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The equation is undeniable: 63.21 pounds–20 pounds still = 43.21 pounds gained in 28 days above baseline. Even if drugs were used, these gains reflect a phenomenal training effect. If you believe that steroids guarantee a gain of 30+ pounds in four weeks, you should look at clinical studies and real-world users. It just isn’t the case.

The real significance of the Colorado Experiment is two-fold, despite the fact that Casey is clearly a genetic mutant.

First, it is physiologically possible to synthesize enough protein to produce 63.21 pounds of lean mass in 28 days. This shows that one counterargument (“you’d have to eat 20,000 calories a day!”) is flawed.14 This is true even if drugs were involved.

There are mechanisms involved that the simplistic caloric argument doesn’t account for.

Second, the workout logs show that the amount of stimulus needed to produce these gains (remember that Arthur also gained 15 pounds in 3 weeks) was less than two hours per week.

To quote Casey:

“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.”

More than four hours per month of gym time is not necessary to reach your target weight in record time. Flip the growth switch and go home.

What to do with your newfound time? That’s easy. Focus on eating.

How much protein should you eat per meal?

There’s a popular (mis)belief that the human body can’t absorb more than 30 grams of protein per meal. The science refutes this.

Researchers in France have found that eating protein all at once can be just as well absorbed as spreading it out over your day. A group of 26-year-old women were given either 80% of their protein for the day at one meal or spread over multiple meals. After two weeks, there was no difference between the subject and control groups in terms of nitrogen balance, whole-body protein turnover, whole-body protein synthesis, or protein breakdown.

In both subjects and controls, the amount of protein given was 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of fat-free mass per day. This means that, for a 26-year-old, 125-pound woman, eating 77 g15 of protein in one meal had the same effects as spreading it out.

The experiment was then repeated in older subjects, with whom, it turns out, eating protein all at once can actually lead to better protein retention. Giving elderly women 80% of their protein for the day at one meal over a period of two weeks led to almost 20% more synthesis and retention of protein compared to dividing it into smaller doses.

So it appears that daily total protein is more important than per-meal protein.

It’s also important to remember that food weight does not equal protein weight. For example, if you weigh near-fat-free chicken breasts on a food scale and the total is 140 grams, it does not mean you’re getting even close to 140 grams of protein. In fact, 140 grams contains about 43 grams of protein, less than one-third the total weight. People forget the heaviest piece: water.

A good rule of thumb for daily intake, and a safe range based on the literature, is 0.8–2.5 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. For muscular gain, I suggest at least 1.25 grams per pound of current lean bodyweight, which means you subtract your bodyfat first. Here are a few examples:

100 lbs of lean mass = 125 grams of protein

110 lbs = 137.5 g

120 lbs = 150 g

130 lbs = 162.5 g

140 lbs = 175 g

150 lbs = 187.5 g

160 lbs = 200 g

170 lbs = 212.5 g

180 lbs = 225 g

190 lbs = 237.5 g

200 lbs = 250 g

Not gaining muscle? Track your protein over one day. Then eat more.

TOOLS AND TRICKS

The Concise Book of Muscles by Chris Jarmey (www.fourhourbody.com/muscles) World-class strength coach Charles Poliquin introduced me to this outstanding book. It is the best anatomy book for nonmedical students that I’ve ever seen, and I’ve looked at them all. Get it.

“Strength Training Methods and the Work of Arthur Jones,” D. Smith, S. Bruce-Low, and J. E.