – While Casey Viator was out of the gym for 5 months, he likely reduced/eliminated steroids while leaning down. This helped achieve a light starting weight prior to the experiment.

Other Considerations

Money talks – The Colorado Experiment was financed by Arthur Jones, the creator of Nautilus training machines. Jones designed many of the Nautilus workout machines and was a keen businessman. He often used celebrities to endorse his products and was a successful marketer.

Viator had a financial incentive to gain every muscular pound he could. In other words Viator was paid for every pound of muscle he gained during the experiment.

Money motivates people. No doubt about it. And Arthur Jones had lots of money. He amassed a fortune from his business ventures.

Viator and Jones claim that steroids where not used. However, Viator did use steroids earlier in his bodybuilding career. And he actually got BIGGER during this experiment than he did while competing. There appears to be no testing for steroids done during the study.

People get paid to say (and not say) things all the time. Could you imagine the damage to Arthur’s business and brand if word got out steroids were used during the experiment?

Everyone would ignore the experiment and brush it off as cheating.

Colorado Experiment Context

Pretense is important – The experiment was setup to enable Casey to make the biggest gains possible. Casey depleted his body as much as possible prior to the experiment. This would ensure the greatest change could occur. Before dieting down his walking weight was 220 pounds (or more). He weighed 168 pounds the day the experiment began.

When your body is used to walking around at a lean 220 pounds, it’s much easier to get there. Especially with some advanced supplementation 😉

Incomplete repot – Viator claimed he ate ~5000 calories a day during the experiment. 6-8 meals with 400 grams of protein. Kept fat intake down and carb consumption to a minimum.

Taking a closer look, 400 grams of protein is only 1600 calories. That leaves 3400 calories for fat and carbohydrates. Hardly low. Minimum is subjective. Minimum in this case means just enough carbs to maximize gains and no more. Bodybuilders on steroids typically eat lean protein + carbs and low fat diets while juicing. Which sounds like the type of diet Casey ate during the experiment. (Natural trainings need animal fat in order to produce hormones for strength and size.)

I don’t doubt the fact that Casey gained 63 pounds of muscle in 28 days. However this wasn’t done naturally. He must have had some chemical help.

However, when I say pounds of muscle, this isn’t brand new muscle tissue. This is likely rehydration of the muscle he already has as well as replenishment of his glycogen stores. (Since he was in a depleted state at the start.)

Calorie Intake and Body Recomposition

This section analyzes the calories consumed to determine if the claim is aligned with the alleged result of the experiment.

I’m going to keep this simple. There are many variables at play here but I’m going to do this as soundly as reasonably possible without having your eyes glaze over.

Let’s assume:

• 1 pound of bodyfat contains 3,500 calories of stored energy
• it takes 2,800-3,500 calories consumed to build 1 pound of muscle mass

Simply put, Casey ‘converted’ 18 pounds of body fat to muscle (using a total 63,000 calories latent in 18 pounds of body fat). That leaves 45 pounds of muscle that must have come from raw material in food.

Casey Viator ate 5000 calories per day during the experiment.

5000 cals x 28 days = 140,000 and 140,000/45 = 3,111 calories.

Meaning the remaining 45 pounds of muscle each pound on average required 3,111 calories. (Using rough math.)

Okay, we’re in the ballpark. The food intake required for his body recomposition is reasonably sound. (Doing this naturally without steroids is another thing entirely.)

This doesn’t take into account energy/calories required for the synthesis process to convert nutrients to muscle. But it’s a rough-cut estimate that appears to check out.

Remember, there’s also the question of water weight and muscle glycogen stores. Casey rehydrated his muscles and that water weight was counted as muscle.

The food intake / calorie balance seems reasonable given the body recomposition reported and the claims of diet Casey made.

Casey Viator and the Colorado Experiment: The Verdict

[Hey, Jordan here. I went to the gym. I’ll be back later to finish this masterpiece.]

So, to recap – Casey trained for 28 days using only Nautilus machines and gained 63 pounds of muscle in 7 hours of total training time. And no steroids were used.

I don’t buy it.

The weight gain and body recomposition is possible. MMA fighters, wrestlers and boxers deplete themselves for weigh-in then regain 20 pounds before their fight the next day.

But the sheer size of Casey Viator isn’t possible without steroids (or a genetic mutation that simulates steroids.)

Smoke and Mirrors

There are too many variables that cast doubt on the claim that this was done naturally. Even if it was, the before and after photos alone are misleading (since the lighting conditions, posture, body position, etc. were not consistent.) This hints at an attempt to alter the viewers perception of reality. If they are going to lie in the before-after photo by not making them consistent, they’d probably lie about steroid use.

The fact that the visual results were not display using the same stance, lighting, posture, body angle, clothing orientation, etc. Suggests this is an attempt to embellish the results. Which is not a scientific way to go about it. Science is unbiased (true science, not fake science).

Another post: The Colorado Experiment was put on by ring leader Arthur Jones. Mr. Jones created Nautilus training machines. He was a shrewd businessman and clever marketer. His Colorado Experiment had the intended effect – to get attention and create awareness for his Nautilus machines.

The Colorado Experiment was an effective marketing campaign and a win for Mr. Jones. People still talk about the it today. The publicity and attention gained is worth many, many millions of dollars for Nautilus.

Arthur was a smart man. Knew exactly what he was doing. People still talk about this experiment today.

Average Joe loves quick results. It was the perfect way to convince the lazy/dumb/naive consumer. On other note, it grew awareness for physical culture. It may have been a lie but you could argue it was a positive since it brought a lot of attention to physical training.

You be the Judge

Anyway dear reader, you can believe that this is all thanks to the magical Nautilus machine. Or that Casey Viator was simply a freak of nature. (He was. But a freak on juice more likely than not.)

This is an impossible for the average Joe. Hence the reason it hasn’t been duplicated since. The conditions where ‘perfect’ for this type of muscle growth. In preparation for the experiment.

It was literally his job. All he did was eat, train and recover. Since he only trained every other day for 30 minutes each time, he had a lot of time to recover. All his energy went into recovery. Either way, to be fair, enhanced or not, what Casey Viator achieved was an impressive feat.

This is the perfect example of smoke and mirrors in the bodybuilding and fitness space (and marketing in general).

The Colorado Experiment was a clever marketing ploy financed by Arthur Jones to market his line of exercise equipment: Nautilus. Growing brand awareness was the ultimate goal. And I’d say he hit his mark.

What do you think?

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About jordan.

Creator of Iron & Grit. Find me at the gym. How can I help you? Follow me on Instagram for fitness tips and meal ideas @ironandgrit

Michael Nemeth says

January 12, 2022 at 8:50 pm

Excellent article! I agree with almost everything. Its still iffy on my trust of Jones, cause I WANT to trust him. Was Casey on steroids? Absolutely. He confided in Mike Mentzer and Danny Padilla about it. Arthur said he was regaining muscle. I believe in almost everything about the experiment, except what you pointed out. Yes he performed it. Yes he built 63 pounds of bodyweight. But water weight? Darn. I never thought of that….. plus… Arthur said his body fat was down to, what? 3% or something? No way. Its evident in the before and after that his body fat barely changed if at all. He was extremely lean, for someone who hasn’t eaten and lifted in months due to injury. Arthur was a keen business man, yes. I trust what he said through his articles about hit. But he did make it seem like you could get incredible otherworldly results from hit. Never mentioned genetics and he, oddly for him,, seemed naive. Some people who worked him like his office manager, gained 2 inches on his arms in 2 months with negative only training. It was the 70s. I’m almost positive the guy was juicing. Arthur built 15 pounds during the experiment himself. Hit works like almost magic… if you have above average ( ABOVE!!!!! ) genetics. A testosterone machine. Agreed. Beautiful on paper. But flawed more than I realized. Thanks for the article!

Ben McLeod says

August 12, 2024 at 11:57 pm

From memory from a while back, I believe Casey was paid something insane like the rrp of a Corvette sports car per pound, but he would get nothing if he juiced. So for that reason I don’t think he done, because even if it was just worthless fat he’d get paid out. Before his last weigh in he probably drank half a gallon of water since each pound meant so much cash money to him haha

June 17, 2023 at 12:32 pm

This has to be written by someone who has no fitness experience. “ But 15-20+ reps in a set can really bring out the fullness and etch finer details into your musculature”…. With the amount of data available there is no way people still think rep ranges have different effects in hypertrophy. In fact, data supports 5-8 even be more effective for this

August 12, 2024 at 11:53 pm

One thing I would disagree with is him training heavy. Although ironically he did train with heavy weights, he actually trained in the 10-20 rep range which these days would be considered the sculpting range. What he must have been able to lift in the 3 rep range must have been terrifying.

Doing these high rep ranges shows a lot about his mental fortitude too, although he was known to burn out from bodybuilding frequently, if I had 20 reps of 75olb leg press as set 1 of my workout I’d be pretty unmotivated too

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