Evening star., 1902-07-30
MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT.
The New Method is Great Improve
ment on the Old.

In this day of lightning changes of
things mundane none is more marked to
those who have become acquainted there
with than the upsetting of the old theories
as regards physical training, muscle build
ing, gymnastic work and other forms of ex-
ercise in general to increase the bodily
strength and improve the health" said
Washington athlete
Those of us who are In middle life look
back upon the days when nearly every man
had set of dumbbells or Indian clubs in
his room, which he would use vigorously
and religtously for one week and then al
religiously stop for the following sixteen
weeks. Then came the innumerable pulley
weights and elastic cords to be attached
to the door jam, the punching bag and
score of other devices, appliances and forms
OF exercise primarily intended for the bust
ness man, the office and indoor worker, but
supposed to be good for all mankind.
thousands and thousands of men, old
and young, have valiently started out to
build up their muscular system and general
health, and have gradually or suddenly
abandoned their efforts with all sorts of
excuses for their apostacy and the disrup-
ton of their good resolutions. In a ma
1ority of cases the exercise was found TO
be work which was too severe upon the
heart or system generally, and when volun-
tary exercise becomes physical labor II is
quickly abandoned.
The same has been true of exercise in
gymnasums-too violent in general effect
and too severe upon the heart or lungs.
The class of men who patronize gymna-
Sums, as a rule, have weak muscular
structure and organic conditions, and they
look to gymnastics as means to physical
recuperation. while the sturdy young man
working at his trade gets enough and often
more muscular exercise than he requires
and has no need to go to the gym to de-
velop his muscles.
While not decrying gymnastic, dumbbell
and pulley work to those who wish it, as ii
Is all right in moderation, the new and
simple theory of exercise for the acquire
ment of muscular development without
weights or appliances of any kind puts all
other forms of exercise out of business at
once and forever. 1t is not easy to explain
lucidly in few lines, but the principle is
based upon making and keeping the mus
cles tense and upon setting one set of mus
cles at work against the other.
Thus for a single exercise, with the fin
gers extended, muscles tense, the forearm is
brought up and down slowly just though
a dumbbell were clenched in the fist. The
muscles are kept tense and slight vibra-
tory or shaking motion is given to the arm,
as though a weight were being lifted. 1t is
the muscular tension which drives out the
slowly circulating blood, infuses the mus
cles with new blood and enlarges them.
Under the old system Of exercise the fist
clenched and the arms swung or
jerked out and back from the joints, ac-
complishing but little real benefit, fatiguing
the subject jarrng the body and accelerat-
ing the hearts action.
THE effect upon the muscles by this ten
sion and slow motion when the various ex-
ercises are understood Is simply terrific
and can be repeated but few times at
first, yet the heart is increased in action
but little and there are no permanent after
effects of evil. The action of the tense
muscles is SO great, in fact, that less than
a dozen movements to the novice tires him
out but it is only short time before the
general Improvement is noticeable and the
exercise is accomplished without jar ar
shake to the body or so much as the lifting
of the weight of lead pencil.
The principle of the modern methods OF
muscle building is not new in discovery,
but only in application, and 1t is essentially
scientific The old, time-honored, laborious
arm-swinging and muscle-jerking gymnas-
tics is refined elaboration of the known
results which follow physical exercise by
those whose occupations call for II. The
new method contracts and hardens the
muscles sets up a reorganization or the
tissues and a regeneration of the organic
system, producing sleep, weight, appetite
and renewed energy just as working in the
open air does, yet much quicker and with
less effort.
I'm short. in the twentieth century we
are availing ourselves of a principle known
for wears but put into practice within
recent period, and not yet generally under
stood Such is life; there is nothing new.