Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-01-29
THE Y. IN. c. A. SYSTEM
or
PHYSICAL CULTURE.
Copyright. 1897

| Copyright. 1881
The Young Mems Christian Associa-
| ton system is the most perfectly
thought out and best developed method
| of building up man physically that
] has ever been invented. The great aim
| OF the association is to make its men,
| bers as nearly perfect as possible on all
sides spiritual. mental aud physical.
/ The physical development feature
| aims at the all around Strengthening
of the body, especially bringing the
| weaker muscles and parts up to the
| average of the stronger if possible.
This system is directly contrary to the
one that obtains at most OF our larger
universities and the big athletic clubs,
where the athlete who is found prof.
| cient in one special line is constantly
trained to make him an expert in that
| event, his development in other ways
being thought of and considered only
so far as they will aid him in his spe>
cialty.
In the Y M. C. A. it is the man and
not the event that is considered. No
member is allowed to become a great
| hurdler or jumper, for instance, at the
| expense of the muscles of his arms or
vice versa.
The system was inaugurated in 1869
in the association in New York City
and has since been worked up to its
! high state of efficiency. One of the
members most prominently connected
with it's establishment was Secretary
McBurney, who has recently died.
| Every well known system in use
| throughout the world was considered,
and while it was found that each was
good, none was suited to the special
requirements necessary in this case.
The Swedish system is adapted partic-
ularly to that nation and while splen-
did one in many respects is too monot-
onous in an institution where men of
nearly every race are found. The Ger
| man system, too, is good one-for
the Germans-but was found wanting
in many particulars. The methods put
forward by many professional strong
men as having developed them were
analysed and pronounced good-if one
| were a strong man at the start.
And so it was with every system
that was looked into.
Finally the best points of each sys-
tenn were taken, new ideas introduced
and the whole slowly worked up into a
new method of physical development.
In an association like the Y. M. c.
| A, which contains men of many ma
| tons and characteristics, unless well
as useful it will soon be found that the
members will drop out and discontinue
| attending the classes. To avoid this
| the gymnasium work is divided into
three parts-educational, hygienic and
recreative. The first consists of set
| n rrocicn form with 6nDo H.
bells, Indian clubs and other means to
obtain control Of the muscles. The
hygienic part consists in exercising
the large groups of muscles on the
bars, buckhorse etc., while the recrea-
tive section consists of athletic games
played indoors, such as basket ball and
| handball. All the work is done in
squads to avoid monotony and give
more attention to the individual. How
| many there are who have bought
pair of dumbbells and home exerciser
intending fully to practice on them!
After a week or so the dread monotony
of it kills off all interest in most of us,
and the much vaunted apparatus is
flung into a closet and never used
again.
A member on joining the Y. M. c.
A undergoes a strict examination at
the hands of the physical director, and
chart is made of his development on
percentage basis. The work he is
then given to do is in the direction OF
building up the muscles. that are weak
as nearly as possible to the average
of the stronger ones. Function makea
structure in their belief-that work Of
an all round character if consistently
carried out will make an all round ply
steal man and that the trained body
will meet all reasonable demands made
| on it.
In trying to perfect plans for the all
round development of man the pen
| tathlon system of the ancient Greeks
was taken as the model for a new set
| of five exercises, which are known by
the same name. This pentathlon sys-
TEN, while not used so much now as
| formerly is splendid one for any ath-
lete to follow out The five events are:
| The 100 yard run, to develop speed.
The hammer throw, to develop mus
| cular strength.
The high jump for strength of legs
and springiness and judgment.
| The pole vault, for physical judgment
and strength of arms and legs.
| The mile run, for endurance.
| Before a member is allowed to spe-
cialize he must make 200 points in the
| pentathlon, at least so per cent of
| which must be made in the mile run to
| show heart power. The run also has TO
| be done inside of 5 minutes and so sec
oonds, and just after all the other
| events have been gone through. The