Arthur Jones - History of exercise, calisthenics vs barbell vs thinking man's barbell

 A Nautilus machine is a logical barbell. Someone once called it a thinking man’s barbell.

 

”Prior to the barbell no tools existed that really were of much if any real value for the purpose of exercise. People trained with calisthenics and produced little or nothing in the way of results after years of training. People trained with Indian clubs and various other devices produced a little or nothing in the way of results. About a hundred years ago the adjustable plate loading barbell was invented. In a sense the barbell was its own worst enemy because the productivity, the efficiency, the potential of the barbell so far exceeded any previously existing tool.

That many people simply were not prepared to accept the results that were possible by the proper use of barbell training. Not to imply that many, if any people trained properly, not many did. But even with improper training we suddenly had a tool that made it possible to produce physical results that were previously impossible.

Suddenly you started seeing people with a massive muscular physique that so far exceeded anything that previously existed that bodybuilders and weight lifters appeared freakish.  And many people simply could not accept this. So the barbell was a quantum leap forward in efficiency and exercise. But it was such a quantum leap forward that it took at the better part of a hundred years to be accepted.

A Nautilus machine is nothing more nor less than one more leap forward with the barbell. It's a thinking man's barbell, a logical barbell. It removes most of the problems inherent in the barbell.” – Arthur Jones, (Arthur Jones - The Science Behind Building Muscles, 2020)

 

Interviewer: ”Will it take a hundred years for nautilus to be accepted in your estimation?”

”Well it hasn't. In something over 10 years Nautilus has become almost generic with exercise there are now more than 2400 health clubs in this country using Nautilus equipment.

And untold thousands of schools and medical facilities, rehabilitation clinics and places of that nature.

Nautilus equipment is now being used literally in tens of thousands of institutional applications so it hasn't taken a hundred years but it would have if the barbell hadn't preceded.” – Arthur Jones, (Arthur Jones - The Science Behind Building Muscles, 2020)

Reference:

Arjan Meijer H.I.T [Youtube channel], (oct. 2020). Arthur Jones - The Science Behind Building Muscles - Body By Science. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4c3vTPat_A