The Colorado experiment routine

This is the colorado experiment routine that Casey Viator used :

Leg Press 750 for 20 reps
Leg Extension 225 for 20 reps
Squat 502 for 13 reps
2 minute rest
Leg Curl 175 for 12 reps
One legged calf raise w/ 40 lb in one hand 15 reps
Pullover 290 for 11 reps
Behind the neck Lat Isolation 200 for 10 reps
Row machine 200 for 10 reps
Behind the neck Lat Pulldown 210 for 10 reps
Straight armed lateral raise w/ Dumbbells 40 lbs for 9 reps
Behind the neck shoulder press 185 for 10 reps
Bicep Curl Plate loaded 110 for 8 reps
Chinup Body Weight for 12 reps
Tricep Extension 125 for 9 reps
Parallel Dip Body Weight for 22 reps

This workout only took him 27 minutes and 40 seconds.

I wondering if this routine would work for the natural trainer?

No.

lol, not a chance

Thirding a 'no.'

It may not have been the workout Casey used, either.

would somehting like this with less exercises, but still using the pre exhaustion technique be good? maybe 2 days a week?

there are better routines out there.

but nothing stopping you give it a try.

Originally Posted by anth15

This is the colorado experiment routine that Casey Viator used :

Leg Press 750 for 20 reps
Leg Extension 225 for 20 reps
Squat 502 for 13 reps
2 minute rest
Leg Curl 175 for 12 reps
One legged calf raise w/ 40 lb in one hand 15 reps
Pullover 290 for 11 reps
Behind the neck Lat Isolation 200 for 10 reps
Row machine 200 for 10 reps
Behind the neck Lat Pulldown 210 for 10 reps
Straight armed lateral raise w/ Dumbbells 40 lbs for 9 reps
Behind the neck shoulder press 185 for 10 reps
Bicep Curl Plate loaded 110 for 8 reps
Chinup Body Weight for 12 reps
Tricep Extension 125 for 9 reps
Parallel Dip Body Weight for 22 reps

This workout only took him 27 minutes and 40 seconds.

I wondering if this routine would work for the natural trainer?

The "Colorado experiment" was debunked years ago. There are three main reasons. First: Casey was coming back from a severe injury/illness which cost him a lot of muscle. Regaining muscle is much easier and faster than building it in the first place. Second: Casey was on steroids at that time. Third: Casey confessed some time after the experiment that he sneaked in a lot of extra work at local gyms in addition to the Colorado workouts.

To those of you who have doubts about the Colorado Experiment have fun reading this. This is written by Casey himself, so believe what you want. And yes that is the insane routine he used.

Chapter 14
The Colorado Experiment
By Casey Viator

There has been a lot of documentation and controversy regarding this entire operation. I would like to put my two cents worth in and tell everyone exactly how this went down for the record.

Here is my (Casey Viator) accounting:

I really had to diet hard to get my bodyweight down to 168 lbs. We calculated that my diet before the experiment was less than 800 calories per day.

I remember flying to Colorado in one of Arthur Jones airplanes, a Cherokee Six. Arthur always flew very high in the Commercial Jet Lanes in a decompressed cabin which always gave me the worst headaches. Arriving from Florida to Fort Collins,
Colorado, I had more to contend with than I had prepared myself for. I was one mile high and I had to aclimate quickly, but I knew food was coming soon. We arrived at the Lamplighter Inn, just outside of Fort Collins, where I was going
to spend the next 28 days of working hard, training and eating, no fun, maybe a movie now and then, we were there to work not play. Think about it, every day for the next month - eating, training my brains out like an animal, sleeping -
that was my job.

The next step was the weigh in. Body Fat count at Colorado State University was a very complex process. We used the Merrimac BodyFat Counter. This is one of the best Veterinarian Colleges in the World. The BodyFat Machine, or counter, was contained in a solid lead room with a huge crystal that was placed over my body. The radioactivity from my muscles registered my lean body mass.

Remember this was the 70's and this particular machine was considered State of the Art. I never questioned the accuracy, and still don't, of this equipment. This experiment actually showed me that even in my low bodyweight, I still gained weight and lost bodyfat. Eating was quite easy the first week after all my previous month and a half of dieting. With a healthy cash incentive per pound of muscle gain, I was raring to go.

The next step was to convert the Physiology Lab into a training facility. We had about 20 pieces of Nautilus equipment and prototypes to move to the second floor. There was even talk about the structural integrity of the second floor accomodating these pieces. Many tons of equipment was moved to that floor.

We had brought a new line of negative prototypes that we used for testing. For example, we moved the weight up into the contracted position for the muscle with our feet and lowered it with our biceps or triceps. We even had a negative bench
press which worked in the same fashion. There were many other types of prototypes such as the single pad Squat Machine. This piece was a real workout but in the end the mechanism that locked you out of the machine could not be perfected, hence it never ended up as a production model - all considered, this was a great machine.

The first week or so these training sessions were very difficult. I was untrained for 5 months and my hand had atrophied quite a bit. The first two
sessions I ended up on the floor with a pulse rate close to fibrillation. But, as they say, "what won't kill you will only make you stronger." I tried to keep
my fat content down during my 6-8 meals per day. During my workout sessions,
Arthur would more or less sit in a chair and read the newspaper. If he figured I
was slowing down my pace he would say something insulting and I would get mad
and push even harder into the set, which made me achieve better gains.

The only rule was keeping perfect form. This was a game he and I played for
almost 10 years off and on. One thing about the man, he sure knows how to "piss"
someone off to make them work harder through their workouts!

My workload was so intense that my body absorbed everything I ate. My muscles
were coming back rapidly. This was a true case of muscle memory.

Many people have questioned the validity of this study. A lot of factors came
into play, one of which is genetics. The average man would not have been able to
gain 63 lbs. of raw muscle, which Arthur Jones and myself have been defending
this study for years.

There has been a lot of questions regarding steroid use. Many people claimed
that I loaded up for this experiment. I can honestly say that there was no use
of steroids during this study, which is a very important point.

I was closely monitored in a closed door environment. Believe me, I would have
done anything to have gained that weight, but I knew my rebound potential and I
also knew I would make remarkable gains even before the study began.

The rest factor is very important when an entire body workout is performed.
Proper sleeping and eating habits are also very important factors. When you work
your bodyparts three times a week briefly but intensely your body has to grow.
Proper sequence of pre-exhausting exercises is very important also. The safety
factor is observed very closely, especially during the first part of each
movement. That is when you have the strength to injure your self. The last part
of any exercise is usually not the most dangerous point, your muscles are simply
too weak to injure at that point. Throwing a weight or dropping or lowering a
weight too fast at any time can injure a subject.

The Denver Broncos came in for training sessions and to watch us go through our
fast paced training. Dick Butkus of the Chicago Bears was also there training
and observing what was going on. I was very proud of the results that took place
in Colorado and feel that this study has contributed to the awareness of how
much time is wasted in most individuals workouts. This experiment is still being
studied in colleges across the country today and also can be found on the
Internet.

I must say that I have injured myself on many an occasion in the gym - with
pectoral tears, lower inguinal hernias and many other injuries, however I really
managed to stay injury free using this type of heavy training, so I felt I had
to test out my boundaries. At my current age of 48, I feel this is not safe for
the average man: 750 lbs. squat, 500 lbs. incline bench press, 1500 lbs. leg
presses.

As I mature, I feel moderation would have been better for my overall well being.
Every injury was caused by bad form or explosive movements. If I can teach one
person the hazards of this type of training, I would really be very happy.

If any trainee is considering doing this type of training, I would make sure
that you work at your individual pace and push yourself just enough so you can finish the entire body routine.

I'm calling 'Shenanigans!'

DJ

The muscle radioactivity must be from the 'roids!!!

There has been a lot of questions regarding steroid use. Many people claimed
that I loaded up for this experiment. I can honestly say that there was no use of steroids during this study, which is a very important point.

I find that hard to believe.

Like I said believe what you will. I've read a lot of stuff that has dealt with this experiment, and even though Arthur Jones said he didn't train anyone who used steriods, I found this very hard to believe. Casey was a genetic freak because of the size of his muscle bellies, but to gain that much is a little hard to believe.

But to go along with Arthur only training people who were natural, there is a good story about him training Arnold. Arnold came into his gym, and Arthur is a hard ass who only believes in his way or no way. So he tries the HIT routine on Arnold, and he does Leg Extension, Leg Curl, Leg Press, Squat. Arnold asks to use the restroom right after the Squat, and Arthur calls him a pus*** for leaving during the workout. Arnold goes to the bathroom throws up, grabs his stuff, and walks out. On the way out, he told Arthur the workout was too hard, and going to failure was something he wasn't used to.

There is a lot more to that story, but those are the main parts. I think it's kind of funny to hear Arnold say a workout is too hard. Makes me wonder what kind of crap he was consistently doing on his own workouts when there weren't cameras or video's taping him.

It would be interesting if someone could try the workout routine for a few weeks and see their gains.

I have no "doubts" about the "Colorado Experiment"... But, to take from this that HIT is THE WAY to train is ridiculous IMHO. Casey Viator was a great bodybuilder! No one questions that. He obviously knew more than a little bit about how to get big. But here are some things to look at:

Originally Posted by The Real TO

To those of you who have doubts about the Colorado Experiment have fun reading this. This is written by Casey himself, so believe what you want. And yes that is the insane routine he used.

Chapter 14
The Colorado Experiment
By Casey Viator

I really had to diet hard to get my bodyweight down to 168 lbs. We calculated that my diet before the experiment was less than 800 calories per day.

Casey going into this "experiment" purposely detrained and starved himself???

We arrived at the Lamplighter Inn, just outside of Fort Collins, where I was going
to spend the next 28 days of working hard, training and eating, no fun, maybe a movie now and then, we were there to work not play. Think about it, every day for the next month - eating, training my brains out like an animal, sleeping -
that was my job....
Eating was quite easy the first week after all my previous month and a half of dieting. With a healthy cash incentive per pound of muscle gain, I was raring to go.

I think just about 100% of us would agree that, with decent coaching and no outside pressures or responsibilities and with $$ as extra motivation, we could make extraordinary gains.

The first week or so these training sessions were very difficult. I was untrained for 5 months and my hand had atrophied quite a bit.... My workload was so intense that my body absorbed everything I ate. My muscles
were coming back rapidly. This was a true case of muscle memory.

I can't tell if Casey is defending or attacking the validity of the study.

Many people have questioned the validity of this study. A lot of factors came
into play, one of which is genetics. The average man would not have been able to
gain 63 lbs. of raw muscle, which Arthur Jones and myself have been defending
this study for years.

There has been a lot of questions regarding steroid use. Many people claimed
that I loaded up for this experiment. I can honestly say that there was no use
of steroids during this study, which is a very important point.

I was closely monitored in a closed door environment. Believe me, I would have
done anything to have gained that weight, but I knew my rebound potential and I
also knew I would make remarkable gains even before the study began. The rest factor is very important when an entire body workout is performed.
Proper sleeping and eating habits are also very important factors.

Again, I don't know what to make of this other than it was Casey and the environment conducive to gaining, not necessarily the training...

When you work
your bodyparts three times a week briefly but intensely your body has to grow.
Proper sequence of pre-exhausting exercises is very important also. The safety
factor is observed very closely, especially during the first part of each
movement. That is when you have the strength to injure your self. The last part
of any exercise is usually not the most dangerous point, your muscles are simply
too weak to injure at that point. Throwing a weight or dropping or lowering a
weight too fast at any time can injure a subject.

I agree that exercise sequence is important - no doubt. But, the idea that muscles are too fatigued to be injured (a basic tenet of HIT) is ridiculous.

Originally Posted by The Real TO

...On the way out, he told Arthur the workout was too hard, and going to failure was something he wasn't used to.

I think it's kind of funny to hear Arnold say a workout is too hard. Makes me wonder what kind of crap he was consistently doing on his own workouts when there weren't cameras or video's taping him.

If you think pro BBers are going balls-to-the-walls-failure on most sets year-round, then you are seriously mistaken.

Originally Posted by The Real TO

To those of you who have doubts about the Colorado Experiment have fun reading this. This is written by Casey himself, so believe what you want. And yes that is the insane routine he used.

Chapter 14
The Colorado Experiment
By Casey Viator

There has been a lot of documentation and controversy regarding this entire operation. I would like to put my two cents worth in and tell everyone exactly how this went down for the record.

Here is my (Casey Viator) accounting:

I really had to diet hard to get my bodyweight down to 168 lbs. We calculated that my diet before the experiment was less than 800 calories per day.

I remember flying to Colorado in one of Arthur Jones airplanes, a Cherokee Six. Arthur always flew very high in the Commercial Jet Lanes in a decompressed cabin which always gave me the worst headaches. Arriving from Florida to Fort Collins,
Colorado, I had more to contend with than I had prepared myself for. I was one mile high and I had to aclimate quickly, but I knew food was coming soon. We arrived at the Lamplighter Inn, just outside of Fort Collins, where I was going
to spend the next 28 days of working hard, training and eating, no fun, maybe a movie now and then, we were there to work not play. Think about it, every day for the next month - eating, training my brains out like an animal, sleeping -
that was my job.

The next step was the weigh in. Body Fat count at Colorado State University was a very complex process. We used the Merrimac BodyFat Counter. This is one of the best Veterinarian Colleges in the World. The BodyFat Machine, or counter, was contained in a solid lead room with a huge crystal that was placed over my body. The radioactivity from my muscles registered my lean body mass.

Remember this was the 70's and this particular machine was considered State of the Art. I never questioned the accuracy, and still don't, of this equipment. This experiment actually showed me that even in my low bodyweight, I still gained weight and lost bodyfat. Eating was quite easy the first week after all my previous month and a half of dieting. With a healthy cash incentive per pound of muscle gain, I was raring to go.

The next step was to convert the Physiology Lab into a training facility. We had about 20 pieces of Nautilus equipment and prototypes to move to the second floor. There was even talk about the structural integrity of the second floor accomodating these pieces. Many tons of equipment was moved to that floor.

We had brought a new line of negative prototypes that we used for testing. For example, we moved the weight up into the contracted position for the muscle with our feet and lowered it with our biceps or triceps. We even had a negative bench
press which worked in the same fashion. There were many other types of prototypes such as the single pad Squat Machine. This piece was a real workout but in the end the mechanism that locked you out of the machine could not be perfected, hence it never ended up as a production model - all considered, this was a great machine.

The first week or so these training sessions were very difficult. I was untrained for 5 months and my hand had atrophied quite a bit. The first two
sessions I ended up on the floor with a pulse rate close to fibrillation. But, as they say, "what won't kill you will only make you stronger." I tried to keep
my fat content down during my 6-8 meals per day. During my workout sessions,
Arthur would more or less sit in a chair and read the newspaper. If he figured I
was slowing down my pace he would say something insulting and I would get mad
and push even harder into the set, which made me achieve better gains.

The only rule was keeping perfect form. This was a game he and I played for
almost 10 years off and on. One thing about the man, he sure knows how to "piss"
someone off to make them work harder through their workouts!

My workload was so intense that my body absorbed everything I ate. My muscles
were coming back rapidly. This was a true case of muscle memory.

Many people have questioned the validity of this study. A lot of factors came
into play, one of which is genetics. The average man would not have been able to
gain 63 lbs. of raw muscle, which Arthur Jones and myself have been defending
this study for years.

There has been a lot of questions regarding steroid use. Many people claimed
that I loaded up for this experiment. I can honestly say that there was no use
of steroids during this study, which is a very important point.

I was closely monitored in a closed door environment. Believe me, I would have
done anything to have gained that weight, but I knew my rebound potential and I
also knew I would make remarkable gains even before the study began.

The rest factor is very important when an entire body workout is performed.
Proper sleeping and eating habits are also very important factors. When you work
your bodyparts three times a week briefly but intensely your body has to grow.
Proper sequence of pre-exhausting exercises is very important also. The safety
factor is observed very closely, especially during the first part of each
movement. That is when you have the strength to injure your self. The last part
of any exercise is usually not the most dangerous point, your muscles are simply
too weak to injure at that point. Throwing a weight or dropping or lowering a
weight too fast at any time can injure a subject.

The Denver Broncos came in for training sessions and to watch us go through our
fast paced training. Dick Butkus of the Chicago Bears was also there training
and observing what was going on. I was very proud of the results that took place
in Colorado and feel that this study has contributed to the awareness of how
much time is wasted in most individuals workouts. This experiment is still being
studied in colleges across the country today and also can be found on the
Internet.

I must say that I have injured myself on many an occasion in the gym - with
pectoral tears, lower inguinal hernias and many other injuries, however I really
managed to stay injury free using this type of heavy training, so I felt I had
to test out my boundaries. At my current age of 48, I feel this is not safe for
the average man: 750 lbs. squat, 500 lbs. incline bench press, 1500 lbs. leg
presses.

As I mature, I feel moderation would have been better for my overall well being.
Every injury was caused by bad form or explosive movements. If I can teach one
person the hazards of this type of training, I would really be very happy.

If any trainee is considering doing this type of training, I would make sure
that you work at your individual pace and push yourself just enough so you can finish the entire body routine.

Casey also confessed (years afterwards) that after his workouts with Jones he would sneak off to a local gym and get in some more work. Jeff Everson (Cory's ex) has noted this.

Plus most of that gain was simply "muscle memory". Casey ALREADY had most of that mass BEFORE becoming injured and detraining.

As for steroids Casey gained a large part of his muscle mass through them PRIOR to the Colorado Experiment
Now we are supposed to believe that Casey attained his best ever form (or close to it) and got that mass back without using them?

Sounds a bit crazy to me.

I'd love to know what these guys do as workout/diet etc.

For instance, what does Ron Coleman EAT in one day? etc

"Casey also confessed (years afterwards) that after his workouts with Jones he would sneak off to a local gym and get in some more work. Jeff Everson (Cory's ex) has noted this."


To my understanding, this "confession" comes from an article that was published in the 1980s, and has been refuted several times by Viator himself and those who he worked with him during the experiment. Keep in mind, he was under observation for the full 28 days, including time spent out of the gym. While the results of the experiment are hard to believe, it's never been a secret that muscle memory played a huge role in his weight gains.

I guess Extreme Anabolic knew more about Casey's whereabouts during this experiment more than anyone else did. I also liked the Jeff Everson source that said he was doing other workouts. Real nice credible source Extreme.