240 CHOICE IN EXERCISE. 



point that the stronger muscles ought to do the greater part 

 of the work. The older view was that exercise requiring lift- 

 ing the arms had a tendency to promote respiration, and thus 

 to aid respiration and circulation. This is true to a certain 

 extent. But Lagrange makes very clear that what is desired 

 is to create what he calls a " respiratory need," that is, a de- 

 mand of the system for more oxygen, together with a more 

 active getting rid of waste matters. This is more effectively 

 accomplished by employing the larger and stronger muscles, 

 namely, those of the lower limbs. In the four-legged animals 

 the greater strength and weight are in the hind limbs. And 

 in man the lower limbs have all the work of support and pro- 

 pulsion of the body. The muscles of the lower part of the 

 body, being so large and powerful, can do much more work 

 without being overworked. Suppose, for instance, that a stu- 

 dent has half an hour or an hour for exercise. It is evident 

 that if he uses the muscles of the upper half of the body he 

 cannot do anywhere near as much muscular work as if he uses 

 the lower half of the body for the same length of time. Com- 

 pare, for instance, a half hour's work with dumb-bells with the 

 same time on a bicycle. This working of the larger muscles 

 will much more actively stimulate respiration and circulation, 

 and help digestion and excretion more, than the smaller and 

 feebler muscles possibly could. 



Further, in using the smaller muscles there is much greater 

 chance of straining than in the other case. Take, for instance, 

 work on the parallel bars. For a beginner this is very severe. 

 It is making the upper muscles support and handle the whole 

 weight of the body, work for which they are not intended, and 

 to which they are not equal without a great deal of gradual 

 preparation. One occasionally sees, in a circus, some per- 

 former who has developed the arms and shoulders out of all 

 proportion to the other parts of the body. Nature, in the 



