The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-12-16
DR.. SARGENT SEEKS
AN IDEAL ATHLETE
Christensen, of Harvard, Is
First in His Favor.
is OF OLD GREEK MODEL
OF Insignificant Physical Development,
He Holds the Worlds Strength
Record.

CAMBRIDGE. Mass. Dec. 16.-To be
able for half an hour to do the work
of a half horsepower engine and yet
It the same time to have what appears
TO be a most insignificant physical de-
velopment is the unique claim 10 dis
tinction of Arthur o. Christensen, of
Harvard. who last week broke all exist
ing strength records at the Crimson uni
versity by lifting in half an hour a
total of sS4. O25.S foot-pounds.
Christensen is a slight, immature
locking young fellow. who stands five
feet nine inches in height and weighs
barely one hundred and fifty pounds.
His muscles are long, rather than bulky
or knotted. and there is nothing par
ticularly cordy in his appearance. His
chest shoulder. waist. and abdominal
development is. apparently, far below
the average: his breast muscles are not
in the least conspicuous and his arms
are slight.
Of Most Perfect Type.
Yet DR.. Sargent. who is undoubtedly
the best physical authority in the coun-
try. pronounces him the most perfect
type of athlete that he has yet found.
a type which he has been looking for
in vain for many years.
DR. Sargent believes that a strong
man should possess other things than
huge punches of muscles which serve
only a brute end. He believes he must
have other things aside from sheer
strength-that he must have endurance,
grace. beauty, nervous energy, vitality
and an animus which rules and per-
vades the whole. Such an athlete is
the antithesis of men like Sandow. who
have little more than punches OF muscle
10 indicate mere strength. and ap-
proaches the type of the Apollo Belvi-
dere-long. 1.-THE and supple. yet the
embodiment OF strength.
Dr. Sargent does not claim to have
found such man in Christensen. H,
only says that the young sophomor,
comes nearer tnat type than any Har
ward man whom he has yet examined.
Christensen's Wonderful Feat.
Christensens feat he claims. was
wonderful exhibition. both of strength
and endurance. There We're other ele
ments than mere muscle in the test. an,
this is just what DR.. Sargent wants. Il
a word. what he is striving after is al
approach to the old Greek type o
strength and beauty. His model is no
the modern variety-show strong man
but the marble cast eXhumed from som
ancient ruin OF antiquity. His interest
ing little Office in the Hemenway gym
nasium is filed with portraits and cast
~ Of this description. and they serve hir
as a constant reminder Of his aim.
Christensen. the nearest approach I
this ideal. attributes his success TO die
largely vegetarian. although. as rule
he modestly refuses to say anythin
about himself. Last year. when Foste
broke the strength record, Christense
was second man. but determined that h
might as well be first as second. so h
began TO work in his room in the even
ing. at first exercising for only five mir
utes. but gradually increasing tn
amount of work until he could stand a
enormous strain. .
In his test last week Christensen jumI
ed from one event to the other witt
out taking a minutes rest. II was b
this speed alone that he bettered Eos
ter's record by more than 30, 900 foo
pounds. for Foster weighed thirty-fou
pounds more than he did and had
physical development which was the r,
suit of years Of training on the foo
ball team. on the track and on the va
sity crew