Friday, January 29, 2010

  • The Nautilus Infi-Metric Bench Press


  • The Infi-Metric was an interesting training concept which was pioneered by Arthur Jones. It involved pitting the strength of two body parts against each other. In the case of the Infi-Metric Bench Press machine shown here, as trainee pressed up one handle, the opposite handle lowered. This allowed one to train in a negative fashion in a very safe and productive manner. Because of the angles involved, it was also possible to get a stronger contraction in the chest muscles. Those who used this style of training correctly got great results, eventually becoming so strong that they bent the steel of the movement arm!

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    Friday, January 29, 2010

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    Monday, January 18, 2010

  • Casey Viator, The Colorado Experiment


  • A rare look at Casey Viator training during the Colorado Experiment. Many of the machines used during the Colorado Experiment revolved around "negative" training techniques. The one Casey is using, for example, was an overhead press machine. On the right is the infamous "Mr. Happiness" negative bench press machine. Both of these machines were prototypes and never made it to actual production.

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    Monday, January 18, 2010

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    Tuesday, September 22, 2009

  • The Nautilus Hip and Back Machine


  • Shown here is the Nautilus Hip and Back machine, as demonstrated by 1971 Mr. America Casey Viator. It's a real shame that so many people do not take the time to understand what some machines are capable of insofar as their training results are concerned.

    This particular model, for example, is a superior way to train the musculature of the hips and lower back, without the drawbacks of the barbell squat -- something which no other exercise or training method is able to duplicate as efficiently.

    The Nautilus Hip and Back machine was in production in the early 70s, well before some of the well-known low-back developers of today. Due to its design, this Nautilus version also avoided the shearing forces of the highly promoted modern versions as well.

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    Tuesday, September 22, 2009

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    Sunday, February 22, 2009

  • The Nautilus Compound Leg Machine


  • The 'point' of any tool is to give yourself an advantage that could not otherwise be had... in this case, a machine which will allow a for the performance of a specialized training technique: pre-exhaust.

    The Nautilus compound Leg Machine combined a leg extension with a leg press, allowing a trainee to move from one exercise to the next in the quickest possible time -- and creating one of the most intense leg workouts ever devised.

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    Sunday, February 22, 2009

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    Friday, December 05, 2008

  • Squatting with Casey


  • If there is a "secret" to super strength it's hard, intense leg work. Here's 1971 Mr. America Casey Viator getting in a quick squat workout at the infamous quonset hut, Deland Florida, circa 1971 or so. I count well over 500 pounds on the bar -- not bad for a "training weight."

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    Friday, December 05, 2008

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    Tuesday, January 29, 2008

  • Nautilus Omni Machines

  • Nautilus Omni MachinesNautilus Omni Machines

    The Nautilus Omni machines were used primarily during the Colorado Experiment and provided training advantages that no other piece of equipment ever provided - a footpedal that allowed the trainee to perform the exercise in a negative only or negative accentuated manner in the most efficient way possible.

    These were the only machines, before or since, that allowed all five distinct methods of training to be performed.

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    Tuesday, January 29, 2008

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    Thursday, January 17, 2008

  • 1971 AAU Mr. America Casey Viator

  • 1971 AAU Mr America Casey Viator1971 AAU Mr America Casey Viator

    On June 12th, 1971, Casey Viator went on to win the AAU Mr. America bodybuilding contest in the most dominating fashion imaginable.

    In addition to winning the overall title, in that contest Casey also nearly swept the sub-categories of Best Arms, Best Back, Best Chest and Most Muscular.

    The only award Casey did not win at that contest was "Best Abdominals" (probably because He won everything else.)

    Find out his exact training here.

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    Thursday, January 17, 2008

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    Thursday, January 03, 2008

  • Ellington Darden

  • Before authoring over 50 books on strength training and meeting Arthur Jones, Ellington Darden was a very successful bodybuilder in the 60's and 70's.

    Interestingly enough, Ellington Darden won the 1969 Mr. Texas Bodybuilding contest, the same contest where a 17 year old Casey Viator finished 4th.

    This shot was taken a few days after Ellington Darden won the 1972 AAU Collegiate Mr. America Contest.
    Ellington DardenEllington Darden

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    Thursday, January 03, 2008

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    Tuesday, January 01, 2008

  • Curling With Casey Viator

  • Casey ViatorCasey ViatorCasey Viator was easily one of the strongest bodybuilders of all time -- here he is curling 225 pounds during one of his workouts.

    There was no secret to Casey's success -- basic exercises trained at an intensity level that has to be seen to be believed.

    Don't let anyone tell you curls are a worthless exercise -- building stronger biceps will help with a stronger "pull" and also balance out tricep development which means stronger presses.

    ...All worthwhile goals for every strength athlete.

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    Tuesday, January 01, 2008

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    Thursday, December 13, 2007

  • The Nautilus Squat Machine

  • The Nautilus Squat MachineThe Nautilus Squat MachineCasey Viator uses the Nautilus Squat Machine during the Colorado Experiment.

    You may recall that Casey put on 63 pounds of muscle over the course of the 28 day experiment and this machine was a big reason behind that.

    It has been well understood that intense leg work is the key to super strength. This machine allowed the hips and legs to be trained in a manner more intense than any other method created before or since.

    This particular Nautilus machine never actually went into production.
    If you were to position yourself wrong in a fatigued state it could conceivably "catapult" you right out of it!

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    Thursday, December 13, 2007

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    Sunday, November 18, 2007

  • The Arm of Casey Viator

  • At just 19 years of age, Casey Viator became the youngest man to win the Mr. America title. This impromptu shot from 1971 gives you a pretty good idea why.

    Under the tutelage of Arthur Jones, on May 16, 1971, Casey Viator won the AAU Junior Mr. America contest.
    The Arm of Casey ViatorThe Arm of Casey Viator
    Then, four weeks later, Casey Viator won the AAU Mr. America contest in the most spectacular fashion in the history of such contests.

    In addition to the overall AAU Mr. America title, Casey took the Most muscular Man in America title and the subdivisions for Best Arms, Best Back, Best Chest and Best Legs.

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    Sunday, November 18, 2007

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    Thursday, October 11, 2007

  • Casey Viator's Mr. America Workout

  • In 1971, Casey Viator won the Mr. America Bodybuilding Title in the most spectacular fashion in history. Not only did he win the overall contest, he won the following sub-divisions as well: Most Muscular, Best Arms, Best Back, Best Chest and Best Legs - all at 19 years of age!

    And, interestingly enough, Viator did not spend hours in the gym like many other bodybuilders of the time. Instead, as trained by Athur Jones, Casey's workout took very little time and was performed only three times per week.

    Here's a look at his exact workout:


    Casey Viators Mr. America WorkoutCasey Viator's Mr. America Workout1. Leg Press
    2. Leg Extension
    3. Squat
    4. Leg Curl
    5. Dumbbell One Leg Calf Raise
    6. Nautilus Pullover
    7. Nautilus Behind Neck Press
    8. Nautilus Rowing Machine
    9. Nautilus Behind Neck Pulldown
    10. Dumbbell Lateral Raise
    11. Barbell Behind Neck Press
    12. Nautilus Curl Machine
    13. Chinup w/Bodyweight
    14. Nautilus Tricep Extension
    15. Parallel Dip w/Bodyweight
    The above workout, as performed on June 10th, 1971, took exactly seventeen minutes and fourty seconds.

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    Thursday, October 11, 2007

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    Saturday, September 15, 2007

  • Casey Viator and The Colorado Experiment


  • Casey Viator gained 63 Pounds of Muscle in 28 Days

    In the early 1970's, Arthur Jones wrote a series of articles for Iron Man magazine outlining some of his unique training ideas...

    These training articles were like nothing anyone had ever seen before... Arthur simply gave a name to some ideas about training that had always been "true" -- and while they were simple, and involved common sense and self-evident truth they rocked the strength world to its knees.

    He had, in the previous years, put his ideas into practice and the results were tremendous, but what he needed was close supervision and justification for his ideas in a controlled setting where the results could be monitored and recorded.

    In 1973, he got his wish and "The Colorado Experiment" began at the Department of Physical Education, Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado and supervised by Dr. Elliott Plese, Director of Exercise Physiology Lab.

    Over the course of one month, with himself and Casey Viator as the subjects, training ideas would be put into practice and studied extensively.

    For an article in the September 1973, Volume 32 Number 6 of Ironman Magazine, Arthur wrote up his thoughts:
    PURPOSE of the EXPERIMENT . . . it is the author's contention that the growth of human muscular tissue is related to the intensity of exercise; increases in strength and muscle-mass are rapidly produced by very brief and infrequent training ... if the intensity of exercise is high enough.

    It is the author's second contention that increasing the amount of training is neither necessary nor desirable . . . on the contrary, a large amount of high intensity training will actually reduce the production of strength and muscle mass increases.

    It is the author's third contention that "negative work" (eccentric contraction) is one of the most important factors involved in exercise performed for the purpose of increasing strength and muscle-mass.

    It is the author's fourth contention that nothing in the way of a special diet is required . . . so long as a reasonably well-balanced diet is provided.

    It is the author's fifth contention that the use of the so-called "growth drugs" (steroids) is neither necessary nor desirable ... on the contrary, repeated tests with animals and double-blind tests with human subjects have clearly demonstrated that the use of such drugs is strongly contraindicated.

    It is the author's sixth contention that maximum-possible increases in strength and muscle-mass can be produced only by the use of full range, rotary form, automatically variable, direct resistance.
    And the results:

    First subject (Casey Viator), 28 days
    Increase in bodyweight........45.28 pounds
    Loss of bodyfat..............17.93 pounds
    Muscular gain.................63.21 pounds

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    Saturday, September 15, 2007

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