Classic Bodybuilding: Casey Viator's Biceps Training

 

Casey Viator’s Old-School “Killer” Biceps Program

     Casey Viator is probably most well-known—almost infamous, truth be told—for his role in the so-called “Colorado Experiment” used by Arthur Jones to “prove” the validity of his brief, basic “H.I.T” Nautilus training over other training methodologies.  (Jones invented the Nautilus machine, by the way, so he had some money—and a reputation—at stake.)  Anyway, Viator gained over 60 pounds in only 28 days using (something like) just 12 workouts that lasted no longer than 30 minutes each.  This is not the place to get into the Colorado Experiment—I don’t think I’ve written about it before now, so maybe I’ll leave a future essay just to it—but let’s just say that a lot of the “facts” may not be the facts, after all.  Especially if Boyer Coe is to be believed.  In a few interviews with him in some of the ‘90s muscle rags, he said that Viator would actually sneak away from the Nautilus facility, where he would visit a local gym and do more “conventional” pump-style workouts.  Whatever the truth of that might be, one thing can’t be denied: Viator himself did NOT recommend Nautilus training, or the style of training that Jones preferred, in any future articles on his own training methods.  Case in point is the biceps routine below.  The workouts here come from an article entitled “Killer B’s: How to Build Knock-’em Dead Biceps” in a 1991 issue of IronMan that Casey wrote himself.

     Viator had some good tips and training ideas for the biceps.  After I have finished outlining his programs, including some of his personal tips, I will then give you some of my own ideas for how you might make these programs even more efficacious.

     “At the tender age of 12 I was obsessed with having big, full arms.  I was motivated by champions like Freddy Ortiz, Larry Scott, and Arnold.  The fullness and symmetry of their biceps inspired me to devote many hours of painstaking attention to the development of those masculine status symbols.” ~Casey Viator

Level I: Beginner

     This is the program that Viator recommended for anyone just starting out.  He also reminded readers to give equal attention to the other muscles of their arms: the triceps, forearms, and the brachialis.

     Follow this program on two non-consecutive days-per-week (Monday and Thursday, for example):

• Barbell Curls: 2-3 x 10 reps.  “Perform this exercise with an Olympic bar and keep your feet shoulder-width apart.  Keep your hands close to your sides and use a weight where you can get 10 reps in strict form—no swinging or jerking.”

• Undergrip Chins: 2-3 x 10 reps.  “Grab a chinning bar with a curl grip and pull up until your chin is over the bar.  Contract your biceps hard at the top for peak stimulation.”

Level II: Intermediate

     Viator classified intermediates as trainees who have at least one full year of training under their belts.  Once again, follow this routine on two non-consecutive days-per-week:

• Hammer Curls: 3-4 x 10 reps.  “Using dumbbells, start with a moderate to moderately heavy weight.  Alternate one arm, then the other, making sure that you don’t swing the weights.  This is a great upper-forearm, lower-biceps and brachialis stimulator.”

• 21s: 3-4 x 21 reps.  “This exercise will develop the entire biceps area.  Proper form is very important.  Start with a moderately heavy weight on a barbell.  Perform 7 bottom-half curls, 7 top-half curls, and 7 full-range standing barbell curls.  Drop the weight if you can’t complete all three parts.  For maximum pump, pace yourself and do 3 to 4 sets.”

• Seated Incline Dumbbell Curls: 3-4 x 10 reps.  “This exercise works the biceps peak if you perform it properly.  Lie back on an incline bench set at a 45-degree angle and take a dumbbell in each hand.  Curl the dumbbell simultaneously, keeping your elbows stationary and pinned to your sides until the ‘bells reach your shoulders.  Lower slowly and repeat.”

Level III: Advanced

     For “advanced,” Viator included national competition-level bodybuilders, but also any bodybuilder who had been training for at least 3 years and had made appreciable gains.  He also believed—as did a lot of “old school” bodybuilders—that an advanced trainee should train their arms three-days-per-week.  So follow this program on any three non-consecutive days-per-week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, for instance):

• 21s: 3-4 x 21 reps

• Seated Incline Dumbbell Curls: 3-4 x 10 reps

• Barbell Preacher Curls: 3-4 x 10 reps.  “Take a shoulder-width grip on a barbell, rest your upper arms on an angled preacher bench, and curl through the full range of movement.  A spotter is a great asset on this exercise to help with forced reps.”

• Seated Alternate Dumbbell Curls: 3-4 x 10 reps.  “This is a great finishing movement because it develops both peak and fullness.  Start with your palms facing the rear.  Curl one dumbbell up as you rotate your hand until your palm is facing your deltoid in the top position.  Squeeze your biceps hard at the top, then slowly lower back to the bottom while pronating your hand until your palm faces the rear in the bottom position.  Repeat with your other arm.  Alternating this arm movement will keep you from heaving the weight.”

My Thoughts

     I think his advanced program dispels any belief that Viator remained a fan of H.I.T. training, and he clearly didn’t stick with machines either.  

     At the end of the article, Viator also recommended that you stretched your biceps at the end of every session.  He said that he always believed that stretching pumped muscles led to even more muscle growth than just the training alone.

     The one thing that a lot of modern bodybuilders—even those who would use Viator’s method in every other way—would be opposed to would be the 3x-per-week of training for advanced bodybuilders.  But I wouldn’t be quite so quick to discount it.  Even if you don’t train 3x-per-week on a necessarily weekly basis, you could alternate between weeks of 3x training and weeks of just 2x training.  In fact, I think an advanced bodybuilder might get the best results by training 3x-per-week but alternating between each of the “levels” in his program.  Monday could be the advanced session, Wednesday could be the beginner session, and Friday could be the intermediate.

     

Sources

All italicized quotes of Viator’s comes from the article “Killer B’s: How to Build Knock-’em Dead Biceps” by Casey Viator, in the November, ‘91 issue of IronMan magazine.