“If Arthur Jones were alive today, he’d walk into the nearest commercial gym and open fire with a machine gun!”
Best-selling fitness author, Ellington Darden, is angry that Arthur Jones’ legacy is in danger of being forgotten.
From the early 70’s, Darden worked closely with Jones, who was the genius behind the Nautilus exercise machines that revolutionized the fitness industry.
The Present State of The Fitness Industry
“The fitness industry is in a mess”, says Darden, glaring at me across his desk. “Much of what Arthur Jones stood for is in danger of being lost.”
I was on holiday in Orlando and earlier that day Dr Darden invited me to his house for a chat. A few hours later, we were sitting in the study of his beautiful Florida home.
One half of the room is a fully equipped Nautilus gym with framed book covers and magazine articles hanging on the walls. The other half of the room is an executive office that looks out onto a private lake. Bookcases crammed with fitness books spanning several decades line the office walls.
“Toward the end of his life, Arthur was worried that he wouldn’t be remembered”, says Darden. It’s a legitimate concern. By 1984, Nautilus had become a household name and could be found in more than 3000 gyms; today most gym-goers are not familiar with the brand, yet alone the exercise principles that Jones and Darden promoted along with the Nautilus machines.
Jones' Work Lives On
However, Arthur Jones’ work lives on through Darden’s books - books that changed the way I thought about exercise and diet. He was the first author I read who promoted the idea of building muscle to lose fat - a method I employed to lose 140lb.
We spent a fascinating couple of hours discussing Arthur Jones, exercise, diet, and the state of the publishing industry before Ellington kindly gave me a signed copy of his latest book "The New Bodybuilding for Old-School Results".
“I’m old-school”, he says, “I believe in hard work and discipline because that’s what’s required for best possible results” – a message that’s reinforced throughout the book.
“It’s the best book I’ve ever written”, says Darden. That’s saying something, considering he’s published 49 books and sold over five million.
It’s clear that "The New Bodybuilding for Old-School Results" is a labour of love for Ellington. It’s the distillation of 45 years of hands-on experience in the iron game. It’s one of the best books I’ve read on the subject of high intensity exercise. For anyone who wants a comprehensive look at the history, characters, and principles of effective exercise and how to apply them to their training, it’s second to none.
Long, Lean Muscles
Shortly before I left, Ellington introduced me to his lovely wife, Jeanenne. Jeanenne, as Ellington points out, has fantastic genetics for strength training. She was an athlete in college and took to brief, high intensity workouts like a duck to water – and it shows. She has long, lean muscles most women would die for - disproving the common misconception that lifting anything heavier than light dumbbells will make women muscle-bound.
Jeanenne very kindly took a couple of snaps of Ellington and me standing in his gym and I departed for Orlando.
Driving back, I couldn’t help wondering if Arthur Jones’ contribution to the world of fitness would be lost forever. I sincerely hope not.
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