Chapter I: Preface

Millions of our people pass their lives in cities and towns, and at work which keeps them nearly all day in-doors. Many hours are devoted for days and years, under careful teachers, and many millions of dollars are spent annually, in educating the mind and the moral nature. But the body is allowed to grow up all uneducated; indeed, often such a weak, shaky affair that it gets easily out of order, especially in middle and later life, and its owner is wholly unequal to tasks which would have proved easy to him, had he given it even a tithe of the education bestowed so generously in other directions. Not a few, to be sure, have the advantage in youth of years of active out-door life on a farm, and so lay up a store of vigor which stands them in good stead throughout a lifetime. But many, and especially those born and reared in towns and cities, have had no such training, or any equivalent, and so never have the developed lungs and muscles, the strong heart and vigorous digestion--in short, the improved tone and strength in all their vital organs--which any sensible plan of body-culture, followed up daily, would have secured. It does not matter so much whether we get vigor on the farm, the deck, the tow-path, or in the gymnasium, if we only get it. Fortunately, if not gotten in youth, when we are plastic and easily shaped, it may still be had, even far on in middle life, by judicious and systematic exercise, aimed first to bring up the weak and unused parts, and then by general work daily which shall maintain the equal development of the whole.

The aim here has been, not to write a profound treatise on gymnastics, and point out how to eventually reach great performance in this art, but rather in a way so plain and untechnical that even any intelligent boy or girl can readily understand it, to first give the reader a nudge to take better care of his body, and so of his health, and then to point out one way to do it. That there are a hundred other ways is cheerfully conceded. If anything said here should stir up some to vigorously take hold of, and faithfully follow up, either the plan here indicated or any one of these others, it cannot fail to bring them marked benefit, and so to gratify

THE AUTHOR.

_New York, July, 1883._

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE

I. DO WE INHERIT SHAPELY BODIES? 9

II. HALF-BUILT BOYS 23

III. WILL DAILY PHYSICAL EXERCISE FOR GIRLS PAY? 42

IV. IS IT TOO LATE FOR WOMEN TO BEGIN? 57

V. WHY MEN SHOULD EXERCISE DAILY 74

VI. HOME GYMNASIUMS 91

VII. THE SCHOOL THE TRUE PLACE FOR CHILDREN'S
PHYSICAL CULTURE 104

VIII. WHAT A GYMNASIUM MIGHT BE AND DO 117

IX. SOME RESULTS OF BRIEF SYSTEMATIC EXERCISE 138

X. WORK FOR THE FLESHY, THE THIN, THE OLD 154

XI. HALF-TRAINED FIREMEN AND POLICE 177

XII. SPECIAL EXERCISE FOR ANY GIVEN MUSCLES 199

_a._ To Develop the Leg below the Knee 200

_b._ Work for the Front of the Thigh 208

_c._ To Enlarge the Under Thigh 214

_d._ To Strengthen the Sides of the Waist 215

_e._ The Abdominal Muscles 218

_f._ Counterwork for the Abdominal Muscles 224

_g._ To Enlarge and give Power to the Loins 227

_h._ Development above the Waist 228

_i._ Filling out the Shoulders and Upper Back 230

_j._ To obtain a good Biceps 233

_k._ To bring up the Muscles on the Front and Side
of the Shoulder 236

_l._ Forearm Work 237

_m._ Exercises for the Triceps Muscles 238

_n._ To Strengthen and Develop the Hand 241

_o._ To Enlarge and Strengthen the Front of the Chest 243

_p._ To Broaden and Deepen the Chest itself 245

XIII. WHAT EXERCISE TO TAKE DAILY 252

_a._ Daily Work for Children 253

_b._ Daily Exercise for Young Men 273

_c._ Daily Exercise for Women 276

_d._ Daily Exercise for Business Men 278

_e._ Daily Exercise for Consumptives 283

APPENDIX I. 291

" II. 291

" III. 292

" IV. 292

" V. 293

" VI. 294

" VII. 295

CONCLUSION 295

TABLE OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Fig. 1. A warped University Oarsman, imperfectly developed
in Muscles not used in Rowing 36

" 2. A warped Professional Sculler, imperfectly developed
in Muscles not used in Rowing 37

" 3. Horizontal Bar and Chest-bars, for Home Use 92

" 4. Noiseless Pulley-weights 94

" 5. Appliance for developing the Sides of the Waist 217

" 6. A Correct Position for Fast Walking 220

" 7. Device for developing the Abdominal Muscles 225

" 8. A Chest-widener 248

" 9. A Chest-deepener 250

HOW TO GET STRONG,

AND

HOW TO STAY SO.