The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-15
BUSINESS men
CLASS OF FIFTY DO GYMNASIUM
WORK AT Y. NJ. c. a. DAILY.
HI. H. WATSON Is One of the LiveIiest
Members-Mr. Bass Punches the
Bag Like a Professional.
NORA LACEY, Forward.

A feature of the Y. NJ. G. A that is little
known by outsiders is the number Of bust
ness men of this city who regular at
tendants and are members of gymnastic
classes. 1t will be surprising to some to
learn that some of the members of the
classes have been actively engaged IN
gymnastic work for the past six years. A
number Of the business men Of this city
who are college graduates and who took
an active part in athletics while students
are to take advantage of the opportuni-
ties to keep in good physical condition.
Quite a number take daily exercise for the
purpose of relieving themselves of the big
nervous strain to which they are subjected
during the day.
Physical Director Fred West, in speaking
of his business mems class, which meets
each evening in the gymnasium between 3
and O'Clock, said: When 1 took charge
of this work here two years ago L was
much surprised at the large number of
business men who took an active interest
in gymnasium work, but we have a much
larger class now. A great many of the
men take the exercise each evening to de-
Velop the muscles of the stomach and to
prevent indigestion. There is not a mem
Der OF my class that is troubled with that
ailment. Some of them work as long as
fifteen minutes on the mat each day, rails
ing themselves up and then lowering them
selves to strengthen the stomach muscles.
To a new beginner this work, when first
attempted, so badly cripples him after five
minutes work that 1T takes at least a week
for the soreness to begin to leave. Those
muscles, you know, are very sensitive and
require a great deal of delicate work be-
fore they can be made strong enough 70
allow a man to work longer than FIVE min
Utes.
when a man comes into the gymnasium
he undergoes a physical examination and
all the undeVeloped parts of his body are
carefully marked down. If the breast is
low and sinking we begin by giving light
exercise that will bring out all the unde-
velOped muscles OF the shoulder and chest
Some of the men work diligently at the
strong enough in nearly all of their muscles
to take an active part ir the classes II
the chest is hollow we begin training on
that right away.
at is very pleasing to have a mems class,
as they are more anxious to work than are
the boys. When the men come into the
gymnasium they Immediately begin their
work and continue under instructions that
l give them without my constant attention
Often | take few men and give them a
short lesson and then they will play some
of the games similar to the young boys 1t
is very interesting to watch the work done
by the mems class In the one hour of the
evening that they work here they do more
real work than is done by the boys in the
two or three hours Some of the men have
become real good basketball players while
practicing after their regular gym work.
Some of them who think they have a de-
ficient lung power take long runs around
the room. the same as they would do in the
open country. After taking the run they
work at the chest and wrist weights and
get up a good sweat until about o clock,
when they take a hot bath sufficient to
into tank of cooler water for a reaction
on the pores.
lone of the liveliest men in our classes is
II. Z. WATSON. Mr.. WATSON uses the chest
weights exclusively and has developed into
g good hard worker He was a member of
and since. under my charge, | have noted
that be is one of our liveliest athletes.
Edgar Evans. of the Hoosier Milling
Company, is another OF our business men
who ranks as a fine athlete. He has been a
member of the mems class for about six
years and engages in ali-round work using
the arms. chest and shoulder weights. |
consider that Mr.. Bass is one of the best
bag punchers in the city. Every day that
he comes into the gymnasium he dons his
jersey suit and punches the bag for fifteen
minutes. He has been doing this for a
number of years, 1 am told. and not only
here does he do the work. but he also car
this way he is always in a perfect physical
condition. Mr.. Bass Is also what / con-
slider an expert on the horizontal bars.
Henry NJ. Downing, the attorney, is an
other member OF our class that is good
hard worker. Mr.. Bowling has a system OF
light dumbbel practice and chest weights.