Arthur Jones (inventor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arthur Jones
Arthur Allen Jones
Born	(1926-11-22)November 22, 1926 Arkansas
Died	August 28, 2007(2007-08-28) (aged 80) Orlando, Florida
Occupation	Inventor, exercise philosopher
Known for	Nautilus exercise machines Pioneering HIT(High Intensity Training)

Arthur Allen Jones (born November 22, 1926 – died August 28, 2007) was a very clever inventor. He started two companies, Nautilus, Inc. and MedX, Inc.. He is most famous for inventing the exercise machines called Nautilus machines. The first one, the Nautilus pullover, was sold in 1970. Arthur Jones was a leader in the world of physical exercise, especially in weight and strength training. He was born in Arkansas and grew up in Seminole, Oklahoma.

Arthur Jones's Big Ideas

Arthur Jones had new ideas about how to build muscles and get strong. At the time, many people, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, spent many hours in the gym using free weights. Jones thought there was a better way.

High-Intensity Training

He introduced something called high intensity training (HIT). This way of exercising means doing short workouts, often just one set of an exercise. You push your muscles until they are completely tired. You only need to do this once or twice a week. Jones believed this was the best way to make muscles bigger and stronger. He once said, "The secret, if there is one, is high intensity." He meant that if you train hard enough, you don't need to spend a lot of time exercising.

Many famous athletes and bodybuilders trained using Arthur Jones's methods. These included Casey Viator, Eddie Robinson, and IFBB professional bodybuilders Mike and Ray Mentzer. Even Sergio Oliva, who beat Arnold Schwarzenegger in a competition, and Dorian Yates, a six-time Mr. Olympia winner, used his ideas.

Sharing His Knowledge

Arthur Jones wrote many articles and books to share his ideas. His Nautilus Bulletins helped clear up common misunderstandings about exercise. He also wrote "The Cervical Spine, Lumbar Spine And The Knee." This book explained how the lower back works and how much it can move.

He also studied how muscles react to different amounts of exercise. He was one of the first to experiment with eccentric training. This is when you focus on the lowering part of an exercise. He believed this part was very important for building strength. He also invented special exercise equipment that used cams instead of pulleys. This made the exercise harder or easier at different points, matching how our muscles naturally work.

Nautilus Machines and Their Impact

The invention of Nautilus machines made weight training popular for everyone. Before this, it was mostly for serious athletes. These machines helped start the fitness boom of the 1970s and 80s. Soon, Nautilus gyms were everywhere across America.

Today, Nautilus, Inc. sells other popular fitness brands like Bowflex and Stairmaster. While these are not directly linked to Arthur Jones, some of their ideas, like Bowflex's "power rod" technology, are based on his ideas about changing resistance during an exercise.

His Nautilus machines and the company he built made Arthur Jones very rich. At one point, his company was making $400 million a year. He even made it onto the Forbes list of the richest people. He sold Nautilus Inc. in 1986 and MedX Corporation in 1996, then he retired.

Later Life and Death

Arthur Jones passed away on August 28, 2007, at his home in Ocala, Florida. He was 80 years old. He was survived by his two daughters and two sons.

Arthur Jones's Inventions

Arthur Jones was a very creative inventor. He had many patents, which are official documents that protect an invention. Many of these patents were for his Nautilus and MedX machines. His most famous invention was the elliptical cam. This part replaced the old pulley system in exercise machines. It allowed the machine to change how much resistance you felt throughout the entire movement. This made the exercises much more effective.

Other Interests

Arthur Jones was a very curious person who liked to learn about many different things. He called himself a "generalist" and believed it was better than being a "specialist" who only knows one thing. He often quoted Robert A. Heinlein, saying "specialization is for insects." He felt that his experience flying airplanes helped him understand how to design exercise machines. He believed in being a "competent man" – someone who could do many things, like build a house or find food.

Jones loved to travel and go on adventures. He lived in different places like Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Mexico City for a couple of years at a time. He even had a TV show called Wild Cargo. His personal motto was "younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles."

Arthur Jones had a huge interest in animals. His Nautilus building in Lake Helen, Florida, was home to Gomek, an 18-foot saltwater crocodile. He hoped Gomek would grow to be the biggest in the world. He also collected venomous spiders and reptiles, keeping a large collection at the Nautilus building. He even had a business that brought in wild animals like tropical fish, snakes, parrots, and monkeys. His pet jaguar, named Gaylord, roamed freely in his house and even slept on the bed with his daughter! Once, he used several of his large jets to transport 63 baby elephants from Africa to his home in Florida. These elephants had been orphaned. Jones filmed this amazing journey for television and called it Operation Elephant.

He created a large estate called "Jumbolair" in Florida. It was originally a 350-acre safe place for orphaned African elephants and other wildlife. He also kept two rhinos and a 600-pound male gorilla named Mickey at Jumbolair.

After World War II, he owned a zoo in Slidell, Louisiana. He even provided animals for a 1956 movie called Swamp Women.

He also started MedX Corporation and put $120 million of his own money into it. This company created special medical exercise and testing equipment for the neck, lower back, and knees.

In 1962, he wrote, produced, and directed a movie called Voodoo Swamp.