May 1971, on the pages of this magazine, a passionate teacher spoke the following: “And lo, a single wise man raises his head in the East. Long, much too long have I awaited his coming. Thirty years to be exact. It’s a hard and lonely path when your ideas are not accepted…Yes, a wise man has risen in the East. As a matter of fact, only time will tell, but he may be a Messiah-A Messiah of muscles.” Little did Vince Gironda contemplate at the time of his prophecy, the explosive impact or the huge shadow, depending on one’s viewpoint, the subject, Arthur Jones, would cast over bodybuilding’s loosely knit community during the next three decades.

In any scenario, change, especially dramatic change, will inevitably be threatening to some, bringing instant reaction. To others, change will bring the opportunity for progress and, maybe, “breakthrough”-taking the current state of the art to the next, higher level. History will ultimately judge the impact of Arthur Jones and his discoveries in the fields of bodybuilding, sports/medicine and fitness. Yet, in the opinion of this author, that history has already been written. Thus, with recognition of imminent contempt from some quarters and with an apology to Shakespeare, “I come to praise Arthur Jones, not to bury him.”

This tribute to Arthur Jones is NOT the politically correct eulogy you may read in the Wall Street Journal or hear on CNN. Arthur was anything but politically correct and if I had told him that the obituary from my pen would be a flowery makeover, he would have told me “don’t bother.” So here is the story of Nautilus, and more importantly, the truth about a man, swirled in controversy, a controversy that blurred clear-cut genius.

It is important to initially lay the groundwork of Arthur Jones’ initial interest and involvement in bodybuilding. Early in life, he quickly came to the realization that progressive weight training stimulated the fastest and most significant physical results. It was in the mid-to late 1940′s, a period of “enlightenment” in American bodybuilding, when Jones came of age. He was in his early 20′s and was most influenced by the physique of John Grimek. However, there were other heavily muscled men whose physiques Jones found impressive- Clarence Ross, George Eiferman, Kimon Voyages, Bill Trumbo, Marvin Eder, Jack Dellinger and Bill Pearl. This is not irrelevant considering that all of these men had something in common. They all exhibited massive muscularity. They looked strong and they WERE strong! Also, for the most part, they all shared another characteristic-they trained HEAVY and HARD on the basic exercises, whole body workouts three days a week-training that consisted mainly of full squats, overhead presses, weighted chin-ups, heavily weighted dips and barbell curls. There was little mention of “etching in the cuts”, “sculpting” or even split routines. Of course, there were also no steroids, growth hormone, insulin and synthrol to distract the primary goal of getting bigger/stronger. Even in this “enlightened” era of the late 1940′s, genetic potential, along with pre-requisite muscle belly lengths was hardly in the everyday vernacular of the bodybuilding culture. It was this ignorance, lack of knowledge, of why certain bodyparts grew rapidly while others were stagnant, that led to Jones’ first and one of his most meaningful discoveries. Jones quickly realized that his arms grew rapidly with heavy barbell curls, while his legs also grew quickly from heavy squatting. He was puzzled, however, that his torso muscles, notably, the large muscular structures of the latissimus did not respond nearly as well, although he trained the bodypart hard with weighted chins and heavy rows. He realized early and correctly that ultimate development of the lats was limited by the involved strength of the upper arms in all movements. Specifically, the biceps fatigued BEFORE the lats could be worked hard enough. This was the initial “turning point” in Arthur Jones’ thinking that eventually, many years later, led to the invention of the first prototype of a Nautilus machine-the pullover torso machine- that did provide DIRECT work for the largest muscles of the upper body. If Jones had initially stimulated growth in his torso equal to his limbs, chances are he would have never set his mind in a direction that occupied an inordinate amount of thought over the next 20 years. The realization of Nautilus was a long and tedious process originally involving the use of equipment attached to heavy chains culminating after many prototypes to a cam driven machine, built like a bridge, that developed strength through a FULL range of motion, NOT a LIMITED range of motion inherent in most barbell exercises. A machine that VARIED resistance (a necessity because the strength of a muscle changes, sometimes greatly, throughout a full range of movement) over a potential range of motion well above 200 degrees. The Pullover-Torso machine was a “breakthrough” on four fronts: (1) It stimulated the thinking of bodybuilders who had been entrenched in a dormant state since the dawn of the widespread use of a barbell. (2) It introduced meaningful equipment, which was a strong first step outside the scope of a barbell. (3) It ushered in the first significant step in DIRECTLY working the major muscular structures of the latissimus through a full range of resistance from full stretch to resistance in the position of full muscular contraction against varying resistance. (4) It heralded the realization that the same principles could be applied to ALL of the major muscular structures. Thus, the initial line of Nautilus machines was born, five “double-machines” which thoroughly worked ALL of the major upper body musculature and the upper legs. These introductory machines incorporated the concept of “pre-exhaustion”, of which concept Jones publicly stated that he took no credit. However, he WAS the first to utilize it with complete efficiency. Pre-exhaustion was based on the concept of utilizing a single joint movement followed immediately by a compound movement. For example, the “double chest machine,” a type of arm cross (“pec deck” in some circles) directly and intensely worked the chest muscles, drawing the humerus down and across the torso. Upon momentary failure of the target muscle group, the trainee IMMEDIATELY initiated the machine’s second exercise, a decline pressing movement which brought into play the fresh triceps, which momentarily would be stronger than the now fatigued larger torso muscles enabling the pectorals to be worked into an even deeper inroad of their starting strength. High intensity in a brief time frame. On a personal note, 35 plus years later, this author, unquestionably, considers the “pre-exhaustion,” concept, the most stimulating, safe, medically-sound way to train-FOR EVERYONE! During one of the first training sessions that Arthur supervised, he instructed me to go through those 5 double-machines with a one-minute break between machines. “After you’ve finished,” he barked, “do it again!” The “again” part, of course, never commenced as I barely made it through all five machines-10 exercises. If one set of those 10 exercises leaves you skeptical, I can assure you that ANYONE who experienced the experience knows differently and never looked back. Adding into the equation the hip and back, leg curl and plate-loading bicep-tricep machines, the paradigm was set!

For the reader who has ventured this far into this tribute, be very clear that Arthur Jones never had a negative word to say about heavy barbell training. He merely recognized the limitations of the tool and sought to improve it! The term “free weights” was spawned in the mid-1970′s with the petty, sophomoric arguments paralleling Nautilus to barbells. Arthur mentioned, in BOLD PRINT, more than once that barbells would be around, in even greater use, after Nautilus was developed. The basics for maximizing size/strength was intense heavy weight training, whatever the tool; common sense which proved NOT to be so common in some bodybuilding spheres of influence.

Those “breakthrough” days are now, of course, history. And, history will be the judge of Arthur’s discoveries. I would be surprised if later generations don’t reflect with critical contempt, the groundless, mostly ignorant attacks on the MAN and his vision. In retrospect, the intimidation felt by the threatened follows a distinct historical pattern; an assault upon visionaries, referred to as the “Not Invented Here” syndrome-at first ignore, then ridicule, attack, copy and steal.

Interestingly, the controversies that surrounded Arthur Jones and the “rise of the machines” are still the source of constant debate. Opinions remain strong, partisan and emotional. At the top of the list, steadfast, is the “canard” that only free weights build mass! That this argument even exists should be an omen to anyone contemplating progressive strength training, to take advice with great skepticism. Barbells sure can build muscle! But, properly built machines, the kind Arthur Jones built, can and will do it just as well, and in many ways, BETTER! The addendum to the first argument that bodybuilders only use free weights is # 1 blatantly false and #2, in 2007 irrelevant! In the “bodybuilding” world and nearly EVERY “athletic” world, sports as we know it, lost its innocence- its virginity, many decades ago. Sadly, from the dispensing of 5 milligrams of dianabol 50 years ago, anything goes! Equipment preference takes second place as pharmacology marches forward, opening the door for “anything for growth” curiosity. Shamefully, the debate is not centered on Jones’ reasons for the machines in the first place- DIRECT WORK, HARDER WORK and MAXIMUM RESULTS STIMULATED IN THE LEAST AMOUNT OF TIME! Sadly, today these are not the cornerstones of training.

High intensity vs. high volume is another fictitious argument sure to help “raise the volume” and the venom. If the article is long enough and the author is old enough, inevitably the antagonist will be, surprise, Arthur Jones! Never mind the fact that Jones himself trained for many years in what could be described as high volume (if 4 sets of 12 exercises, 3 days a week reflects high volume). To condense Jones’ evolution to briefer workouts, he related that ONLY after numerous attempts to surpass a seemingly impossible plateau, he REDUCED his workouts in half! When he immediately surpassed his previous best, he REDUCED it again, then again!! Each reduction in volume, NOT INTENSITY, resulted in size/strength gains that exceeded anything previously. Self-effacingly, Arthur, in retrospect, declared “being as bright as I was, it took me 20 years to realize that 2 sets were better than 4 and another 20 years to realize that 1 set was better than 2! ” In what would become legend, IF it wasn’t true, the last workout that Casey Viator performed under Arthur Jones’ watch several days before he annihilated the competition at the 1971 Mr. America consisted of the following leg work; a high repetition set of leg presses, followed IMMEDIATELY (no rest) by a high repetition set of leg extensions, IMMEDIATELY followed by a high (13) repetition set of full squats with 503 pounds!! Three TOTAL sets for the hips and frontal thighs. The balance of the workout was leg curl followed by ONE set of 10 exercises for the upper body! For the biggest competition of his career, this is how Viator trained. He could have trained anywhere under anyone’s tutelage, with as many sets as he wished with ANY equipment he preferred! The above is what he chose. Casey built his physique to a high competitive level with barbells. He realized his potential using Nautilus. ONE SET TO FAILURE! A one-of-a-kind example? Possible only with a genetic freak? Think what you like, we all have opinions. What is NOT opinion is that Arthur Jones burst on to a stagnant scene, dominated by “super routines” maxing out to twice a day workouts, 6 or 7 days a week, nearing a state of insanity. Instead, he offered a training regimen, which emphasized HARDER WORK, a quest for strength, brevity, logic, sufficient rest and recovery and equipment capable of working ALL of the involved musculature with varying resistance through a full range of motion. He talked plain and clear- no mixed messages! For that he was labeled a pariah! Only in bodybuilding!

Arthur sold Nautilus in 1986 and was onto perhaps his greatest work. Millions of dollars were spent on research and development of the MEDX LUMBAR EXTENSION MACHINE, the ONLY equipment capable of specifically testing and rehabilitating arguably the most vulnerable muscles of the body, the muscles that extend the lumbar spine. A discovery of potentially enormous consequences. The health care industry estimates that over $100 Billion is spent yearly on lower back pain! Prevention and/or rehabilitation through DIRECT exercise offers great advancement over current modalities. Jones detected that by anchoring the pelvis to remove hip and thigh involvement, the lumbar muscles could be isolated, built and their strength ACCURATELY MEASURED! Jones had answered a question of paramount importance. How do you evaluate a result conclusively IF you cannot measure it? Once and for all the “guesswork” surrounding what constitutes RESULTS had been eliminated! Only through static measurements recorded at various angles of degrees throughout a range of motion was it now possible to accurately measure torque (force around an axis). Are your lower back muscles strong or weak? How have they responded in the past to conventional training? Now you can know. No guessing! This machine isolates and builds the lower back safely and fast. The medical impact of equipment designed to measure, test and build strong lower back muscles protecting the lumbar spine from high levels of impact force is simply enormous!

It is my firm opinion that the positive legacy of Arthur Jones will silence the shrill noise of his detractors. It is my hope that this tribute will, at a minimum, stimulate a bit of curiosity to escape the rut in which many, if not most trainees have been stuck. Quite frankly, however, I am not optimistic, at least not presently. The pages of nearly every training “journal” emphasizing any and all aspects of training have an entire generation of trainees deceived by the benefits of “explosive” training, exercising in an “unstable” environment on “physioballs”, ” plyometrics” and ‘”functional training”. The current “state of the art” is, in my opinion, a slap in the face to medically sound exercise. IF, (and it is a big IF) the field of sports/medicine escapes from hibernation, and with keen focus enters into thorough scientific discourse on the discoveries, observations and published works of Arthur Jones, advanced training paradigms may emerge which benefit large segments of the population.

Arthur Jones- the adventurer, pilot, film maker, inventor of Nautilus and MedX equipment and self proclaimed last of the “free men”! He was born right before the “great depression”, a child of the “dust bowl” who scraped and clawed his way through life’s adventures far beyond the scope most of us can even contemplate. I, a child of the 60′s, saw life through VERY different glasses. Though we NEVER agreed on anything political, we worked our way through our differences. We developed an undeniable bond of trust and friendship and what I consider a deeply intellectual lifetime conversation.

In conclusion, in lieu of a final catharsis, I offer an olive branch to the participants who chose to debate, negate and belittle the man himself, Arthur Jones, his machines and the principles behind them. GENIUS, in its strictest sense was right there face to face before you AND you missed it! Ideas, however, do not die. NOW might be a good idea to re-visit the MAN and his contributions.

I leave you with the words of Edgar Allen Poe:
“I have sometimes amused myself by endeavoring to fancy what would be the fate of any individual gifted, or rather accursed, with an intellect very far superior to his race. Of course, he would be conscious of his superiority nor could he (if otherwise constituted as man is) help manifesting his consciousness. Thus he would make enemies at all points. And since his opinions and speculations would likely differ from those of all mankind-that he would be considered a mad man is evident…Hell could invent no greater torture than that of being charged with abnormal weakness on account of being abnormally strong.” “The Hunting of the Slan,” June 1849.

Written by Roger Schwab.
Director of Main Line Health & Fitness and Main Line Medical Exercise
September 2007
roger@mlhf.com

http://arthurjonesexercise.com/index.html