How to Get Strong and How to Stay SoBlaikie, William
Science
How to Get Strong and How to Stay So
Blaikie, William
Physical education and training
On rising, let him stand erect, brace his chest firmly out, and,
breathing deeply, curl dumb-bells (each of about one-fifteenth of his
own weight) fifty times without stopping. This is biceps work enough for
the early morning. Then, placing the bells on the floor at his feet, and
bending his knees a little, and his arms none at all, rise to an upright
position with them fifty times. The loins and back have had their turn
now. After another minute's rest, standing erect, let him lift the bells
fifty times as far up and out behind him as he can, keeping elbows
straight, and taking care, when the bells reach the highest point
behind, to hold them still there a moment. Now the under side of his
arms, and about the whole of the upper back, have had their work.
Next, starting with the bells at the shoulders, push them up high
over the head, and lower fifty times continuously. Now the outer part
of the upper arms, the corners of the shoulders, and the waist have
all had active duty.
Finally, after another minute's rest, start with the bells high over the
head, and lower slowly until the arms are in about the position they
would be on a cross, the elbows being always kept unbent. Raise the
bells to height again, then lower, and so continue until you have done
ten, care being taken to hold the head six or more inches back of the
perpendicular, and to steadily face the ceiling directly overhead, while
the chest is swelled out to its uttermost. Rest half a minute after
doing ten, then do ten more, and so on till you have accomplished fifty.
This last exercise is one of the best-known chest-expanders. Now that
these five sorts of work are over, few muscles above the waist have not
had vigorous and ample work, the lungs themselves have had a splendid
stretch, and you have not spent over fifteen minutes on the whole
operation. If you want to add a little hand and forearm work, catch a
broom-stick or stout cane at or near the middle, and, holding it at
arm's-length, twist it rapidly from side to side a hundred times with
one hand, and then with the other.
In the late afternoon a five-mile walk on the road, at a four-mile pace,
with the step inclined to be short, the knees bent but little, and the
foot pushing harder than usual as it leaves the ground--this will be
found to bring the legs and loins no inconsiderable exercise; all, in
fact, that they will probably need. If, shortly before bedtime each
evening, the youth, after he has been working as above, say for a month,
will, in light clothes and any old and easy shoes, run a mile in about
seven minutes and a half, and, a little later, under the seven minutes,
or, three nights a week, make the distance two miles each night, there
will soon be a life and vigor in his legs which used to be unknown; and
if six months of this work brings a whole inch more on thigh and calf,
it is only what might have been expected.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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