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
Let him first devote two or three minutes to the striking-bag. Facing it
squarely, with head back and chest well out, let him strike it a
succession of vigorous blows, with left and right fists alternating,
until he has done a hundred in all. If he has hit hard and with spirit,
he is puffing freely now, his lungs are fully expanded, his legs have
had a deal of springing about to do, and his arms and chest have been
busiest of all. This bag-work is really superb exercise, and if once
or twice, later in the day, say at one's place of business, or at home
again in the evening, he would take some more of it, he would find
fret, discomfort, and indigestion flying to the winds, and in their
place buoyancy and exhilaration of spirits to which too many men
have long been strangers.
Next grasp the handles in Fig. 8 and bear downward, as described on page
249. Repeat this work for about two minutes, standing all the time
thoroughly erect. Whether the sparring left any part of your chest
unfilled or not, every air-cell is expanded now, while you cannot fail
to be pleased with the thorough way in which this simple contrivance
does its work. Care should of course be taken that the air breathed
during these exercises is pure and fresh.
Now use the dumb-bells two or three minutes. Let them weigh not over one
twenty-fifth of your own weight. First, with head and neck a trifle back
of vertical, and the chest held out as full as possible, curl the bells,
or lift them from down at arm's-length until you have drawn them close
up to the shoulders, the finger-nails being turned upward. Lower again
and repeat until you have done twenty-five, the chest being always out.
The biceps muscles, or those of the front upper arm, and of the front of
the shoulders and chest, have been busy now.
Next, starting with the bells at your shoulders, push both at once
steadily up over your head as high as you can reach, and continue till
twenty-five are accomplished. The back-arms, corners of the shoulders,
and the waist have now had their turn.
Facing the pulley-weights (Fig. 4), and standing about two feet from
them, catch a handle in each hand. Keeping the elbows stiff, draw first
one hand and then the other in a horizontal line until your hand is
about eighteen inches behind you, the body and legs being at all times
held rigidly erect, and the chest well out. Continue this until you have
done fifty strokes with each hand. This is excellent for the back of the
shoulders--indeed for nearly the entire back above the waist.
Again, with back to the pulley-weights, hold the handles high over the
head, and leaning forward about a foot, keeping the elbows unbent, bear
the handles directly downward in front of you, and so do twenty-five.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account