The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-01-15
Such is Charge of University OF
Michigan Instructor in Physi-
4 cal Training
STRENGTH OF STUDENTS
ALL IN LEGS, HE SAYS
Advocates Year in Gym@before
Athletes Are Allowed to Try
For Teams

ANN ARBoR, Mich, Jan. l3.--Dr'
la. A. May, the University OF Micnisan
rymnasium director who viii staee
Michigan's first strong man test
here next month, declares that loI
decade. the chest, shoulder anu ain
development of college students has
been yearly decreasing. he pases
his assertion on observation extending
over many years spent as uniNer-
sity gymnasium instructor, and upon
q comparison or charts made q deeauo
ago and since. He holds the present
craze for intercollegiate athletics re-
sponsible.
DIR. May asserts that the majority
of students who come to him TOT gym
llasium instruction, are very pooIs
developed about the chest anu uns,
IN comparison to the deveiopneh' %
the legs, and that 1t Is diincult 10 III
duce them to take up forms or exc
else that will correct thus lopsiueo
condition.
~The enthusiasm for intercollegiate
sports is actually weakening cohese
men" says May. "They come 10 COZ
lhge with the sole intention or making
Z team. Their previous athletic tram
hg has been connected with teams
have no fault to find with the loo.-
hall. basketball. baseball and track
teams of a university. / believe that
men who have played on coilese
team find themselves better prepared
for work after they have left schooi
than the others who haven't. BUT SO
far as their physical well-being is con-
cerned, their neither limbs are as
rule. developed far beyond their chest
and arms. and thus the competitive
sports do not tend 10 make perfect
man OF the athlete.
"To nv way OF thinking-and
have been engaged in the physician de-
yelopment OF college men for many
years--eyery student should first pre-
pare his whole body by constant APP
paratus and drill work OF the right
sort during the freshman year, ana
when proportionally muscled, give his
attention 10 the games which are used
for intercollegiate contests
The Introduction OF the strong
man test" at Michigan, is largely Tor
the purpose OF popularizing gymna-
SUM work at the state university and
emphasizing the necessity or all
around development for powerful
men. The test is the same that IS
used in many other American col
leges, and success in IL depends
largely upon chest and arm strength.
Al candidate. TO have any show what ,
ever to equal the intercollegiate rec
ord, now held by Ross, OF Yale, must
be able to chin himself at least 25
or 80 times. Ross, whose record total
is $500 points, secured LOO points
from his ability to repeatedly dip and
chin himself without pauses.
DR.. May already has number OF
Wolverine huskies trying out their
prowess. and one OF his candidates has
scored within 500 points of the record.
Incidentally, all those 500 points were
lost In the Ginning stunt, corroborat
ing Mays assertions about the lack
OF all-around development among the
Michigan athletes. Among the stu
dents who are expected to make a
strong bid for strong man honors is
George Brown, OF Detroit Central foot
ball fame
This VIII be the first time that the
test has been given at Michigan. but
not the first time that May has engi-
neered one. He trained the first rec
ord-holder, Carter, OF the University
OF Chicago. II IL interesting to note
that this same Carter, when boy,
was something OF a weakling. and at
his fathers request, a special course
in physical training was prescribed
for him.
DR.. May expects to make the test
an annual affair.