232 



KNOWLEDGE 



[Sept. I, 



HOW TO GET STRONG. 



10 STBEXCiTHEX TUE MUSCLES OUTSIDE TUE CUEST. 



(ClmlitmrJfnm pagf 181.) 



'^I'^UE e.xeivisos we have liitbcrto cousidered have been 

 1. directc'd to tlic cnliu-geuioiit of the chest itself— first, di- 

 rectly, by actual expansion of the frame enclosing the space we 

 call tie chest (I do not here limit the word to the front of the 

 trunk, or breast) ; secondly, indirectly, by their action on 

 the respiratory organs. SVe have now to consider how 

 those muscles may be strengthened and enlarged which lie 

 oatside the chest, viz., the pectoral muscles, which have 

 their origin near the breast-bone and iiuier edges of the 

 upper ribs and arc attached to the upper arm, and the 

 dorsal muscles, w hich, rising from near the lower two-thirds 

 of the vertebral column, are also attached to the upper 

 arm. Speaking roughly, we may say that the pectorals 

 carry the arms forward, as when we bring tliem upon the 

 chest, while the dorsal muscles carry the arms backward, 

 as when we linish the stroke in rowing. In bo.xing, both 

 sets are very freely used, the dorsals when we prepare to 

 hit out from the shoulder, the pectorals when we carry that 

 laudable purpose into execution. 



It should be noticed in passing that the development of 

 both these sets of muscles often gives to the chest the 

 appearance of being very well developed, when in reality it 

 may not be so. This is especially the ease with the pectoral 

 muscles, which often are so developed as to suggest the 

 idea of splendid chest development, when in reality the 

 chest is flat and small. Dlaikie very well remarks on this 

 point, and we have repeatedly noticed the fact in the gym- 

 nasium, that "whoever knows many gymnasts, and has 

 seen them stripped, or in exercising costume, must occasion- 

 ally have observed that, while they had worked at exercises 

 which brought up their pectoral muscles until they were 

 almost huge, their chests under their muscles had somehow 

 not advanced accordingly. Indeed," he adds, " in more 

 than one instance which has come under our observa- 

 tion, the man looked as though, should you scrape all those 

 great muscles coiiipIet*;ly ofl', leaving the bare framework, 

 he would have actually a small chest, much smaller 

 than many a fellow who had not much muscle. There 

 hangs to-day — or did some time since — on the wall of a 

 well-known New York gymnasium, a portrait of a gymnast 

 stripped above the waist, which shows an exact case in 

 point The face of such a man is often a weak one, lack- 

 ing the strength of cheek-bone and jaw, so usual in men 

 of great vitality and sturdiness — like Morrissey, for in- 

 stance — and there is a general look about it as if the man 

 lacked vitality. ^Many a gymnast has this appearance, 

 Vx;cause he takes so much severe muscular work that it 

 draws from his vitality, and gives him a stale and ex- 

 hausted look, a very common one, for example, among 

 men who remain too long in training for contest after 

 contest of an athletic sort." It has been for this reas .n 

 chiefly, tliat we have set first the exercises for enlarging 

 and detjjening the cheiit itself, as a matter more vitally 

 important than the enlargement of any special muscles 

 whatever. We can now, however, tuni with advantage to 

 • xerciscH directed to enlarge particular seta of muscles. 



The most effective exercis«j for strengthening the pectoral 

 muscles is one which cannot be safely taken until these 

 muscles are already tolerably well developed, viz., dipping 

 from the parallel bars, or between the backs of two stout 

 chairs. This exercise is usually given specially for the 

 triceps muscles ; but it depends even more on the action of 

 the j»ectorals, insomuch that while men with strong pec- 

 toral* and moderat<;ly strong triceps muscles can accom- 



plish thcsi^ dips pntty well, men with strong triceps and 

 only modi riitcly-strong pcitorals often fail to accomplish a 

 single dip without pain. To take the simplest form of the 

 exercise : — Set two strong and rather heavy chairs back to 

 back (you may with advautivgo put half-a-dozen heavy 

 books on the seat of each.) Rest one hand on each, and 

 lifting the feet from the ground, steadily lower the body, 

 till the chin is nearly on a level with the hands. So far 

 all is fairly easy ; but now conies the work. Steadily lift 

 the body to its former position. Then, if you con, repeat 

 the dip, and continue dipping till you have had enough of 

 it : it is not likely to take long at lirst. (The feet must 

 not touch the ground from the beginning of the lirst dip to 

 the end of the last.) But do not altempt ecen a siny/e dip 

 unless you jind, after lutverin;/ yourself, that yon can, 

 vithout very great effort and without pain near the breast- 

 bone, begin and continue the rising movement. You will 

 only hurt yourself, and stop for several days all exercises 

 directed to that strengthening of the pectoral muscles 

 which is what, in this case, you particularly want. 



Some such exercise as the following may be used, before 

 attempting the dips, to test and afterwards to enlarge the 

 pectorals : — 



Using the instrument already described at p. 180, but 

 the weights much heavier than for tlu; exercise there de- 

 scribed, stand under the handles A and B (fig.). Draw them 



down till they reach the chest, and then change the hold, 

 so that you can thrust them down on each side of you — 

 that is, till the arms are extended straight down from the 

 shoulders. Now slowly raise the hands, carrying them up 

 slightly in front of the body till they roach nearly to the 

 shoulder ; then thrust them down again to their full 

 ext<;nsion. llepeat, making all the inoveineuts steadily 

 and slowly, till you are comfortably tired. After a short 

 rest, or turning for awhile to other exercises, return to this 

 work, till you arc tired with it yet once more. After a 

 fortnight of such work, you can safely try your first dip ; 

 and once you have begun dipping exercise, there is no limit 

 to the amount of work you can give the pectoral muscles in 

 this way. 



The following exercise is good for the upper parts of the 

 pectorals : — Hold out a pair of tolerably heavy duinli Ijclls, 

 one in each hand, so that the arms arc extended horizontally 

 on either side of the body ; then slowly lower the dumb- 

 bells a foot, and as slowly raise them two feet. Repeat 



