Читать книгу Sandow on physical training: a study in the perfect type of the human form - Eugene Sandow - Страница 9

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where nature intended the human animal to find his habitat, and there to stand erect. He also wisely enjoins the use of dumb-bells of only 5 lbs. in weight, for the earnest and systematic manipulation of these, he affirms, is sufficient for the due development of all the muscles and groups of muscles appertaining, at least, to the upper part of the body; while by confining the would-be athlete to these medium-sized bells no risk of injury is run, and the average man can be kept in the perfection of health. This result will be the more assured, if the pupil-in-training will make himself intelligently acquainted with the anatomical arrangement and disposition of his muscles, and acquire some practical knowledge of physiological science. For the development of the lower limbs, Mr. Sandow has constructed and patented a simple apparatus which, he claims, is, with the light-weight dumb-bell, all that the athletic devotee needs for the vigorous up-building of his body. The mechanical contrivance referred to will be found admirable for exercising the adductor muscles of the leg. Its usefulness need hardly be pointed out, to those, at any rate, who have seen Mr. Sandow in what is familiarly called the Roman Column feat, and have observed what muscular strength he possesses in his lower limbs (though in the performance of this feat other muscles than those of the lower limbs are called more into play), which are kept in training partly by the use of this ingenious invention.

Of course, the mass of humanity, even of those who do the heaviest part of the world's work, are not likely, whatever time they can give to physical culture, to become Titans in strength. Nature is wont to be churlish when she is expected to make prodigies of us all in either physical or intellectual vigour. Yet nature is no niggard in placing at the disposal of the race, at least, the raw material out of which it may fashion both vigorous minds and healthy bodies. The trouble is that our modern methods of education, for the most part, do not lead to mutual and concerted action in the training of these dual parts of our being. The mistake is the more serious when we realize how great is the influence on the mind of a physically well-developed body. Equally important is the realization of the truth, that a strongman, well-trained, can put his strength to an incalculably greater advantage than a man of like vigour whose physical powers have not been cultivated. Even a superficial perusal of the following pages can hardly fail to attest, and, it may be, impress this lesson.

But the prime lesson for all, is to seek to raise the individual physical strength, which, unquestionably, is much lower for the race than it ought to be. By raising the physical standard in the unit, time and training will accomplish like results for the race. Nor are we without encouragement in seeking, in either unit or race, an improvement in physique; for Mr. Sandow, who is what he has made himself by following his own simple system of muscular training, is a striking illustration of the power of expansion latent in the human frame, and which in the most of us is capable of development. Physically, Mr. Sandow is, of course, of more than normal girth, as well as of exceptional strength of chest, loin and limb; but under favouring conditions of exercise and training many might attain to the same measure of physical development, while none need despair of making some gratifying approach to it. We repeat, however, that health, rather than muscular strength, should be the chief object of physical training. To most of us, engrossed in the ordinary avocations of life, and necessarily confined by the conditions of our occupations to sedentary habits, the main consideration must be the degree in which we can best perform our work, with the utmost attainable freedom from friction or bodily ailment. In Mr. Sandow's scheme of training he properly gives much