GYMNASTICS. 



601 



the first peg of the second line, the heel outward ; 

 then, after having let go with the right, the head 

 slides under the left arm, the right foot and the right 

 hand take two other pegs, and so on successively. 

 In ascending and descending, when passing under 

 the left arm, the right hand and right foot, as well 

 as the left hand and left foot, should always be on the 

 same line of pegs (See fig. 4.) 



Fig. 5 represents raising the knees, by supporting 

 the body in equilibrium upon the hands, without 

 touching the beam with any other part of the body. 

 After having practised this exercise a little, the 

 gymnast may come to stand on the beam, since, to 

 rise up from the first position, he has but to bend the 

 body a little forwards, bring the heel of the right foot 

 before the ankle of the left, and so rise up gently. 



Climbing up a board is represented in fig. 6. This 

 board may be about 30 feet long, and two broad. 

 At first, to beginners, it should not be more than thirty- 

 five degrees of declivity, but afterwards you may 

 gradually augment it to fifty, sixty, or more degrees. 

 This exercise, though simple, may be of great use 

 in many circumstances. 



Those exercises for augmenting the muscular 

 powers of the body and limbs, as performed on stands 

 by Guts-Muth are represented in figs. 7 and 9. 



That shown in fig. 7, is about five feet high, two 

 feet in width, and of any convenient length ; the 

 upper surface of the bars a, b, c, and d, is rounded 

 off so as to be more easily grasped by the hand. 

 The other, in fig. 9, consists of four posts, a, b, c, d, 

 of which b and c are about fifteen feet distant from 

 each other, the one six, and the other seven feet high. 

 The latter support a cross-piece, <?,/, which is six 

 inches deep, its lower side three inches wide, and its 

 upper one about two ; altogether it is shaped like 

 the upper part of the rail of an ordinary staircase ; 



E, h, and i, k, are two poles made of fir, eight feet 

 >ng, and from two to two inches and a half thick : 

 made round and smooth, and of different heights, for 

 the convenience of the learners. 



Exercise 1. The learner raises himself into the 

 position shown at No. 1, upon the stand a, b, c, d, 

 and swings his legs backward and forward, the high- 

 er the better, as long as he possibly can ; during 

 which motion his feet will nearly describe the semi- 

 circle e,f, g. 



2. When in the last position, the learner makes a 

 }nmp, as it were, with his hands forward, and repeats 

 it until he arrives at the end of the stand ; whence 

 he commences jumping backwa/d as far as the other 

 extremity. This, and the preceding, are two excel- 

 lent exercises for strengthening the wrists. 



3. The learner, after having raised himself into the 

 position required in Ex. 1, lowers his body so as to 

 bring his head nearly on a level with his elbows, 

 which must be kept exactly over the bars. See No. 

 2. The most difficult part of the exercise follows ; 

 which consists in raising himself again into his former 

 position. This exercise, which he should repeat as 

 often as possible, is perhaps the best of any for 

 strengthening the muscles of the chest, and parti- 

 cularly those which are connected with the shoul- 

 ders. 



4. As many of the learners place themselves in a 

 row under the bar e, /, fig. 9, as can find convenient 

 room ; the tallest are nearest to the end /. The 

 others who are not able to share in this exercise, 

 help their companions up, so that they may seize the 

 bar with both hands, and then leave them in that 

 position. Each now supports his own weight with 

 arms at full length, as long as he possibly can ; which 

 forms the first part of this exercise. The second is 

 more difficult : it consists in keeping the elbows so 

 much bent, that one shoulder remains close under 



the bar. Since it is not in the power of every begin- 

 ner to raise himself to this position, the teacher must 

 assist him until the required height is attained ; it is 

 sufficient for him to remain there but a short time at 

 first. The exercise is rendered more lively by let- 

 ting the learners try who can hang in this manner 

 longest ; but the teacher must prevent any one from 

 overdoing it. 



5. The hands are placed upon the bar, over opposite 

 sides, as seen in No. 1. At another time they may 

 be placed both on the same side. The learner now 

 draws himself so much upward, as to be able to see 

 over the bar, keeping the legs and feet closed and 

 stretched out. He then lowers himself to the full 

 length of his arms, and again raises his body. This 

 exercise is very trying if often repeated. Most per- 

 sons will go through it three, six, or perhaps nine 

 times, but few reach the eighteenth or twenty-fourth 

 time. It must not be carried too far, for the muscles 

 are to be strengthened, not relaxed. 



These two exercises should be frequently repeated, 

 since they wonderfully increase the muscular powers, 

 and greatly facilitate the succeeding exercises. 



6. The learner hangs with his hands upon the bar, 

 as before, and then raises and lowers the legs alter- 

 nately. See No. 2. The hands are fixed on both 

 sides, and at a little distance from each other ; the 

 elbows are very much bent ; the one shoulder is im- 

 mediately under the bar, and the upper parts of the 

 arms lie close to the body. The head now sinks 

 backward, and at the same time the feet are raised 

 so as to touch each other gently over the bar. From 

 this they again sink into the hanging position. 

 Beginners who have not thoroughly practised the 

 two preceding exercises, find this one very difficult ; 

 some make a preparatory swing with the feet to 

 assist them ; but this is not correct, since the exer- 

 cise ought to be performed entirely through the mus- 

 cular force of the arms, back, &c. It can be repeat- 

 ed six, nine, twelve, eighteen, twenty-four, and even 

 thirty tunes. The teacher is again recommended to 

 prevent any one from overdoing the exercise : the 

 pupils should not be impatient, but overcome every 

 difficulty by practice alone. 



7. Let the feet, when in the position of No. 2, as 

 required in the preceding exercise, cling close to 

 each other over the bar, and remain as long as pos- 

 sible in this position. The learners try to excel one 

 another in this exercise. 



8. Suppose the body to be in the last-mentioned 

 position, viz. No. 2. Throw the right arm and the 

 right leg quickly over the bar, so as to hang to it by 

 the elbow and knee joints, as seen in No. 3. Change 

 the position with the same quickness by throwing the 

 left leg and arm over the bar, in order to rest the 

 other side. Finally, the body may be made to hang 

 by the right leg and left arm, and vice versa. This 

 exercise, which is performed upon the round bar g, 

 A, and i, , is rendered very pretty, by the position 

 of the body and liinbs being continually varied, and 

 is very useful as a preparatory one to climbing. 



9. Suppose the body to be again in the position 

 of No. 2. Commence moving the hands one before 

 the other, either towards e or/, and let the feet fol- 

 low, either sliding along the bar, or what is much 

 better, alternately changing like the hands, and re- 

 taining, in some measure, a similar hold. Continue 

 moving along the bar in this manner, as long as 

 your strength will permit. 



10. The body hangs to the bar by the hands, placed 

 as shown at No. 4 ; these are then moved either for, 

 ward or backward alternately as long as possible. 

 This exercise is taulty when the arms hang straight 

 and slack ; or when the feet, instead of being quit* 

 and close together, are violently drawn up and down. 



