Richard Baldwin/Arthur Jones Short Film

Step Inside the Mind of Arthur Jones: A Tale of Eccentric Genius and Dark Tales

In the world of fitness innovation, Arthur Jones is often revered as the mad genius who revolutionized strength training with his Nautilus machines. But what lies beneath the surface of this enigmatic inventor? What kind of mind creates such groundbreaking tools, yet harbors a collection of stories so dark, so bizarre, that they leave even the most composed visitors shaken?

Richard Baldwin, a bodybuilder invited to the inner sanctum of Nautilus headquarters, found himself unwittingly stepping into this world. What he thought would be a routine visit turned into a labyrinth of unsettling encounters and shocking revelations—each more bewildering than the last.

Baldwin’s first glimpse of Jones was anything but what one might expect from a man hailed as a pioneer. Disheveled, cigarette in hand, Jones appeared more like a janitor than the mastermind of a fitness empire. But as the hours unfolded, Baldwin realized he wasn’t merely meeting an inventor—he was encountering an extraordinary and deeply unconventional man whose psyche defied categorization.

Through a haze of smoke, Jones unraveled his philosophy, a chilling cocktail of Social Darwinism and extreme views that pushed the boundaries of reason. Baldwin listened in stunned silence as Jones, with unflinching conviction, detailed his disdain for the federal government, his far-right ideologies, and his belief in purging the “inferior” from society. The stories grew darker with each twist—tales of crocodile feeding in Rhodesia, missing wildlife officers, and a gruesome response to theft that would make even the most hardened minds recoil.

But this isn’t just a story about shocking anecdotes. It’s a glimpse into the mind of a man who lived on the edge of brilliance and madness, who could charm with his intellect one moment and horrify with his morality the next. It’s a story of contrasts: of genius and darkness, of revolution and ruin.

What drove Arthur Jones to such extremes? And how did his encounters leave even seasoned bodybuilders like Baldwin profoundly unsettled?

Watch the full video to experience this chilling and fascinating tale for yourself. Discover the man behind the Nautilus machines and the eccentricities that made him both a legend and an enigma. You may never look at strength training—or human nature—the same way again.