Bill Pearl's history with Nautilus/Arthur Jones/HIT

[IroNat]

Heckuva good read.

>

Arthur Jones: An Uncoventional Character

https://starkcenter.org/igh_article/igh0804e/

[Rambone]

Pearl doing the infamous beakdoctor triceps pose (without coffee cup)

[Royalty]

Pearl doing the infamous beakdoctor triceps pose (without coffee cup)

PERFECT 😂

[beakdoctor]

Pearl doing the infamous beakdoctor triceps pose (without coffee cup)

If it was the infamous BD pose it would feature a beautifully illustrated sign, inscribed with meticulous block lettering: Royalty is a flabby failure.

[Dave D]

Great link Ironat! Thanks for posting.

[oldtimer1]

That's straight out of his book, Beyond the Universe. It's a great read.  Bill Pearl is one of the most interesting guys in the sport. He was a top wrestler in his youth, played the sax, restores really old cars, collects antiques and published his own books. One of the few guys in the sport that made some serious money at the sport and more importantly kept his wealth. The book has a ton of revelations about his life. It's a biography.

I find his views on training refreshing too. While he was really strong in his younger days he was very adamant about volume and not taking your sets to failure. Not to put words in his mouth he said training to failure will lead to exhaustion and missed workout days. He said train hard but not to failure. I believe he was just saying if your are doing 4 sets of an exercise maybe your last set should be to failure but the first three shouldn't (my words). I use to write him and it was a shock to me that he responded. I told him as I aged I was having trouble training as hard as I use to.  He said something to the effect that as he aged he stopped hot dogging in the gym. I think it was his term for showing off with heavy weights. He said I would be wise to forget training heavy and to think about exhausting the muscle through work and not poundage.

He lived a really long life and sad how he died. I believe he was suffering from Parkinson's disease.  He got on his riding tractor to mow the property. On a grade the mower tractor flipped and landed on top of him. Bet it weighed around 1000bs. He was pinned until two lifters coming to use his home gym saw him pinned and rolled the tractor off of him. It broke his back and his neck. He was 91. 

[The Scott]

My older brother took  me past Pearl's home several months  back.  He  had already passed away and neither of us though it would be right to stop  at that moment in time.

[Humble Narcissist]

That's straight out of his book, Beyond the Universe. It's a great read.  Bill Pearl is one of the most interesting guys in the sport. He was a top wrestler in his youth, played the sax, restores really old cars, collects antiques and published his own books. One of the few guys in the sport that made some serious money at the sport and more importantly kept his wealth. The book has a ton of revelations about his life. It's a biography.

I find his views on training refreshing too. While he was really strong in his younger days he was very adamant about volume and not taking your sets to failure. Not to put words in his mouth he said training to failure will lead to exhaustion and missed workout days. He said train hard but not to failure. I believe he was just saying if your are doing 4 sets of an exercise maybe your last set should be to failure but the first three shouldn't (my words). I use to write him and it was a shock to me that he responded. I told him as I aged I was having trouble training as hard as I use to.  He said something to the effect that as he aged he stopped hot dogging in the gym. I think it was his term for showing off with heavy weights. He said I would be wise to forget training heavy and to think about exhausting the muscle through work and not poundage.

He lived a really long life and sad how he died. I believe he was suffering from Parkinson's disease.  He got on his riding tractor to mow the property. On a grade the mower tractor flipped and landed on top of him. Bet it weighed around 1000bs. He was pinned until two lifters coming to use his home gym saw him pinned and rolled the tractor off of him. It broke his back and his neck. He was 91.

A modern renaissance man.

[funk51]

 
   
Bill Pearl


Height 5'9"

Born October 31, 1930 Prineville, Oregon

Died September 14, 2022



1953

Mr America - AAU, Winner
Mr California - AAU, Winner
Mr California - AAU, Most Muscular, 1st
Mr Southern California - AAU, Winner
Mr Universe - NABBA, Overall Winner
Mr Universe - NABBA, Tall, 1st

1956

Mr USA, Winner
Universe - Pro - NABBA, Tall, 1st

1961

Universe - Pro - NABBA, Overall Winner
Universe - Pro - NABBA, Tall, 1st

1967

Universe - Pro - NABBA, Overall Winner
Universe - Pro - NABBA, Tall, 1st

1971

Universe - Pro - NABBA, Overall Winner
Universe - Pro - NABBA, Tall, 1st

Magazines

1953 July   Vol 13, Num 1   IronMan
1953 August   Vol 82, Num 17   Health and Strength
1953 September       Strength and Health
1953 September   Vol 7, Num 9   The Bodybuilder
1954 February   Vol 2, Num 1   Muscle Builder
1954 June   Vol 8, Num 6   The Bodybuilder
1955 January   Vol 84, Num 1   Health and Strength
1955 January   Vol 14, Num 4   IronMan
1955 April   Vol 18, Num 3   Muscle Power
1955 May       Reg Park Journal
1956 March   Vol 15, Num 5   IronMan
1956 April   Vol 19, Num 3   Muscle Power
1956 June       Strength and Health
1956 July       Reg Park Journal
1957 January   Vol 86, Num 3   Health and Strength
1957 September   Vol 17, Num 2   IronMan
1961 February   Vol 90, Num 3   Health and Strength
1961 July       Strength and Health
1961 September   Vol 12, Num 2   Muscle Builder
1961 October   Vol 90, Num 20   Health and Strength
1961 October   Vol 90, Num 21   Health and Strength
1961 November   Vol 21, Num 2   IronMan
1962 April   Vol 91, Num 7   Health and Strength
1962 December       Strength and Health
1963 January   Vol 92, Num 1   Health and Strength
1963 June   Vol 22, Num 5   IronMan
1964 February   Vol 1, Num 2   Muscular Development
1964 May   Vol 93, Num 10   Health and Strength
1965 January   Vol 94, Num 2   Health and Strength
1965 February       Strength and Health
1966 April   Vol 3, Num 4   Muscular Development
1966 August   Vol 95, Num 16   Health and Strength
1967 January   Vol 96, Num 1   Health and Strength
1967 March   Vol 96, Num 7   Health and Strength
1967 March   Num 9   Muscle Training Illustrated
1967 July   Vol 96, Num 15   Health and Strength
1967 October   Vol 96, Num 22   Health and Strength
1967 November   Vol 96, Num 24   Health and Strength
1968 January   Vol 27, Num 1   IronMan
1968 February   Vol 97, Num 3   Health and Strength
1968 March   Vol 5, Num 3   Muscular Development
1968 March       Strength and Health
1969 July   Vol 28, Num 5   IronMan
1969 November   Vol 6, Num 11   Muscular Development
1971 October   Vol 100, Num 10   Health and Strength
1971 November   Vol 31, Num 1   IronMan
1972 December   Vol 9, Num 12   Muscular Development
1973 June   Vol 102, Num 6   Health and Strength
1977   Vol 1, Num 7   Muscle Digest
1978 August   Num 69   Muscle Training Illustrated
1982 December   Vol 2, Num 5   Natural Bodybuilding
2002 January   Vol 128, Num 1   Health and Strength
© MuscleMemory

[Rambone]

 

[wes]

Great link Ironat! Thanks for posting.

X 2  BOOKMARKED

[oldtimer1]

X 2  BOOKMARKED

Buy his book. That passage is in his book. Full of interesting stuff like the one  excerpted from the book that you book marked. 

[Humble Narcissist]

^^ One of the best bodybuilding books.

[wes]

Buy his book. That passage is in his book. Full of interesting stuff like the one  excerpted from the book that you book marked. 

I might just do that Rich,it`s one of the few bodybuilding books I`ve never owned and always heard it was great.

[Dreadlifter]

It's a great book. He does seem to have been sucked in to the cult of Sri Chinmoy and his BS exhibition lifts later in life, but the earlier stuff is still well worth it.

I ordered a copy from Dave Draper when it was released and was surprised to receive a copy signed by Bill.

[mops]

Awesome thread. Thank you for the link.
A nice change from the highschool gossip girl bs on GB lately

This is possibly the best part of the story 

[BEEFCAKE]

My older brother took  me past Pearl's home several months  back.  He  had already passed away and neither of us though it would be right to stop  at that moment in time.

The Coach was devastated when he lost his former lover

[beakdoctor]

Awesome thread. Thank you for the link.
A nice change from the highschool gossip girl bs on GB lately

This is possibly the best part of the story 

Ha! That's fucking great!

[Rambone]

Awesome thread. Thank you for the link.
A nice change from the highschool gossip girl bs on GB lately

This is possibly the best part of the story 

A true Getbigger

[bigbychoices]

               I am not going to insult Bill Pearl. He was a very good man later on in his life. You never heard bad things about him. He removed himself from the rest of the bodybuilders in California. Worked hard built a great body and so on. HOWEVER he did use steroids ALOT during his career . DO NOT let him fool you And no not just that one time using nileivar.  Also that one picture where everyone comments on his tricep. Smh .. He had a tennis ball behind it. He also talks like Arnold was afraid to compete against him.  Smh. Arnold at 21 was already better than Pearl.  Look at the lineup of his last contest.  Yes some big names but NONE of them were anywhere near their best except possibly Draper , who in my opinion was never a great bodybuilder. He was good but not great. He had no legs . Period.  LOL.  But sergio was skinny and so was park.  So he beat guys who were not at their best and not even close.   But bill was a very nice man. RIP  Mr. Pearl.  Thanks for the memories

[The Scott]

The Coach was devastated when he lost his former lover

I don't understand this.  Was Pearl's wife a coach?  Wow.  Regardless, Pearl remains one of the best ever and near as I can tell, a gentleman to the end.  Thanks!

[BEEFCAKE]

I don't understand this.  Was Pearl's wife a coach?  Wow.  Regardless, Pearl remains one of the best ever and near as I can tell, a gentleman to the end.  Thanks!

the Coach was pearls wife

[wes]

It's a great book. He does seem to have been sucked in to the cult of Sri Chinmoy and his BS exhibition lifts later in life, but the earlier stuff is still well worth it.

I ordered a copy from Dave Draper when it was released and was surprised to receive a copy signed by Bill.

Cool !!

[oldtimer1]

               I am not going to insult Bill Pearl. He was a very good man later on in his life. You never heard bad things about him. He removed himself from the rest of the bodybuilders in California. Worked hard built a great body and so on. HOWEVER he did use steroids ALOT during his career . DO NOT let him fool you And no not just that one time using nileivar.  Also that one picture where everyone comments on his tricep. Smh .. He had a tennis ball behind it. He also talks like Arnold was afraid to compete against him.  Smh. Arnold at 21 was already better than Pearl.  Look at the lineup of his last contest.  Yes some big names but NONE of them were anywhere near their best except possibly Draper , who in my opinion was never a great bodybuilder. He was good but not great. He had no legs . Period.  LOL.  But sergio was skinny and so was park.  So he beat guys who were not at their best and not even close.   But bill was a very nice man. RIP  Mr. Pearl.  Thanks for the memories

I agree he used steroids especially when he beat Sergio. Sergio wasn't skinny but not at his best. Funny in the same year months later he looked at his all time best.  Did he stop the Arthur Jones Nautilus training and return to his high volume training in Chicago?

 I think Pearl was natural winning the AAU Mr. America. He only looked about 200lbs there. Regarding Arnold, Pearl looked pretty good standing next to him back in the day. Pearl is one of the greats of all time.

[NarcissisticDeity]

Pearl admitted that Arnold wanted to compete with him but Joe Weider wasn't fond of the idea, especially in a non-IFBB sanctioned contest like the NABBA