The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-04
Physical Director A. n. Jones Tells
How the Body May BE Built Up
Day by Day.
TRAINING FOR ENDURANCE
IT Is MORE USEFUL THAN ACQUIRE
NEWT OF MASSIVE MUSCLES.
Exercises That Are Valuable for
Building Up Wasted Tissue-Sci-
ence Growing I'm Popularity.

THAT physical culture is adding large
numbers of men and women to its ranks
every year is evident from the fact that
schools that give this training by corre-
spondence are springing up everywhere.
and from the way they last they must all
be doing a good business" said A. X.
Jones. physical director of the Young Mems
Christian Association gymnasium.
This is Mr.. Joness fifteenth year as a d.
rector, although ne is a comparatively new
man in this city. having come here last fall
from Nashville, Tenn. He graduated from
a school OF physical training in Springfield,
Mass, when he quite young man.
After that he taught in many of the larger
schools and institutions of both the East
and West, and has also written number
OF books on the subject of physical cul-
ture. During the summer vacation he
teaches both theory and practice in a school
for directors. which is located in Mont
eagle. Tenn. This position he has held for
the last five years.
Mr. Jones is very optimistic in his views
regarding this subject and he feels much
elated the fact that people are be-
coming convinced that sufficient exercise
will preserve health although he contends
that they are not strong in their con-
victions as they should be at the present
time lie holds that the reason the aver
age man will not take daily exercise is not
because Of his Incidence but because he is
not thoroughly convinced that it will be of
benefit to him. He says that the men of
this city are becoming strong adherents to
this training. and that the older men are
taking as much interest in it as the young
ones. The people that are now taking up
raj nj
Offices bending constantly over desks
where wholesome outdoor air is never
known. At the Young Mems Christian As
sociation there has been a gymnasium club
formed which has over fifty members who
for the most part are business men about
town. The club meets every Saturday
evening. and is devoted solely to physical
trainins The membership of the associa-
tie(s gymnasium has increased to such
aHfxtent that after the beginning of the
year additional assistant director will
BE- employed.
sANDOw's VISIT
Mir. Jones, continuing, said 1.-The thing
that had the most to do with promoting
physical culture was the visit of Eugene
Sandow TO this country. His coming OPEN
al people's~eyes in this direction, for he
WIS entirely different from all the strong
men that they had ever seen. They were
used 10 the that Travelled with the
circus, who was able To have large stone
broken over his chest. or who did some
more hazardous feats. Sandow, however,
they saw able to do things that required
strength. and they knew that his method
OF training had been simple in the extreme
and that In the start he had been little
stronger than the average man. Sandow
inspired people with the hope that while
they could never be as strong as he was,
that they could make themselves much bet
ter physically. Since he came to this
country people have studied physical Gull
ture much more closely than ever before,
and they study it with more interest than
at any previous time.
Where many make great mistake in
this training is that they endeavor to make
massive muscles and have their arms en-
larged to about twice the size they were
before commencing the training They also
like to have their muscles hard like that
OF a laborer. for they think to see the back
and shoulders covered with huge rolls of.
muscles gives them the appearance Of very
strong NEIL 1t is likewise the endeavor
CT this same class of people TO be able 10
lift large weights and do other feats which
were one time performed by the men in the
shows. This kind of training is entirely
foreign to that which is given i'm true phys
zeal culture. and Is by no means the en-
deavor of the man who takes physical cul-
ture for the amount of good which will
be derived from 1t. This training, while IL
develops the muscles. does not harden the
muscular tissues. for when these become
hard good circulation cannot be had. The
.-fx, Of n
nasium apparatus which requires a great
amount of strength to operate should not
be employed 1t is movement that Is want
ed rather than weight. because with it the
whole body works in harmony and the de-
velopment of each part in consistency with
the other. Take for instance the black
smith, who is always looked upon with
envy by the ordinary man because of mis-
great strength. He is always thought to
be perfect specimen of physical man
hood because of his brawny muscles. which
make his arms and chest as hard as it is
possible for flesh 10 become. Now this
man is not physically perfect as many
might imagine. for from the constant WELD
ing of heavy tools the tissues in his arms
and breast become hardened and what
might be. called overdeveloped 1t is not
are the prime object OF physical training,
because when the tissues get to that de-
gree IL is Impossible TO get good circula-
ton through them.
SHORT-LIVED STRONG MEN.
1T Is quite a noticeable fact that pro-
fessional strong men seldom live more than
half the days that allotted to men, and
at the age when others are Just entering
the prime of life these men die. People
who do not believe in physical training
often use this argument and say that this
training tends to shorten ones life. but all
reasonable persons know that this is not
true. The reason that professional strong
men die young is that they overtrain They
are generally in worse physical condition
than the men who take no exercise what
ever Their profession makes 1t necessary
20 keep themselves overtrained so that they
can perform the feats OF strength which
are required of them. People who train
\ their muscles for the purpose OF being skill
fui In Muscular feats miss the highest con