Casey Viator's Workout, Diet and the Infamous 'Colorado Experiment'

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.

Legs

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.

Back

Nautilus Pullover Machine: Three sets of 20 reps.

Deltoids

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.

Chest

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.

Arms

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.)

The Method

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 Press
Leg Extension
Leg Press
Squat
Leg Curl
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 bullsh*t 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 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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Casey Viator's Workout, Diet and the Infamous 'Colorado Experiment' - Iron and Grit Fitness (2024)