The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-06-25
SELECT LITERATU RE.
FREE MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT
CONCLUDED

(CONCLUDED.)
From H,i'pt,'% MenMp Mgu.inc.
But three other exercises for the lower
limbs were mentioned here, either of which
any one can practice. and. if care is taken
to begin with a small amount, and in
crease it very gradually. they will be found
to aid materially in this particular devel-
opment. The first is running on the toes
that is, without letting the heels touch
the ground in any part of the step. Here,
as in the hop, though not SO forcibly, the
whole weight is thrown on the muscles of
one calf, but alternately only. Should
one unused to this exercise happen to
overrun. he will have most eloquent proof
of this fact. on rising next morning. i'll
the ache and pain in these particular mus
ccs. The second is walking up hill. To
show what this will do, even to muscles
already magniticently large, Maclaren.
Professor of Gymnastics at Oxford nj
versity, in a foot-note to his admirable
essay on draining in Theory and Prac-
tice." says that nine hours a day of AL
pine walking, kept up for four months,
increased his calves from sixteen to sew
enteen and quarter inches in girt, and
his thighs from twcnty-three and a half
to twenty-five inches. For these mus
cles. undeveloped, half an hours daily
uphill walking at 4 good pace, bending
the knees as little as possible, would i'll
year bring almost as great gain as he
made in the ,jaunt in question. The third
exercise is. in some respects, the best of
all. In the sand or soft earth notice the
foot prints. In most of them. whether
the foot was shod or not, while the i'll
dentation is a little deeper ut the sole than
the heel it is only little. Now let the
walker, instead of getting the foot off the
ground as easily as he can, press hard
with it just as it leaves the ground. This,
of course, at once deepens the forward
part of the imprint: but it shoots the body
upward an inch OF SO each step. Never
mnd-keep on. Before you have walked
three blocks your calves will demonstrate
vehemently against such unwonted effort,
while, if your steps are not too long, and
your shoe heels too high. your knees will
knit and stiffen. and bend backward to
where they ought to be in walking, but
where in the iiat-footed or part ly-footed.
far too common among us, they never
are Do daily the first week what can
be done comfortably twice rs much the
second, three times us much the third.
and four times the fourth. and then con-
tinue the last number daily throughout
the year. Let the pace be not great, but
simply such as the person feels equal to.
Perhaps no muscular exercise. certainly
no foot-work, will bring more satisfac-
tory results than this.
| But the STOPPING above mentioned has
been at work on other muscles bes DIES
| those of the calf AS it is going on, place
| the hand any where on the upper or front
| thigh, and feel all the muscles harden,
| especially on the rise to the erect posi-
ton. With simply the below knee work
already suggested, a girt of the thigh,
taken in almost any part of it, ut the
years end, will show a very encouraging
( gain. The STOPPING, hopping and run
/ ming have all called the front thigh into
active play, and more STOPPING this time
with the heels off the ground, would have
done more for it yet. Again, instead Of