The times., 1897-08-29
ONLY A MATTER OF MUSCLE

admirlng the rEarbie-hued softness Of heI
shoulders as the three sat dressed for the
late August hop at Narragansett Pier. II
never look at the Dictures OF SanGow or
John L. sullivan without thinking how
lovely they would lock in evening dress
I mean girls evening dress, OF course
"oh, horrors! virginia. what an absurd
ityl Think Of a prize fighter in low neck
and short sleevesl'
II idon'twonder that you laugh; but you'll
be more surprised when 1 tell you that i5
was Just that absurd idea that led me 70
trydev.loping myneck. Itwas the summeI
before came out; L was to be a debutante
the next winter Ny neck was so thiI
that my collar bones gTinned at me ever
time 1 looked in the glass. Imagine q
debutante vita collar bonest''
Tie Others looked the disInay that the
speaker expected, and sne went on;
Now, this is all I did, and il you dc
the same FOR ten minutes night and
morning you Will notice a difference il
mouth.
If YOU examine closely the pictures
OF Sallivan or any OF those prize fighters
you viii Notice that they usually carry
their heads with the chin forced back
close 10 the neck. II You try 70 do this
you Will find that your head straightens
up as IL you had stiff neck, and your
chest IISes an inch OF so. or course, q
VIII &c mostly the bones that rise, bni
don't be frightened at the ghostIy ap
partition. just keep pushing your head
back as far as possible without bending
the neck, always keeping the chin in
Then turn the head around TO the right
and lefg as far as il win 20, with the chin
in the same position The hardest exer.
else is 10 throw the head back and bring
it forward with a jerk, until the chi1
fairly siaps the chest. 1t is one of the
prize fighters favorite exercises to Dr.
velop the nuscles OF the neck, and
thought / ulight as well try TO cover m!
bones in the same way. Anyway, i6i
very simple; it certainly does no harm
TO try il. and in any case, have my OWL
/ experience as testimony to It's efficacy
In taking the exercises it is good
plan TO draw a deep breath, and bold Il
as long as possible without turning the head
from 81 ie to side or pushing, it back"
/ Rather original ideas on physical culture
/ but if there Was enough in them to deveI
| Op one pair Of shoulders, il is wortI
trying By otEer maids with TOO, tOo solid"
| collar boGes- The methods which the
/ young woman described were really oni
| form or The Swedish exercises, OF which
/ there are many for the Development
| various parts Of the body. There are lou
/ Of others, but it is easier 70 do one o.
two simple things regularly than EaIf
dozen or more complicated movements
| for as many different purposes
One exercise that has been found very
! efficacions is the dip" done on parallel
/ bars She who is to be developed as sumes a
reclining posture, face downward, in mid
/ air, supporting herself by gIasping the bar
On each side VI her with one hand and
one foos. She then dips her head and
body down as far as her arms and her legs
viii permit, and raises herself again by
the strength Of her arms. This motion
will be found extremely hard on unframed
muscles and shouId be tried very cad
tiously at first.
While we are on the subject of good
figures, let Us linger for a moment about
the slender waist-aIways q pleasant thing
10 do, waen it isslender, but alasihow " rarely
| IL is SOL
| The Narragansett girl might have broad
/ ened her statement little, and said that,
/ n general good figure is matter Of
muscular development This is certainly
/ truce OF men, aud the only reason whyit has
not al ways been considered true or women
| is the racl that they have been ranked as
/ weaGIiRss who are out of their sphere if
they have good health. Nowadays. although
| that Old idea is exploded and the average
/ sTl TouIG ike 10 be healthy and strong,
! she doesa' know exactly hog to go a5outit.
| The very best thing we can do is to
! initiate men in their methods OF develop
ment Any muscle can, Of course, be de-
I veIOped. but which muscles DO we want TO
deveiop. and how shall we get { the N when
I we have discovered thet2 The two vital
/ points of wouan's figure are good neck
/ and slender waist. For the former we
/ have recommended q the methods OF tn. prize
fighter ard the oarsman, as these aze the
best specimens OF masculine muscular de-
/ development Ia that particular locality
One might expect 70 look in vain for
specimens OF small waists among men;
yet tbs would be To ignore that type Of
modest carriage and most ma sni ficen5
figure in the race the military man.
West Point cadets lose an inch around
the waist hefore they have been unGer
| military trafuin. for three months. Sol
dicrs in uniform always have the appear
ance of wearing corsets. There must be q
reason for all this what is it but the
exercises imposed?
AS a matter of fact, ali military stu
dents 20 through a series OF exercises
| sufficient to E,aEe ballroom belleOf any
| one OF themia a tweIve-iuonth And thereis
nothing TO hinder the feminine waist from
being diminished in the same way.
Here are some OF the military exer-
! ciSes which girls, who want to reduce
| tie waist without tight lacing, or who
object TO wearing corsets at all, ma y
| try TO advantage, confident that, II per-
sisted in, these are bound TO make tho
| waist longer and more slender
First, stand straig with arms at
sides and palms to the front; then raise
the Jrrns up over the top OF the head
! till the thumbs touch. and drop slowly
down again.
Second. hoIG the arms straight out
in froi.t o. you, palms down, and then
move each around gradually TO the side
| and bach, again, keeping them on the
same level.
| Third. stand with the arms stretched
as far apart as possible, making per-
feet cross with the body, and describe
! small circles with each arm using the
| shoulder SIS center.
The exercise OF slapping the backs OF
the hands together behind the back is
| good for both small waist and fun neck.
but il is so common that 1t is hardly
worth mentioning.
These are suggestions worth trying at
! ooca r-,tiIa still ar tbe simmer watering