Arthur Jones, Nautilus and the birth of high-intensity training
In 1970 Arthur Jones began selling a strength machine built around a shaped cam. His machines changed how gyms were equipped, and his ideas about…
GYMVAULT Journal
Strength, science and the machines that build it
Long-form writing on training, the history of high-intensity methods, machine design, and how to buy and run gym equipment well. We separate what research shows from what famous lifters believed, and we cite our sources.
Arthur Jones, Nautilus and the birth of high-intensity training
In 1970 Arthur Jones began selling a strength machine built around a shaped cam. His machines changed how gyms were equipped, and his ideas about effort still shape how people train. Here is what he got right, what research has since revised, and why it matters when you choose equipment today.
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Training to failure: what the research actually shows
Should every set end with a repetition you cannot finish? Meta-analyses now give a fairly clear answer. Effort matters a great deal, true failure…
How to inspect a pre-owned gym machine
A commercial machine can look tired and be mechanically sound, or look immaculate and hide a frayed cable. This is the inspection approach we use…
Dorian Yates and the case for fewer, harder sets
Six consecutive Mr. Olympia titles were won on a programme many lifters would call too short. Here is what Dorian Yates actually did, why one…
Mechanical tension and progressive overload, explained
Muscles grow when they are made to work hard against resistance, and they keep growing when that demand keeps rising. Here is what the research says…
Volume, frequency and recovery: how much training is enough?
How many sets, how many sessions, and how much rest? The research on training dose has matured a great deal in the past decade. Here is what it…
How strength machines load your muscles
Two machines can carry the same number on the weight stack and feel completely different. The reason is leverage. Here is how cables, cams, levers…
Resistance curves and why the cam matters
Every exercise is harder at some points than others, and so is every muscle. When the two patterns do not match, part of the movement does most of…
Free weights vs machines: what the evidence says
The argument is older than most gyms. Barbell purists call machines a crutch, and machine enthusiasts call free weights an unnecessary risk…
What "commercial grade" really means
The words “commercial grade” appear on everything from light home benches to heavy plate-loaded leg presses. They have a real meaning, rooted in how…
Refurbished, serviced or restored? Condition grades explained
“Refurbished” is one of the most overused words in the equipment trade. It can mean a full strip-down and rebuild, or a wipe with a cloth. Here is…
Building a home gym without overspending
A good home gym is not a showroom. It is a small set of well-chosen equipment that lets you train every major muscle hard, safely and often. Here is…
The economics of pre-owned commercial equipment
The price on a quotation is only one part of what a machine costs. Delivery, installation, maintenance, downtime and what the machine is worth when…
Building a commercial gym on a defined budget
A fixed budget forces good decisions, if you make them in the right order. This is a step-by-step approach to fitting out a gym, hotel fitness room…
How much does a leg press weigh without plates?
There is no single answer. On the commercial machines in this article, an unloaded plate-loaded leg press starts at anything from about 6 kg to 80…
Commercial gym equipment list: what a gym needs, zone by zone
A complete commercial gym equipment list, organised the way a gym floor is organised, by zone. For each piece of equipment you get its name, what it…
Mike Mentzer's Heavy Duty workout: the routine, the theory and the evidence
Mike Mentzer died in 2001, but his Heavy Duty system is still argued over in gyms and online. This article sets out who he was, what he actually…
Hypertrophy training: what the research says about sets, reps, effort and rest
Hypertrophy training means training to build muscle. On most of the questions people argue about, such as how many sets, how many repetitions, how…
Cable machine pulley ratios explained: 1:1, 2:1 and beyond
Why does 40 kg on one cable machine feel like 20 kg on another? Usually because of the pulley ratio. This guide explains what 1:1, 2:1, 3:1 and 4:1…
In preparation
Coming next in the Journal
- Mike Mentzer's Heavy Duty: what it got right, and what it missed
- Leg press, hack squat or pendulum squat? Choosing lower-body machines
- Treadmills: what wears out, and what to check before you buy
Our editorial standard
Evidence first. Legends in context.
We cite peer-reviewed research where it exists, say plainly when it does not, and treat the methods of famous lifters as history and hypothesis rather than rules. Nothing here is medical advice.
