Arthur Jones (inventor)

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For other persons named Arthur Jones, see Arthur Jones (disambiguation).

Arthur A. Jones (November 22, 1926 – August 28, 2007)[1] was the founder of Nautilus, Inc. and MedX, Inc. and the inventor of the Nautilus exercise machines, including the Nautilus pullover, which was first sold in 1970. He was born in Arkansas, and grew up in Seminole, Oklahoma.

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[edit] Accomplishments

Jones' ideas helped move the public's notion of bodybuilding and strength-training exercise away from the Arnold Schwarzenegger school of training, which involved hours in the gym using free weights, to High Intensity Training. This involves short, single sets with maximum intensity, which, according to theory, triggers maximal muscular growth. Although credited with helping several high-profile bodybuilders make significant size and strength gains, High Intensity Training is not universally acknowledged as the best training method. Famous individuals who trained under the rules of Jones include Casey Viator (who participated in the Colorado Experiment), Mike Mentzer and Sergio Oliva & Dorian Yates.

His publications include the Nautilus Bulletins, which aim to dispel contemporary myths of exercise and training.

The 1977 film Pumping Iron is cited as generating a fitness revolution of sorts that resulted in gyms full of Nautilus equipment and other similar strength-training exercise machines. Nautilus, Inc. markets the Bowflex, Stairmaster and Nautilus product lines. Neither products affiliated with Jones.

The Nautilus machines and the company he formed to sell them made him a multimillionaire and landed him on the Forbes list of the 400 richest people. At one point, financial analysts estimated that Nautilus was grossing $300 million annually. He sold Nautilus Inc. in 1986 for $23 million. He also sold MedX in 1996 and then retired.[2]

On August 28, 2007, Jones died from natural causes at his home in Ocala, Florida, at age 80. He is survived by 2 daughters, and 2 sons, Gary and William Edgar Jones. Gary Jones created Hammer Strength strength training machines.[3]

[edit] Other Interests

Jones often prided himself on being a generalist, something which he describes as a move away from the stubbornness and short-sightedness of 'specialists'. He attributed this in part to his upbringing in a family of physicians, as he found their attitudes toward medicine revolved around what they were taught and nothing else.

Jones traveled and 'adventured' widely, occasionally with friend and fellow adventurer Roy Pinney, setting up camp for two years or so at a time in different places such as Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Mexico City. His early motto was "bigger alligators, faster airplanes and younger women." Jones' Lake Helen, Florida Nautilus building was the home of One-Eyed Jack, a 14-foot-long gator that Jones was trying to grow to world record size. He was also an aficionado of poisonous spiders and reptiles, a large collection of which was also housed in the Nautilus building. At one time Jones owned the largest timber rattler in the world at 15 feet long. He periodically filmed the snake in the Nautilus television studios and, when finished, dropped the reptile to the floor terrifying the camera and sound men who beat hasty retreats to the control room.

Jones was also the creator of the "Jumbolair" estate, originally created as a haven of 350 acres (1.4 km²) for orphaned African elephants and other wildlife.

Jones was an accomplished pilot with a flying record of over 44,000 hours, which was especially useful for the import-export businesses that he was developing.

Jone's also founded MedX Corporation, in which he invested millions to develop medical-based exercise and testing equipment.

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