The Washington critic., 1890-01-30
HOW T0BECOME STRONG
LITTLE THINGS THAT HAVE A POW
ERFUL INFLUENCE.


Ninthods of Breathing, Standing and
walking,
A short, slender young man walked
into the New York SIM Office the other
day and said he wanted to talk 10 some
body about Syndsmiology. lie pro.
nounccd this remarkable word without
apparent effort, and after he had writ.
ten IL out so that the reporter could see
it be leaned against the wall and said II
meant a system of muscular develop
iuen. The young man had invented
the system and the word to name 1t also.
According TO his theories great num-
her of people are making mistakes in
exercising in gymnasiums ard undertak-
ing athletic training generally for the
sake of health Further, every man
has a capacity for muscular strength
double that which he actually uses.
The world brought up on Syndismi-
ology would be healthier and happie'
and more beautiful, so far as man is
concerned, than IL ever was since the
Greeks went out of the statue. making
business. Furthermore, all this added
beauty of form and strength of muscle
and perfect health can be attained by
every man. He can begin without my
undue eXpel sc, without sacrificing his
normal appeutes. and without til
drudgery of gymnastics. That is the
claim of the inventor and prophet OF
Syndismiology, and he brings forward
Interesting arguments TO support 1t.
His name is Edwin Checkley, at pres
cnt student in the Long Island Med
icai College. Mr. Checkley is - years
old and was born in England. As he
tells the story Of his life, which shows
how his attention was turned to the de
vclopment of the human frame, he was
Il sibkly child and was made to believe,
while still in his teens, that he could
moi live TO be even a middle aged man.
Something was the matter with his
heart, his people said, and in other re-
spects his physique was so fragile that
hc was not permitted to 70 to school
for fear Of undue and dangerous strain.
The result was that he could not read or
write until over 18.
During his boyhood he was trained
in t,imbing and became public per-
former This means of making living
was adopted for him by his people be.
cause they thought that IL would be the
only means of preserving his life.
Young Checkley became quite an ex-
pert as tumblcr, but he did not like
the profession. and most of all, he dis.
liked the idea that he must keep at it
in order to keep alive. He began to
doubt that he was as fragile as had been
supposed, and his thoughts were con-
family turned upon his own physical
condition, seeking to understand it and
10 discover remedies for Inherent weak
nesses.
Eventually Checkley became a me-
cbanical engineer. He was then in this
country, and in the course of his work
at mechanics it occurred to him that
he laws of leverage might throw some
light upon the development of muscle
This led him to make a careful study
of the human frame, and gradually his
ideas got into shape and formed con
sistont, intelligent theory. the truth of
which he thinks he has demonstrated a
good many times over. In a general
woy 1t may be said that it is based on
the simplest movements of the body.
Syndismiology means, according to the
inventor, the science of muscular de-
velopment. In his system the highest
development possible to each man is to
be attained by learning, first, to breathe
correctly, SO that the lungs may grow
10 their full capacity; second, by learn
ing how to support the body in q stand.
ing or sitting position, so that the alb
domipal muscles shall sustain the upper
part instead of allowing it to sink upon
The pelvic bones; third, by learning how
10 walk, stoop, and go through all the
ordinary movements with the greatest
advantage to every set of muscles en-
ployed
These matters once learned, the sys-
tenn Of development follows naturally
in the ordinary exercise Of the muscles
in the course of usual daily activity.
To give the muscles q start, however,
Mr.. Checkley puts his pupils through
exercises which are no more than ex-
aggerations of their ordinary move
ments, such as swinging the arms about
from the shoulder, turning the head on
its socket, swinging the legs, raising
The shoulders up and down, STOPPING
and recovering by back and abdominal
muscles alone. the legs remaining un-
moved, etc.
1T is very astonishing thing" said
Mr. Checkley, that Nature does not
teach men how TO carry on their most
ordinary functions in the best way.
Nature does not teach us how to eat,
and we have TO learn that. Now, l do
not see why children should not be
taught TO breathe correctly as well as to
at properly, and after that to stand,
walk, stoop and move the hands prop
,rly, for there is a correct way to do
I'll these things. Any other way is in
correct and injurious Almost all men
pursue the faulty methods in these sim
PIE matters of breathing, standing,
walking and STOPPING. 1t is for that
eason that they do not possess the max
mum of strength which their frames
naturally call for.
Breathing should all be carried on
by the costal muscles, and the action of
the abdomen in breathing should be
merely sympathetic and not the base of
inspiration. The upper part of the
lungs by this way of breathing is filled
first, instead of the lower, as is the case
with ordinary breathing. Most people,
when they stand or sit, allow the body
to sink down upon the pelvic bones, to
the entire neglect Of abdominal muscles.
Now, with little practice. one can
make it second nature to support the
upper part of the body entirely by the
abdominal muscles. This Is matter
which is Of very great importance in
maintaining general health and develop
ing muscular power. There arc other
things. of course, to be done besides
this. but, for securing general health
and strength. these are essential at the
beginning.
"The idea that to get strong or agile
n person should have to start in by go.
ino without aatinp perfoin foode and