The Age of Nautilus
What Could Have Been
What Should Have Been

1970 was unquestionably the most significant year in the development of the then "primitive" fitness industry. Simultaneously, the early 1970's were the most exciting years in the ascent from the "shadows" to the (almost) mainstream recognition of the world of bodybuilding. The cornerstone behind both - today's phenomenally successful billion dollar fitness industry and the now recognizable, if not yet (or ever to be) fully understood bodybuilding scene was the invention of the Nautilus machines and the philosophy of the man behind the machine, Arthur Jones. Now, thirty plus years later, every fitness center in the world houses at least a dozen Nautilus machines or one of the many "knock-off" copies of Nautilus. However, sadly, the path of the two worlds - fitness and bodybuilding- have gradually yet continuously drifted further apart. In reality, they should have been one and the same- the goals of both being improvement in functional ability (strength, flexibility and cardiovascular conditioning). The incorporation of Jones' equipment and a training philosophy whose signature premise was to train harder and (by necessity) briefer would have been a huge step towards a realization of individual physical potential for literally everyone on every level without the rush to the "magic bullet"- the insane use of drugs that has consumed practically all of bodybuilding.

Alas, the excitement of Nautilus and "machine training" which triggered so much promise and anticipation in the bodybuilding community early on, is now relegated in "hard core" corners to the status of "stepping stone" to more advanced free weight work. Club managers, certified trainers, even ph. d's have slighted machine use as a precursor to a "graduation" to free weights; such statements that would never be made by anyone who has ever correctly trained on the original Nautilus machines. How did such a tool, which can and will stimulate results for every trainee at every level, settle to a position of "whipping boy" with at best lukewarm acceptance? The dismissal of the tool, concept and philosophy of a genius who the late Vince Gironda once heralded as "the wise man who comes from the East" lays the entire field of bodybuilding naked to the charge of either inexplicable ignorance or unbelievable stupidity! The basics of full range of exercise, balanced variable resistance, resistance in the position of full muscular contraction, the value of negative work, training to failure, low force-high intensity exercise- all of those terms never referred to before the words of Arthur Jones, are merely common sense, offered unfortunately to a field where common sense has proved to be anything but common.

Back in 1970, an article without photos entitled "The Upper Body Squat" first appeared in Iron Man Magazine. The excitement that this article generated sent shock waves deep into the core of bodybuilding. It was Arthur Jones' intention to "wakeup" and enlighten the very trainees, the genetically gifted, who had the most potential to stimulate the results that could quickly be realized by this new phenomenon - equipment that was not simply an "improved" barbell, but a whole new concept to isolating and strengthening all of major muscular structures of the body throughout a full range of motion. The price to pay, Jones strongly emphasized, was an intensity of effort that had to be experienced to be understood, an intensity that until personally initiated was merely words on a page. Most of Jones' original machines were "double machines" which allowed the user to "pre-exhaust" (though not an original Jones concept, these machines were the first to utilize pre-exhaustion in a meaningful way) every major muscular structure. For example, the Nautilus Pullover/Torso Arm Machine allowed the trainee to directly work the largest muscular structure in the upper body, the latissimus, to momentary muscular failure without the assistance of the weaker upper arm muscles. The trainee would then immediately perform a torso-arm exercise ("lat pull-down") which brought in the fresh arm muscles to assist the fatigued latissimus, allowing the torso muscles to be worked literally past failure, stimulating these muscles in a way not possible through conventional multi-set pull-downs or rows in which the upper arms would inevitably fatigue well before the larger torso muscles were worked to their limit. The potential benefits of this machine alone should have stood the test of time for a century, at least! Why didn't it? The answer I can only speculate via personal observation. At that relevant time, I was a professional bodybuilding judge. Being in the inner sanctum, I was in close contact with many professional bodybuilders, spent many hours watching them train, first hand. I rarely saw any bodybuilders use any Nautilus machine correctly. Most "threw" the resistance rapidly. Others seemingly did not understand the concepts - i.e. an axis of rotation of a machine lined up with the axis of rotation of the involved body part. Why? My guess is that Jones initially believed that bodybuilders would read his words and apply what they read to the equipment. Eventually, he probably realized that the written word was, in this environment, over valued and usually not understood. However, there were exceptions! Casey Viator, the youngest Mr. America ever, trained on Nautilus machines in the early 1970's. I personally trained him several times. Every exercise was properly performed. Every exercise was trained hard! And make no mistake about this, Casey was at his heaviest, in his best shape in so far as muscular size, strength and fullness when he trained on Nautilus machines. I know! I was in York, PA the night that Casey won the AAU Mr. America contest in 1971. I was one of the judges in the 1982 Mr. Olympia in London where Casey placed third, his highest Mr. Olympia achievement. He was at his best when he trained hard whole body workouts two or three days a week on Nautilus machines in the early 1970's, not six or seven days a week using free weights in the early 1980's! I personally trained Mike Mentzer in 1980 before the Mr. Olympia contest and he was unquestionably in the finest shape of his life. By far! Far more muscular that he was the previous year when he placed second in the 1979 Mr. Olympia. For those interested, Mike's exact arm workout under my supervision was one set of curls on the Nautilus plate-loading Biceps/Triceps Machine (correctly used, still, the best biceps/triceps machine ever built) followed immediately with one set of palms-up chin ups. A set of tricep extensions on the same machine was followed by a set of parallel bar dips. All four exercises worked to positive failure, with huge weights and perfect form. No forced reps, drop sets, partials etc. And his arms were larger and more muscular than at any stage of his career.

At its inception, Nautilus machines and the concepts of Arthur Jones stirred the imagination of the entire bodybuilding field. The machines were large, "built like a bridge", and certainly more complex than a barbell. In many gyms and fitness centers, there was no one who understood how to teach trainees the proper use of this new equipment. Invariably, sadly, they were often misused and subsequently discarded. Magazine publishers had a field day attacking Nautilus and extolling the virtues of barbells. However, if the barbell was then and is today the ideal tool, why did Nautilus create such strong immediate attraction? The reason, obviously, was that there was a sense that something was inherently wrong with the barbell, which although very capable of stimulating outstanding results eventually, just as certainly has its limitations. In retrospect, that the marriage of top bodybuilders to Nautilus did not endure is not surprising. Top bodybuilders, when steroid engorged, are most likely going to grow however they train, whatever the tool. It should be very, very clear that in our beloved bodybuilding, superiority is almost entirely dictated by genetics. It is a case of "some can and some (most) cannot!" It would behoove everyone contemplating involvement with "otherworld" expectations to appreciate long muscle bellies and short tendons throughout the body before initiating the quest for the Holy Grail.

Ultimately, if you fall into the "other" category that 99.9% of us find ourselves, or if you are one of the elite who wishes to get to the top efficiently, sensibly and safely in order to live the later years of your life without the chronic pain exacerbated by current training dictums, you may wish to revisit the man, Arthur Jones and his contributions which draw no comparisons.

The following is a blueprint initiated to realize your full potential.

Use MedX or vintage Nautilus Machines.

Train your muscles utilizing equipment that safely and thoroughly strengthens all of your major muscular structures.

Equipment that offers full range, direct and variable resistance, all necessary because the strength of a muscle changes, sometimes dramatically throughout its range of motion.

The function of a muscle dictates the design of meaningful equipment.

Understand the function and you will know how to choose an exercise that works the muscle in its most efficient and safest manner.

Judge your progress by your strength. This applies to any tool that you choose to utilize.

Train wisely with whatever equipment you choose. Explosive exercise will immediately or eventually produce injured athletes. When force exceeds structure, injury will occur. Move resistance slowly, smoothly under control. Let the muscles perform the work, not momentum. A bodybuilder's goal should be to build strength, not demonstrate it.
If using machines, be willing to learn how to use them correctly. People who don't appreciate MedX or vintage Nautilus machines did not learn to use them correctly. Period!

"Pre-Exhaustion" training is the most efficient way to train and certainly the safest.

Train your whole body, working all of your major muscular structures each workout, twice a week. If you are training hard, this is all the work you will want or need. Working the largest muscle groups and proceed to the to the smallest muscle group. Try the following routine if the appropriate equipment is available at your gym. Train one set of every exercise to positive failure. Record each workout. Seek continuous improvement.

Hip & Back
Leg Extension (pre-exhaust)
Leg Press or Squat /
Leg Curl
Calf Raise
Pullover \ pre-exhaust
Torso Arm or Row /
Lateral Raise \ pre-exhaust
Overhead Press /
Rowing Back (posterior deltoid)
Arm Cross (chest fly) \ pre-exhaust
Chest Press or Dip /
Bicep
Tricep
Forearms
Abdominals
4 Way Neck
Lumbar Extension

Epilogue: Arthur Jones sold Nautilus in 1986 and moved on to develop the first and only tools capable of providing accurate measurements of human muscular functions. Jones astutely reasoned that "you cannot evaluate anything until you can measure it accurately." The MedX Medical machines, the result of over a decade of research and an expenditure of over $40 million are the only equipment available today offering safe, specific testing and rehabilitative exercise for the vulnerable muscles of the cervical spine, lumbar spine and knee.