How To Excel at Athletics

HOW TO EXCEL
AT GAMES
AND ATHLETICS
by
MONTE SALDO
This book is dedicated to my brother, ra!k H" Woo##asto!,
Member o$ The %oya# I!stit&te o$ '&b#ic Hea#th ( Hy)ie!e,
a )ra!d s*ortsma!, +orki!) amo!) s*ortsme! $or the
betterme!t o$ the race"
The name Monte Saldo is the nom de theatre of A. M. Woollaston.
He has spent his life in the Physical Culture profession, was
apprenticed to the late Eugen Sandow in the year !"#, and studied
Physical Economy in $resden under %iessel himself. He is of pure
&ritish Ancestry, and was 'orn in Highgate, (ondon, in !#",
where many of his ancestors li)ed. *ne of them +Sir ,ohn
Woollaston- 'e.ueathed his goodness to posterity, 'y an endowment
in perpetuity of the almshouses in Southwood (ane, Highgate, (ondon.
DISCLAIME%
The e/ercises and ad)ice contained within this 'oo0 is for educational
and entertainment purposes only. The e/ercises descri'ed may 'e too
strenuous or dangerous for some people, and the reader should consult
with a physician 'efore engaging in any of them. The author and
pu'lisher of this 'oo0 are not responsi'le in any manner whatsoe)er for
any in1ury, which may occur through the use or misuse of the
information presented here.
How to E/cel at 2ames 3 Athletics originally pu'lished in "4#
Modern 5eprint Edition
Copyright 6 784 'y Strongman&oo0s.com
All 5ights 5eser)ed.
9o part of this course may 'e reproduced or transmitted in any form or
'y any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or 'y any information storage and retrie)al system, without
permission in writing from the pu'lisher.
Manufactured in the :nited States of America
MAXALDING,S OE% TO THE GO-E%NMENT
Since the inception of Ma/alding in the year "8", ; ha)e
continually offered to pro)e 'efore any tri'unal of Medical Men that
Ma/alding is a perfect method for
esta'lishing and maintaining
mental and physical health and full
natural growth and physical
de)elopment. My son, whose
recent photograph appears
herewith, goes further and offers to
place himself under continuous
medical super)ision for three
months, to pro)e that he uses no
artificial foods, apparatus or
medicines of any 0ind. He
guarantees to maintain a condition
of perfect physical fitness during
that period on two simple meals
daily, while continuing his usual
clerical wor0. He will, if necessary
for the e/periment, increase all his
present measurements with the
e/ception of the waist. This is
offered in the pu'lic interest, for then the &ritish 9ation will 0now the
truth< and, if desired, my son and ; will gi)e our ser)ices to the 9ation.
;n the meantime, those wishing to 0now more of Ma/alding are
in)ited to write for a copy of an e/planatory treatise, 9AT:5E=S WA>
T* HEA(TH.
All functional disorders can 'e remedied 'y Ma/alding +not
diseases-.
;f en.uirers include details of their present condition, desires in
the way of impro)ement in health, physical 'etterment, and their
wishes for impro)ement in any sport, ; will include a personal letter of
ad)ice.
9ame, Address, Age and *ccupation should 'e included. 9o
o'ligation would 'e in)ol)ed. Write in confidence to A. M. Saldo,
$ept. A, ?, Cursitor Street, (ondon, E.C. ?.
COURTLANDT SALDO
CONTENTS
@*5EW*5$ .
SC;E9T;@;C PH>S;CA( C:(T:5E THE @*:9$AT;*9 *@ C*9S;STE9T
S:CCESS ;9 SP*5T
//
*9 THE SE(ECT;*9 *@ A S:;TA&(E SP*5T @*5 THE ;9$;A;$:A( /0
&5EATH;92 /1
SPEE$ 02
E9$:5A9CE 30
STA9CE 31
&ATH;92 45
MASSA2E 44
M:SC(EBT*9;92 4.
S;MP(E $;ETET;CS ;9 5E(AT;*9 T* SP*5TS 63
H*W T* A55;AE AT A C*9TEST ;9 PE5@ECT C*9$;T;*9 10
5:99;92 11
,:MP;92 74
&*C;92 77
2*(@ 21
W5EST(;92 .5
C>C(;92 .6
A'o)e is a reproduction of a diploma awarded to the author 'y the
&5;T;SH P5*@ESS;*9A( WE;2HTB(;@TE5S ASS*C;AT;*9 for
'rea0ing the World=s 5ecord in the style 0nown as the D5ight Hand
SwingE. This was the first instance in which a weight in e/cess of the
lifter=s 'odyBweight had 'een ele)ated in this style. The feat is referred
to in the chapter of WeightB(ifting.
O%EWO%D
The main o'1ect of this wor0 is to ena'le the sportsman or
sportswoman to 'ring the physi.ue and condition to a state calculated
to secure the ma/imum results in the chosen sport.
The ethics of sport can hardly 'e dealt with in this 'oo0, 'ut a
few words on this phase might not 'e entirely out of place.
Most healthy humans e/ult in the performance of great athletic
feats, either as participants themsel)es, as followers and supporters of
other athletes, or 'oth. >et rarely do we see performers getting the 'est
out of their physical endowments, and rarer still do we see perfection in
physical de)elopment and condition. Although of necessity ; shall refer
to specific sports from time to time, and gi)e hints and e)en directions
in connection with the muscular mo)ements in certain sports, these are
intended to augment and further the good wor0 of those teachers and
trainers whose 0nowledge technically is greater than mine, and not to
usurp their office.
;t has so often 'een pro)ed that good training has ena'led
athletes to impro)e on their a)erage performance, while 'ad training
has caused retrogression.
S:CCESS@:( T5A;9;92 HAS @;AE $E@;9;TE PHASES
THAT A5EF G
. The perfect de)elopment and conditioning of the physi.ue for a
particular sport.
7. A practical 0nowledge of muscleBcontrol to ensure the full assistance
of all essential muscles, and the complete rela/ation of all muscles that
are antagonistic to the desired mo)ement.
4. A thorough and mechanical mastery of all points of techni.ue of the
particular sport.
?. The correct period of rest 'efore contest, to suit the sport and the
idiosyncrasies of the performer.
H. ;ntelligent handling of the contestant on the day of contest.
We ha)e all 'een disgusted witnesses of 'ad and careless
handling of contestants 'y their supporters. ;t seems to 'e the correct
procedure for an athlete to tire himself out 'y wandering a'out for
hours on end 'efore a contest, or to stand a'out shi)ering long 'efore
the e)ent is due to 'egin. These and other rele)ant aspects of the
su'1ect will 'e dealt with and analysed, and it is confidently 'elie)ed
that this 'oo0 will 'e the means of assisting enthusiastic sportsmen and
sportswomen to get 'etter results from their efforts.
Persons of e/ceptional talents are cordially in)ited to write me
personally regarding any specific information they may re.uire, that
would help them to achie)e distinction in any sport or to get 'etter
results from their training. Similarly, news of any impro)ements made
would 'e welcome, or information on successes achie)ed through the
0nowledge gained from this 'oo0, for ; am, as e)er, always an/ious to
encourage talent 'y some suita'le form of memento and award when
such is considered to ha)e 'een earned.
H * W T * E C C E ( AT 2 A ME S 3 AT H ( E T ; C S
MAXALDING 8EWEL AWA%DS
@or many years Ma/alding has 'een presenting )alua'le awards
to pupils for e/cellence of de)elopment and control o)er the muscular
system. @or a long time past 1ewels ha)e 'een presented monthly, and
this encouragement is 'eing continued indefinitely. *ne 1ewel is of
solid gold, one is of solid sil)er with the monogram in gold and others
are of solid sil)er. The monograms are enamelled in red and 'lue. The
weight of each is guaranteed to 'e one ounce troy and they are the
@;9EST AWA5$S ;9 THE P. C. W*5($. Contestants ha)e only to
send in a good photograph showing the de)elopment gained from
Ma/alding. Classical poses, muscleBcontrol poses or original poses are
all accepta'le. Those not succeeding in one month will 'e entered in
su'se.uent months and so on. The illustration shows the act&a# si9e o$
the :e+e#.
SCIENTIIC 'H;SICAL C<LT<%E
THE O<NDATION O CONSISTENT S<CCESS
IN S'O%T
Scientific physical culture must 'e incorporated in the )ery life
of the successful athlete. Months of careless and irregular li)ing cannot
'e counteracted in a few days or e)en wee0s of training. And in the
.uestion of muscleB'uilding the process is so gradual that the indi)idual
who really intends to e/cel at sports must li)e in real accord with
9ature. >ou cannot cheat 9ature. Admittedly, ci)iliIation as li)ed 'y
a)erage indi)iduals is a real tra)esty on 9ature, and a constant cause
of wonder to the real thin0ers. >et the ad)antages of ci)iliIation so
outweigh its disad)antages that those of us who are a'le to steer a
straight path and re1ect e)erything that is artificial in the way of li)ing
or food must undou'tedly attain a 'etter mental and physical standard
than those who lea)e their health and physi.ues to loo0 after
themsel)es, so to spea0.
Assuming that the sport has 'een decided on, the daily life and
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training should 'e arranged in a manner calculated to de)elop the
physi.ue to a fa)oura'le standard, and condition the muscular system
in accordance with the demands of the sport. These demands may 'e
classified as ST5E92TH, SPEE$ and STAM;9A in )arying
proportions.
To gi)e simple e/amples, strength and speed are necessary to
the sprinter. (ess strength, 'ut more stamina, for the distance runner,
with speed as the 'ac0'one.
@or the actual 'uilding of muscular tissue and 'one, diet is of
the first importance. Muscular tissue and 'one of superlati)e .uality
cannot 'e 'uilt up on deficiency foods. The su'1ect of simple dietetics
is dealt with in another chapter. Se)eral specific sports will also 'e
dealt with in reasona'le detail with the o'1ect of ena'ling the reader to
decide on a suita'le sport< to 0now how to train the 'ody to o'tain the
'est results in that sport< and to esta'lish in what proportion the three
essentials of ST5E92TH, SPEE$ and STAM;9A is demanded.
&riefly, ; want to help the undecided to select a sport for which they are
physically talented, and ena'le him or her to attain distinction or at
least much 'enefit and satisfaction.
ON THE SELECTION O A S<ITA=LE S'O%T
O% THE INDI-ID<AL
There are numerous instances of persons 'ecoming champions
and esta'lishing records, although possessing unsuita'le 'uilds for the
particular sports. These are instances where the training and talents
were superBnormal. Had these same athletes possessed more fa)oura'le
physical attri'utes in respect to their chosen sport, they would ha)e
pro)ed more formida'le still. When we get a com'ination of a
fa)oura'le 'uild for a special sport, directed 'y a good 'rain, the superB
athlete can 'e produced, pro)iding the training is worthy of the
material.
;n these days of 0een international ri)alry it is imperati)e that
we waste no talent 'y training athletes in sports at which their 'uild
would 'e o')iously disad)antageous.
8
What Co!stit&tes a a>o&rab#e =&i#d $or a 'artic&#ar S*ort?
We must now consider 'roadly what can 'e considered a
fa)oura'le 'uild for any particular sport. A consideration of the
physical re.uirements for any particular sport will re)eal the fact that
no sport is definite as a means of physical de)elopment. ;n affirmation
of this statement, let us consider swimming, which is pro'a'ly the most
definite of all sports in its demands on human mo)ement. A )isit to any
swimming pool will show 1ust as great a di)ersity in the physical
de)elopment of the ha'ituJs as there is 'etween longBdistance runners
and 5ugger players. Constant o'ser)ation has shown that, while many
persons ha)e gained an en)ia'le condition of health through
swimming, many others ha)e suffered illBhealth through it. ; am not
attempting to de)elop an argument on any phase of this sport, and ; do
not want my o'1ect to 'e misunderstood. What ; wish to emphasiIe is
the fact that e)en such a definite form of e/ercise as that o'tained in
allBround and scientific swimming does not create a definite effect on
the physi.ue. ;n 'rief, e)en this splendid form of e/ercise does not
ensure perfect allBround physical de)elopment in all its de)otees.
:sually, howe)er, it will 'e found that champions at this sport are of
similar type of physi.ue, and 'eautiful as to physical symmetry and
de)elopment. This leads us to 'elie)e that the natural 'uild of the
potential swimming champions is of a definite type, and that champions
at this sport ha)e 'uilds that support their talents. As in nearly all other
sports, there are e/ceptions that pro)e the rule. &ut this does not
discount the thesis that the 'uild should 'e fa)oura'le and the 'ody
de)eloped in a suita'le manner for a special sport, as well as a
muscular condition and control esta'lished, that will 'ring the 'est
results.
As a contrast in physical re.uirements, ; would refer to the great
suppleness and control essential for tennis and the semiBhardness for
the less popular weightBlifting.
E)ery indi)idual possesses some peculiar idiosyncrasies that
defy human calculation or understanding. This, as we ha)e seen, is 1ust
as true in regard to 'uild and physi.ue as in constitution and mentality.
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The Three Mai! H&ma! =&i#ds
(et us consider for a moment the three )ery o')ious human
types from the s0eletal and physical standpoints.
These are the artistic, the heroic and the Herculean types. Those
of the artistic 'uild ha)e small 'ones and generally small frames in
proportion to their height, while those of the heroic 'uild ha)e a)erage
'ones and frames in proportion to height. The Herculean type ha)e
large 'ones and 'ig and hea)y frames in proportion to height.
There are many D'etween typesE, as well as the giants and
dwarfs, 'ut these e/tremes need not recei)e our special attention, as the
same principles as to 'uild in proportion to height should apply. We
also ha)e the e/ceptions shown in the persons possessed of the large
thora/ and wide pel)is or the large thora/ and narrow pel)is, as well as
the narrow thora/ with wide hips and so on. All or any of these types
may possess large or small 'ones. While these 'uilds are mainly
hereditary, some of them may 'e influenced 'y the manner of li)ing
during the growing years.
We ha)e 'efore us daily the claims of the charlatans who
promise to 'ring all and sundry to Herculean proportions in a matter of
days. Some of these gentlemen do not e)en li)e in this country, while
others ha)e not e)en shown themsel)es. 9or ha)e we seen any of the
many thousands of giants that they claim to ha)e produced. The fact is
that 9ature wor0s slowly, 'ut once the full growth of the 'ody has 'een
reached and maturity is gained, no apprecia'le increase in the 'ony
structure of the 'ody can 'e accomplished.
&ut if the youth is trained to li)e in the way that 9ature
intended, and a 0nowledge of muscle control and the essentials of
training and techni.ue for his chosen sport are added, it is possi'le to
influence his growth and 'uild, in a most remar0a'le way. ; thin0 ;
ha)e some )ery definite e)idence in this connection. My own father
was small and 'ut H ft. 7 ins. in height. ; reached H ft. ins. as a youth,
and remained at this height for some years, 'ut when ; learnt more of
scientific training and ga)e up forcing the 'ody to perform hea)y feats
7
of strength, ; reached H ft. K ins. &ut my son has reached K ft. in height,
and his photograph pro)es that the light or artistic 'uild can 'e
de)eloped to a )ery e/cellent form and muscularity, in spite of heredity.
&ut although the 'oneB'uild of the adult cannot 'e increased
apprecia'ly, his e/isting 'uild can 'e influenced fa)oura'ly in regard to
muscular de)elopment, poise, suppleness and control. The reader may
feel that ; am unnecessarily stressing the o')ious, 'ut as ; ha)e 'een in
direct contact with athletes and wouldB'e athletes of all 0inds all my
life. ; happen to 0now that the a'o)e )iewpoint is held 'y only a
minority. Were the 0nowledge of the true state of matters general, there
would 'e a far higher allBround standard of physical de)elopment and
athletic a'ility.
Metaphor is often 'oring, 'ut has its uses 'y analogy in ma0ing
some persons see what otherwise seems 'eyond their comprehension.
So ; may 'e pardoned for as0ing whether any'ody 'elie)es that a
trainer of horses can change a shireBhorse into a successful racehorse.
The answer 'eing o')ious, there is, ; hope, a )ery potent argument on
the desira'ility of adopting a sport to suit the 'uild of the indi)idual, if
firstBclass form is the desideratum.
While it must 'e admitted that 'oneBlength has a 'earing on the
.uestion of the most fa)oura'le physi.ue for a particular sport +such as
long arms for the 'o/er and short arms for the weightBlifter-, we can
ta0e a general )iew of the matter and classify the more popular sports
according to types of 'uild in the following manner. Artistic buildF
Tennis, longBdistance running and wal0ing. Artistic to HeroicF MiddleB
distance running, cycling, hurdling, pole )aulting, and the high 1ump
and long 1ump. HeroicF Sprinting, rowing, swimming, 'o/ing, 1a)elin
and discus throwing. Heroic to HerculeanF Wrestling, weightBputting
and hammer throwing. HerculeanF TugBofBwar, ca'erBtossing and
weightBlifting.
;n team games the position that is to 'e filled on the field must
decide the most fa)oura'le 'uild. The 'est forwards at hoc0ey and
Soccer are usually 'etween the artistic and heroic 'uilds, while the 'est
fullB'ac0s are 'etween the heroic and Herculean 'uilds. A good team
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coach can soon decide in which position a particular type of player is
most suited, 1ust as the e/perienced athletic trainer can tell the type of
physi.ue most suited to any 'ranch of sport.
HEALTH IS THE MASTE% O LIE
Health is the Master of Life was a slogan used 'y $r.
Macpherson (aurie in his magnificent 'roadcast on ,une 7!
th
in the last
of the D9ational HealthE series. He spo0e fearlessly, pro)ing to all
thin0ing persons that the esta'lishment and maintenance of health
depend on the use of natural food and natural e/ercise, a**#ied to the
!eeds o$ the i!di>id&a#.
=%EATHING
;n spite of a good deal of contro)ersy 'etween ad)ocates of
different forms of 'reathing, all intelligent persons 0now that there is
only one normally correct form of 'reathing, and that is fulltidal
breathin!. There is the specialiIed antirh"thmic breathin! for running
and other strenuous forms of physical acti)ity, which will 'e e/plained
and descri'ed presently. Holding of the 'reath is also necessary during
certain physical efforts, and a form of 'reathing wherein sudden
inhalations are ta0en #ia the mouth is necessary in certain swimming
stro0es. &ut the correct form of 'reathing for ordinary occasions is fullB
tidal 'reathing, and so that there will 'e no dou't in the mind of the
reader, ; will go fully into the su'1ect as far as a layman is a'le to do so,
and then you can con)ince yourself 'y actual test that my ad)ice is
sound, technically accurate, and free of all pre1udice and 'ias. They are
appro/imately as follows. The lungs are normally in a semiBdistended
state in the airBtight thora/, the ca)ity of which they, together with the
heart and other organs, completely fill. &y the contraction of certain
muscles the capacity of the thora/ is enlarged, and this causes the air to
enter the lungs )ia the windpipe. This constitutes inspiration. :pon the
rela/ation of these same muscles and 'y the elasticity of certain
?
muscles of the chest walls, aided 'y the contraction of certain +possi'ly
in)oluntary- muscles, the thora/ resumes its original siIe, and thus the
air is e/pelled from the lungs. This constitutes e/piration. ;n normal
'reathing the thora/ ne)er reaches its ma/imum e/pansion or
contraction, 'ut in la'oured respiration 'ought on 'y e/ertion, or
controlled respiration 'rought a'out 'y a )oluntarily increased
contraction of the respiratory muscles and pulling down of the
diaphragm, ma/imum inspiration can 'e attained, while a re)ersal of
the process esta'lishes ma/imum e/piration.
The raising of the chest 'y the ele)ation of the ri's is a more
comple/ matter than the descent of the diaphragm, and is achie)ed
principally through the medium of the e/ternal intercostal +'etween
ri'- muscles and the serratus ma!nus muscle. The former enlarge the
spaces 'etween the ri's, and the latter G as it passes from the shoulder
'lade to the middle of the first eight or nine ri's, raises the ri's when
the shoulders are fi/ed, and is therefore the most important muscle of
inspiration. Here ; must digress for a moment to point out that the usual
'elief that )ery supple and slim persons ha)e the 'est 'reathing
capacity is fallacious. ;t is such people that are usually physically wea0
and )ictims to pulmonary trou'les. The 'etter the 'ul0 and
de)elopment of the respiratory muscles, the greater will the ri'B
separation 'e when the impulse of inspiration is acti)e. So while
suppleness is an essential to fullBtidal 'reathing, it is not the only
essential, and those desirous of gaining superlati)e endurance should
master the control e/ercises of full shoulderB'lade e/pansion, and those
e/ercises that isolate and de)elop the serratus ma!nus muscle, as an
indispensa'le foundation.
We are told that when the newB'orn infant ta0es its first 'reath it
inspires an appro/imation of one hundred cu'ic inches of air. This is
0nown as the residual capacity, although constantly changed during
respiration, the lungs can ne)er 'e emptied of air during life.
&reathing is an in)oluntary function, continuing as it does
throughout sleep and coma, 'ut )oluntary acceleration and increased
capacity can 'e made with 'enefit to the health and a great sa)ing of
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wor0 to the heart under strenuous acti)ity, as you will 'e a'le to pro)e
to your own satisfaction if not already con)inced of the fact.
&efore dealing with 'reath control it may 'e necessary once
more to e/pose the two main fallacies that seem to 'e trolled out on
e)ery possi'le occasion 'y selfBstyled physical training e/perts, who
always seem to 'e a'le to get limitless space in the Press. The first is
the ridiculous ad)ice to inhale through the nose and e/hale through the
mouth. These soBcalled e/perts want us to go a'out loo0ing li0e fish. ;f
this were the natural method of 'reathing we would see 'a'ies opening
and closing their mouths e)ery few seconds. E/cept under stress,
respiration should 'e completely nasal. :nder the stress of great
physical e/ertion some persons find themsel)es una'le to inspire
sufficient air through the nose, and then only is there a proper reason
for mouth 'reathing. Mouth 'reathing is often used 'y runners for this
reason, and not 'ecause it is the correct way to 'reathe.
The other fallacy is that we should 'reathe Da'dominallyE. 9ot
one, 'ut may writers who ought to 0now 'etter state that thoracic
'reathing is wrong, and that a'dominal 'reathing is the natural method.
$o they thin0 that the lungs reside in the a'dominal ca)ityL They e)en
try to con)ince us that a greater tidal capacity is gained 'y this soB
called a'dominal 'reathing. ; suggest that some of these gentlemen, all
of whom seem to show a 'ulge where the waistBline should 'e,
ad)ocate this distension of the a'dominal wall at the completion of
inspiration as an e/cuse for their own unfitness.
@irst let us consider the effect on the a'dominal organs 'y this
downward pressure. The organs are displaced downwards some twenty
times each minute, and an actual condition of enteroptosis is created.
&ut e)en if we ignore the danger of this form of 'reathing, and come to
the .uestion of tidal capacity, we find that this form of 'reathing
inhi'its full inspiration. >ou can pro)e it for yourself in this way. Meep
the chest flat and fi/ed as ad)ised 'y ad)ocates if the soBcalled
a'dominal 'reathing, and inspire the 'reath until you can get no more
air into the lungs. >ou will find that the a'dominal wall will cur)e
outwards in a greater or lesser degree, according to your physical
K
condition. Then, after full inspiration has 'een accomplished in this
definitely 'ad position, lift the chest and continue the inspiration until
you ha)e again completed the inspiration.
>ou will then find that two things ha)e defeated the argument of
the a'dominal 'reathers. The first is that you can ta0e in a greater
)olume of air, and the second is that the a'dominal distension has
practically disappeared. >ou will further find that if the thora/ is fully
e/panded, and you ha)e ta0en in your limit of air, the a'domen will not
distend apprecia'ly. This pro)es definitely that the soBcalled a'dominal
'reathing is completely useless, and any person capa'le of
understanding the effect of downward pressure on the a'dominal
organs will understand also that 9ature would hardly enforce a
displacement of the internal organs under the natural e/ertion of
running, with the necessity of an increased supply of air. $id you e)er
see a racehorse or greyhound 'ulging li0e a 'alloon when racingL The
Da'dominalE 'reathing and other ageBold fallacies ha)e to 'e
contradicted and fought all the time, 'ecause for some unfathoma'le
reason, the more o')iously foolish such fallacies are, the more honour
they seem to 'ring to their supporters. >ou can now pro)e otherwise
and so help in the fight against a dangerous and outBofBdate
superstition. ;t is 'est not to waste time arguing a'out it, 'ut to pro)e 'y
practical demonstration that you are right. ;f the danger were only
confined to athleticism, that would 'e .uite so 'ad, 'ut the forced
inhi'ition of chest 'reathing is a potent cause of tu'erculosis and
suscepti'ility to pneumonia, for the fi/ed thora/ pre)ents a proper
clearance of the lungs.
Ho+ to <se &##@Tida# =reathi!)"
. ;9SP;5AT;*9 G Allow the impulse of inspiration to ha)e its way as
long as possi'le. Allow the ri's to e/pand in all directions and not
merely forward or upward, 'ut allow the chest to rise 1ust as much as it
will as well. Adopt any position that allows more air to enter the lungs,
e)en to the raising of the shoulders slightly. $o not inhi'it any slight
e/pansion of the a'dominal wall after the thora/ has gained full
e/pansion. Although in a fit person the a'dominal e/pansion will 'e
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almost negligi'le, the diaphragm does e/ert a slight downward pressure
on the a'dominal )iscera. ;f the a'dominal wall is contracted, it is
possi'le that the inspiration might 'e slightly reduced, and in any
strenuous acti)ity e)ery cu'ic inch of air is of )alue. All athletics
contestants must 'e sure that their costumes do not restrict the
'reathing or cause any pressure a'o)e the na)el. ;t is not e)en
sufficient for a 'o/er that his second ta0es the strain off the elastic 'and
of his shorts only during the rest 'etween rounds. A 'o/er should 'e
free of any such pressure throughout a contest. This may seem to la'our
an unnecessary point in )iew of my condemnation of the soBcalled
a'dominal 'reathing, 'ut ; would point out that a tired performer is not
li0ely to get proper thoracic mo)ement while collapsed in a chair or on
a stool, and the inhi'ition of the slight a'dominal mo)ement would,
under the circumstances, 'e inad)isa'le. We must realiIe, too, that a fit
man in fighting form has refined and wellBtoned a'dominal organs and
a correctly conditioned a'dominal wall. This would ensure no harm
accruing from the slight and temporary pressure that would 'e e/erted
on healthy a'dominal organs under such conditions. Similar conditions
apply to the runner or the follower of any sport that in)ol)es the 0ind of
e/ertion demanding generous 'loodBo/ygenation.
7. ECP;5AT;*9 G At the completion of the full potential inspiration
allow the air to escape as easily as possi'le 'y allowing the chest to
collapse and the a'domen to depress. Thus you will reduce the residual
capacity and increase the tidal capacity, and in so doing eliminate
poisons more speedily from the 'lood, and correspondingly increase
potential 'loodBo/ygenation during the inspiration that follows. The
e/piration must 'e carried out smoothly and rhythmically, and not as a
series of e/ercises as this dissection might cause one to 'elie)e. ;t
might 'e well at this 1uncture to remind the reader of the important fact
that if respiration can 'e increased to correspond to the re.uirements of
the physical effort, fatigue will 'e delayed and he heart will not 'e
o)erwor0ed. So the runner especially is ad)ised to use fullBtidal
'reathing )oluntarily, and e)en antiBrhythmic 'reathing, which will
now 'e descri'ed.
A!ti@%hythmic =reathi!)
!
This method of 'reathing can 'e used effecti)ely and
mechanically during all running e/cept the short sprint, and it can 'e
used on the sports field during any game, and especially during those
moments when one is out of play, as fre.uently occurs during Soccer,
5ugger, hoc0ey and so on. (et me gi)e you a preliminary warning at
this point. The old doddering dieBhards will recoil with horror at
anything so irre)erent in sports as a new method of 'reathing. Which
reminds me of one critic of running, who, on hearing the term DantiB
rhythmic 'reathingE, condemned it instantly as a DdotBandBdashE
'reathing, and in the same article stated that a contestant in the 88
yards sprint should hold the 'reath for e/actly K8 yards. Why e/actly
si/ty yards was not e/plained, 'ut of this anon. (et me say here that
certain champion runners are using this method, and if "ou use it you
will pro)e for yourself what an aid it is to endurance, and the
pre)ention of legBweariness, heart palpitation and general distress. ;t is
not a normal means of 'reathing, 'ut it is natural in so far as the
intelligent athlete can use the )oluntary powers with which 9ature has
endowed him to com'at fatigue and distress.
;s it natural for the 'reath to 'e held during sprintingL ; thin0 it
is, for reasons that e)ery sprinter pro)es for himself, and which will 'e
e/plained later in this 'oo0.
9ow let us study the effect of rhythmic 'reathing, with the
o'1ect of showing the reason for antiBrhythmic 'reathing. When the
respiration is rhythmic, identical periods are occupied in the inspiration
and e/piration of 'reath. ;t follows therefore, that it ta0es as long for
the poisons to 'e e/pelled from the lungs as for the clean air to enter.
The o'1ect of antiBrhythmic respiration is to shorten the period of
e/piration and thus allow more time for the periods of inspiration.
Conse.uently it must 'e o')ious that a speedier e/pulsion of the used
air creates a dual ad)antage. The first ad)antage is that poisons must 'e
more speedily eliminated, thus delaying tissueBcongestion, and
apprecia'ly postponing fatigue. The second ad)antage is that a longer
period of inspiration of air, in relation to e/piration, will permit of a
greater supply of o/ygen to the 'lood.
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(et us assume that the rhythmic respiration of a runner was
proceeding at the rate of one inspiration during si/ strides and one
e/piration during si/ strides. This would mean that in a series of eight
hundred strides he would 'e inspiring during four hundred strides and
e/piring 'reath during four hundred strides. &ut if this runner were to
reduce the period of each e/piration to two strides, 'ut continue the
period of inspiration o)er si/ strides, in a distance of eight hundred
strides he would 'e inspiring the 'reath during si/ hundred and
e/piring the 'reath during only two hundred strides. The runner has not
increased the actual period of each inspiration, 'ut has decreased the
period of e/piration 'y twoBthirds. And o)er the same distance he
would 'e ta0ing in a far more o/ygen than would 'e possi'le 'y the
usual rhythmic method of 'reathing. ; am not su'mitting this method of
'reathing apologetically, 'ut 'ecause it has 'een thoroughly tested and
found efficacious. >ou can test it for yourself. 2i)e it a fair trial 'y
ta0ing a proper timing o)er a definite distance. Try the distance with
the usual rhythmic 'reathing, and after a proper rest, time yourself
again, 'ut with antiBrhythmic 'reathing this time. >ou will find that you
will do 'etter ne/t time, or, alternati)ely, the same time can 'e
accomplished as pre)iously, 'ut with less legBweariness or distress. &ut
you cannot ma0e a fair test until you ha)e studied antiBrhythmic
'reathing and practised it until it 'ecomes mechanical.
Ho+ to St&dy A!ti@%hythmic =reathi!)"
This is a science that is not easy to master to a degree that
admits of mechanical performance during running. &ut it must 'e
thoroughly mastered if it is to pro)ide its full ad)antages. ;t should
'ecome mechanical, for running has other details for conscious
consideration during a race, and unless concentration is maintained on
the e/ecution of the correct stride and action, one cannot e/pect to run
one=s 'est race. Therefore steady and persistent application should 'e
applied to this method of 'reathing until it 'ecomes mechanical during
running.
@irst 1ust try a gentle trot, inspiring during si/ easy strides, or
until the full inspiration has 'een gained without discomfort. +; use the
78
term Dwithout discomfortE ad)isedly, for under e/ertion a really
powerful inspiration would slightly inhi'it the heart=s action.- Then, as
soon as the full inspiration has 'een achie)ed, suddenly 'ut .uite easily,
collapse the chest walls and e/pel the 'reath as completely and as
.uic0ly as possi'le. Then immediately start the inspiration again.
$ifferent runners ha)e different reactions to this, for while most find
the ratio of si/ strides for inspiration against two strides for e/piration
comforta'le, others prefer to wor0 si/ against three, or e)en si/ against
four. *ne great sprinter, who is also a good halfBmiler, uses this method
in most of his distances, for e)en when he has to hold the 'reath for a
certain distance in the sprints, he 'elie)es in getting his ne/t 'reath in
as .uic0ly as possi'le, and this suits the strenuous action of the sprint.
;n the half mile he ta0es the air in easily and steadily as it were, 'ut
throws it out suddenly as though trying to empty the whole of the
lungs.
So here you ha)e the scheme to wor0 out in your own way.
When you ha)e mastered it, study it in con1unction with proper arm
action, so that you can then de)ote all your attention to the race and to
acceleration and action of stride at the right time in perfect style. As a
preliminary trial, howe)er. ; recommend inspiration during si/ strides
and an e/piration during two strides. Towards the end of a race it may
'e found that the rhythm changes entirely, 'ut this is not li0ely to
happen to the thoroughly trained runner, who 0nows e/actly what he
can do and 0eeps to a definite scheme which he 0nows will gi)e the
'est results. ;f you watch A. 2. M. &rown near the end of a race, he
does not struggle and change his 'alance, 'ut increases the speed of his
leg action. This is, howe)er, a matter that will 'e dealt with in another
chapter.
The team sportsman can regain normal respiration )ery speedily
after a sprint or any fast wor0 +such as an attac0 on the opponent=s goal-
'y using antiBrhythmic 'reathing. This will also preBo/ygenate 'lood
for ease and speed in the following efforts. The antiBrhythmic 'reathing
can 'e used while the player is mo)ing a'out and not necessarily while
standing still.
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Ho#di!) the =reath $or %esista!ce
;t is generally 0nown that all animals that can stri0e with the
forepaw, such as the lion, ha)e 'een pro)ided 'y 9ature with the glottis
or false )ocal chords. When the glottis is closed, respiration is
completely inhi'ited. This sets up two conditions. The first is greater
resistance of any part of the torso to pressure or 'lows G for, li0e an
inflated foot'all, shoc0 a'sorption would 'e spread o)er a greater area
G and internal air pressure would automatically distri'ute the shoc0
e)enly in the 'ody and on the internal organs. The second condition
that is set up is a greater point of resistance for physical effort. Thus we
get an increase in defensi)e power and resistance to pressure or 'lows,
together with an increase in attac0ing strength. ;ncreased speed in
mo)ement is also achie)ed.
We must realiIe, howe)er, that for full effect to 'e gained in
defence to 'lows or pressure, simultaneously with a closing of the
glottis a )oluntary contraction of the a'dominal wall should 'e secured.
;n unpremeditated resistance only, it is not possi'le to ha)e any definite
proportion of air in the lungs, for at the period of e/piration of the
'reath a 'o/er, for instance, might 'e struc0 in the region of the solar
ple/us. He would therefore simultaneously close the glottis and
contract the a'dominal wall if he had no time for any other method of
defence, such as stopping, parrying the 'low, or sideBstepping. He could
incidently use the resistance method of defence, while using his arms
for offence and pro'a'ly with good effect owing to the impro)ed point
of resistance set up for his counter 'low.
;n premeditated resistance, howe)er, any necessary degree of
lung inflation may 'e adopted prior to the effort. ;n most instances an
almost complete inspiration of the 'reath would 'e of the greatest help,
'ut there may 'e certain e/ceptions, and no irre)oca'le rule can 'e
made on this point. Appro/imately, the inspiration should 'e as
complete as the 'est 'odily position for the particular feat allows.
Test and master the holding of the 'reath with the contracting of
the a'dominal wall in the following manner. $uring any degree of
inspiration or e/piration of the 'reath gi)e the a'dominal wall a .uic0
77
tap with the stiffened fingers of the hand. This must not 'e hard at first,
for you are testing the speed of the )oluntary contraction of the
a'dominal wall. >ou may find that there is a short e/pulsion of the
'reath. Then try again, 'ut this time close the glottis +hold the 'reath-
swiftly enough to pre)ent the e/pulsion of any air from the throat.
When you are proficient enough to pre)ent the e/pulsion of any air, try
contracting the a'dominal muscles at the same time. ;t is necessary to
master the closing of the glottis 'efore the contracting of the a'dominal
wall, 'ecause some persons do the latter automatically, 'ut not the
former. *'ser)ation will usually show that a person struc0 in the
a'domen will 'ring the head forward and contract the a'dominal wall,
while the e/pulsion of air will 'e heard in the form of a rushing sound,
rather than the grunt of one who is trying to hold the 'reath. Study and
practise this from all degrees of inflation and deflation of the lungs, to
de)elop a perfect refle/ in this connection or defensi)e or possi'ly
offensi)e purposes in games. ;t is particularly )alua'le in cric0et
+'attling-, tennis, 'o/ing, wrestling, Soccer and 5ugger where any
unpremeditated mo)ements 'ecome necessary.
Holding the 'reath for premeditated effort is a simple matter,
and in cases where great physical strength is necessary, such as in
ta0ing a hea)y weight to arm=s length o)erhead, preBo/ygenation of the
'lood is ad)ised, 'y the use of fullBtidal 'reathing for a suita'le period
'efore the effort.
This preBo/ygenation of the 'lood is the secret of 'est efforts in
sprinting, 1umping and e)en getting a fast and easy start in middleB
distance running. The specific application of the preBo/ygenation of the
'lood will 'e dealt with as occasion arises.
The athlete who wants to get the )ery 'est out of himself should
study and praise +- fullBtidal 'reathing, +7- antiBrhythmic 'reathing,
and +4- the sudden holding of the 'reath and contracting of the
a'dominal wall for concentrated effort and defence.
MACA($;92 HAS S*METH;92 T* SH*W, and has
pu'lished more e)idence in proof of its superiority o)er any other
method since the year "8" than all other methods com'ined.
74
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Correspondents constantly remar0 on the fact that upBtoBdate e)idence
is always 'eing pu'lished 'y Ma/alding, instead of the usual method of
ancient photographs and mere claims. And the greatest test in the
teacher is what he can ma0e of his own son. ; am willing to pro)e
'efore any tri'unal of medical men that Ma/alding is a perfect method
of health culture for modern men and women.
The illustration is from an unretouched photograph of my son,
at the age of 74. (eft to the care of the school curriculum until the age
of K, he was only H ft. 4 ins. in height. He 'egan Ma/alding at K. His
wor0 is clerical and sedentary. His case is of interest to certain
mem'ers of the Medical Profession, for he has pro)ed that science can
o)ercome heredity. My father was only H ft. 7 ins. in height. Through
wrong and strenuous training in youth ; ne)er got 'eyond H ft. K ins.
>et my son has reached K ft. and is considered to ha)e attained physical
perfection. ;o& shall 1udge, and may emulate.
7?
A$ M$ SALDO
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S'EED
&efore discussing what might 'e termed different degrees of
speed, a short e/planation of muscular action might 'e useful.
Muscular action is stimulated 'y impulses radiated from the control
centre, along the communicating ner)es to the ner)eBendings, and the
condition 0nown as contradiction 0nown as contraction is set up. The
speed at which the contraction ta0es place is go)erned 'y the
suppleness or otherwise of the muscles in)ol)ed in the action, and the
degree of control possessed 'y the indi)idual. Thus a supple person
with a good practical 0nowledge of muscle control would 'ring a
)oluntary contraction into action simultaneously with the intention.
Aoluntary rela/ation could follow 1ust as speedily if so desired. Such a
physical condition would indicate a good refle/ action, and a good
refle/ action is an a'solute necessity to all good e/ponents of any sport.
&ut certain actions do not re.uire such a good refle/ as others, and ;
will try to gi)e an e/ample or two. ;n cric0et the degree of refle/
re.uired for 'owling is not so high as that re.uired for 'atting. The
form of speed re.uired for sending o)er a good ser)ice in tennis does
not re.uire the good refle/ needed in actual play.
All premeditated efforts, such as stri0ing a golf 'all with a clu',
throwing a 'all, stri0ing a stationary punch 'ag, starting a sprint,
1umping from the standing position, or pressing a weight from the chest
to a'o)e head, demand good mental concentration if they are to 'e of
good effect, 'ut they do not re.uire the .uic0 refle/ which is
indispensa'le in those mo)ements that ma0e it necessary for swift
action from an unprepared stance. Thus a person with a poor eye and
slow refle/ may 'e successful in golf, 'ut not at tennis or as a 'atsman
in cric0et. ;t is not a difficult matter to adopt your stance and get the
clu' mo)ing and accelerating without regard to anything 'ut a
stationary 'all< 'ut to sight a mo)ing 'all, ta0e a stance and meet it with
rac0et or 'at effecti)ely, re.uires a much 'etter refle/. ;t demands a
'etter refle/ still to ta0e the best stance for a stro0e, followed
immediately 'y the stro0e itself. This partly e/plains why a good
'owler is not necessarily a good 'atsman. >ou can rightly as0 why a
'atsman with his good refle/ is not always a good 'owler. The answer
7K
here is a simple one, for the great 'atsman is a specialist, and so long as
he tops 'atting a)erages he is unli0ely to top 'owling a)erages. ;t does
not follow that he could not 'ecome a good 'owler were he to direct
his energies solely to 'owling. ; 'elie)e that any great 'atsman could
'ecome a great 'owler with his o')ious physical talents, 'ut ; do not
'elie)e that e)ery great 'owler could 'ecome a great 'atsman.
&radman=s phenomenal success as a 'atsman has 'een uni)ersally
credited to his really mar)ellous refle/. &ut this is not the whole
reason. &radman has studied stance so thoroughly that he 0nows almost
'y intuition where the 'all is li0ely to tra)el and how it is li0ely to pitch
as soon as it lea)es the 'owler=s hand. Then li0e a flash he adopts the
stance that he 0nows will 'e the 'est for his stro0e with the 'at, and the
direction that he intends turning or dri)ing the 'all. We ha)e good allB
rounders, 'ut until the same player tops the 'owling and 'atting
a)erages, ; thin0 the argument in fa)our of specialiIation is pro)ed.
There are good allBrounders in other sports, 'ut the allBround man does
not esta'lish records during his acti)e participation in se)eral sports.
The allBround runner, for instance, does not hold the sprint and longB
distance records.
;n the consideration of the esta'lishment of a special degree of
speed, the chosen sport must 'e ta0en into consideration, and perhaps
the 'est method of approaching the pro'lem is to di)ide speed into
three categories thusF G
+- A single effort, such as employed in throwing a cric0et
'all, stri0ing a stationary 'all with a clu' and other
similar single efforts.
+7- A series of se.uence mo)ements, such as are in)ol)ed in
running, wal0ing, cycling, swimming, etc.
+4- A series of unpremeditated efforts, such as are in)ol)ed in
tennis, 'o/ing, Soccer, etc.

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S*eed A**#ied to a Si!)#e a!d 'remeditated E$$ort"
Assuming that the most suita'le stance has 'een adopted, it
'ecomes necessary to decide on the most effecti)e manner in which to
e/ecute the mo)ement. Then all muscles that would inhi'it the free and
full e/ecution of the mo)ement should 'e )oluntarily rela/ed. (et us
consider the dri)e in golf as an e/ample. True, there is an upward swing
in preparation for the actual dri)e, 'ut there is ample time for a definite
pause 'etween the upward swing and the downward stro0e, which
remo)es the necessity for anything great in the way of refle/ action.
Ha)ing started the downward swing, acceleration is simple, 'ut not all
golfers reach the ma/imum speed 'y the time the 'all is contacted. This
is a matter that will 'e dealt with in the short article on golf.
S*eed A**#ied to a Series o$ De$i!ite Mo>eme!ts"
;n such sports as running, cycling, swimming and wal0ing a
series or se.uence of definite mo)ements are in)ol)ed. There are a
series of propulsi)e efforts each followed 'y an intermediate mo)ement
to reco)er position for a repetition of the propulsi)e effort. @or the
'etter performance of any such sports, a mechanical refle/ can 'e
de)eloped, where'y the propulsi)e effort is accompanied 'y an
automatic rela/ation of the nonBessential or antagonistic muscles.
@ollowing instantly is the action of the muscles needed to regain
position for a repetition of the propulsion. ;n running, one leg should
first 'e pulling and then pushing the 'ody forward, while the other is
tra)eling from the rear and then reaching out to the front. The following
mo)ement re)erses the action of the muscles employed in the
mo)ement. Speeding for running is dealt with in detail in another
chapter, 'ut the a'o)e remar0s ha)e a 'earing on many sports, and it is
most important that the mo)ements in any sport 'e studied singly, so
that ease and freedom of action can 'e assured and maintained under
stress.
S*eed A**#ied to <!*remeditated E$$ort"
@or success in any form of sport or athletics demanding the
sudden e/ecution of defensi)e or offensi)e actions, a good refle/ is an
7!
a'solute necessity. And in such sports as cric0et, s.uash and tennis
good sight and a .uic0 eye are also essential. The muscular refle/ that
; am now dealing with is a controlled refle/, and not the uncontrolled
refle/ that acts under ner)e stimulus independently of the will. The
uncontrolled refle/ would cause a person untrained in 'o/ing to flinch
or close the eyes when threatened with a 'low. &ut the trained 'o/er
has learnt to control this refle/, and automatically use a defensi)e or
counteracti)e mo)ement. Such mastery is gained in the first place 'y
rela/ation of all muscles not in)ol)ed in maintaining the 'alance of the
performer. Then a controlled refle/ 'ecomes possi'le. A good refle/ is
also )alua'le in e)eryday life, for as the terri'le toll of the roads has
constantly pro)ed, some persons 'ecome paralyIed with fright when a
motor )ehicle swer)es or mounts the pa)ement. The trained athlete,
such as 'o/er, foot'aller or wrestler, would ma0e a swift mo)e to
safety, 'ecause he has controlled the in)oluntary refle/ 'y training. To
gain such a control in e%celsis, and to 'ring the refle/ to its highest state
of perfection, complete suppleness of the muscular system and a
mastery of )oluntary rela/ation and )oluntary contraction are
indispensa'le. Such a condition gi)es the a'ility to await the mo)ement
of an opponent without committing oneself to any form of muscular
contraction. This rela/ation 'ecomes a preparation or condition for
positi)e and instantaneous action of any muscle or muscle group. Speed
in its different aspects is not necessarily gained in the practice of the
sport itself, 'ut in the proper preparation of the 'ody to ena'le any
necessary action to 'e made swiftly and with a minimum of effort. To
gain a really good refle/, complete suppleness, full s0eletal mo'ility, a
mastery of muscle control, and a clear understanding of the 'est stance
for each effort are minimum essentials.
Such a condition can 'e achie)ed 'y a)erage healthy persons,
and would ma0e superBperformance a possi'ility.
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END<%ANCE
Endurance is controlled 'y the power of any particular
indi)idual to conser)e and distri'ute energy. Wise conser)ation of the
energies during training and wise distri'ution during effort or contest
'estow the a'ility to last longer in contest and to retain physical fitness
for a greater num'er of years than another indi)idual lac0ing this
a'ility 'ut e.ual in other respects.
The principles of energy conser)ation and distri'ution in
relation to the de)elopment and use of reser)e power were first
e/pounded practically 'y Ma/alding and the practical application of
this thesis has resulted in the esta'lishing of records in e)ery sport.
5easons for storing or conser)ing energy are di)erse and
manifold, 'ut indicate the necessity for future action. This strange force
we call energy would 'e without utility were su'se.uent action
needless.
(et us consider the meaning of conser)ation and distri'ution of
energy as applied to athletics. Assume, for instance, that one lifts a
weight hea)y enough to call into action the greater powers of the 'ody.
Assume also that one has conser)ed the energies 'y resting for a
suita'le period of time for the )itality to 'e at its highest. Whate)er the
lift, se)eral muscleBgroups would 'e employed and wise distri'ution of
energy would in)ol)e the application of full strength in respect to these
muscles only at the correct moment. This fact also shows the necessity
for a mastery of muscle control 'y all those who wish to get the 'est
results from their physical efforts.
Apply this principle to running and the same result is e)ident,
especially as instantaneous contraction of certain muscleBgroups with
simultaneous rela/ation of antagonistic groups are essential for speed
and smooth action. As most great athletes 0now, a master of muscle
control possesses the a'ility to rela/ antagonistic muscles at will while
contracting only essential muscles for any action.
Mental and physical rela/ation 'etween efforts apprecia'ly
48
delays the fatigue point. Here is an e/ample that will pro)e this to 'e a
thesis and not a fallacy.
Hold at arm=s length a weight of, say, H l'. for si/ty seconds.
Then put the weight down and rest for si/ty seconds. 5epeat this ten
times and you ha)e held out the weight for an aggregate of ten minutes
without apprecia'le fatigue. Then, with the other hand +assuming you
are a Ma/aldite and, conse.uently, of li0e strength in 'oth sides of the
'ody-, hold the weight at arm=s length for ten minutes continuously G if
you can. >ou will pro'a'ly perform the first test with ease, 'ut the
second test is one li0ely to cause distress and hurt the muscles in)ol)ed.
;n the first test the fatigue point is delayed 'y the periods of rela/ation
'ut, in the second test, tissue is 'ro0en down to e/cess.
This is pretty o')ious to most of us 'ut many athletes are still
rather apt to 'elie)e in the old dogma of Dmad endea)our,E with the
result that they wear themsel)es out with pluc0y 'ut fruitless efforts
and fall )ictims ine)ita'ly to the scientifically trained opponent.
Co!ser>atio! o$ E!er)y"
Perhaps a little closer consideration of the a'o)e term would 'e
helpful. All e/penditure of energy creates tissueBconsumption and
e)entual fatigue. &ut if no energy were e/pended, mo)ement would
cease and physical decay set in. Therefore, conser)ation of energy must
not 'e confused with inertia and sloth. As far as the .uestion of
successful indulgence in a particular sport is concerned, the physi.ue
should 'e 'uilt to proportions most suita'le for the purpose and, in the
actual 'uilding, as in the actual practice of the sport, tissue
consumption and fatigue alternate with tissue 'uilding and the storing
up of energy. Thus, the healthy child 'ecomes healthily tired and falls
asleep if not put to 'ed. The am'itious athlete must therefore o'ser)e
great circumspection in regard to his e/penditure of energy, 'oth in his
daily routine and training. ;n actual contest one seldom spares oneself
and in the case of 'o/ing and 5ug'y foot'all, to mention two of the
sports re.uiring the greatest courage and endurance, many of the
participants continue the contest e)en when e/hausted and in1ured. &ut
this is DstrainingE and not DtrainingE and the trainer or coach who
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allows such conditions to pre)ail in training is not worthy of the name.
The performer, howe)er, need not 'e sacrificed to the stupidity of the
trainer and should not continue training after signs of real fatigue or
distress ha)e set in.
;gnorant trainers that force their charges to o)erwor0 ma0e the
untena'le e/cuse that it will ma0e them pluc0y and tough. A
courageous fellow does not need 'ad treatment and in1uries to increase
his courage, nor can courage 'e D0noc0edE into the congenitally timid.
The importance of a proper period of rest 'efore a contest or
match is so great that it is dealt with at length in the chapter which
gi)es definite ad)ice on how to arri)e at a contest in perfect physical
condition.
Distrib&tio! o$ E!er)y"
Correct distri'ution of energy in any particular sport must 'e
controlled 'y the special re.uirements of the sport. Thus, in the
performance of feats of strength, when the lifting of the hea)iest
possi'le weight is the o'1ect, as few lifts as possi'le should 'e used,
with the greatest amount of energy put into a single effort. Con)ersely,
the longBdistance runner would spread his supply of energy o)er the
whole distance, for an unwise distri'ution of energy would spoil his
time, as he would use too much energy at certain periods of the race to
an e/tent that would pre)ent him retaining sufficient energy to
complete the race in good time. A runner wishing to co)er fi)e miles in
his 'est time would not endea)our to sprint the first hundred yards in
ten seconds. Strictly spea0ing, he would not sprint at all, for if he
reser)ed enough energy for a sprint at the end of the race, he would
ha)e more than lost the ad)antage 'y the reduction of pace earlier in
the race. A runner a'le to sprint at the end of fi)e miles has pro)ed that
he could ha)e done the rest of the distance faster. The runner should
learn to DtimeE himself perfectly o)er his distance and it is only 'y
repeated tests that he can disco)er how fast he can run at e)ery stage of
the race. This short chapter indicates the necessity of spreading the
energies o)er the period or efforts to the 'est ad)antage. More will 'e
said concerning this in the chapter on speed.
47
EXE%CISE A=B O MAXALDING
+See chapter on &reathing.-
2rip the right hand with the left
or interloc0 middle fingers< hands down
in front of the 'ody. Pull outward as
though trying to separate the hands.
Simultaneously ta0e the arms steadily
a'o)e the head, 0eeping the el'ows
slightly 'ent throughout the mo)ement.
The illustration shows the appearance of
the shoulder 'lades at this part of the
e/ercise, when a correct performance
has 'een secured. 5eturn to the original
position, retaining the outward pull.
Change the hand grip to right o)er left
and repeat. ;nspire as you ta0e the hands
aloft and e/pire as you 'ring them
down< controlling the speed of the
mo)ement 'y the 'reathing and not the
'reathing 'y the e/ercise.
,. E. Austin, Es.., 'egan Ma/alding during the War. His
condition at ?7 is shown in this e/position of e/ercise D&E of
Ma/alding. ;t stretches the spine, flattens the shoulder 'lades,
strengthens the ner)ous system and is a practical demonstration of one
set of muscles 'eing used in contraction to stretch another set in
rela/ation. Mr. Austin wroteF G D; am proud of the muscle and the
control you ha)e gi)en me.E
44
M* 9 T E S A ( $ *
STANCE
@or the application of any definite physical effort a correct
stance is necessary. ;n the few great athletes who ha)e made a thorough
study of stance in relation to physical effort or mo)ement, consistency
of highBgrade performance has 'een achie)ed. This chapter must not 'e
regarded in the light of condemnation or criticism of other teachings,
'ut in the light of a sincere desire to ma0e the reader thin0 things out
for himself and then, 'y scientific e/periment, to disco)er whether his
stances are scientifically and mechanically sound and suita'le for their
purpose.
@or the sa0e of a simple illustration, let us consider the Dleft
leadE in 'o/ing. @rom early childhood ; was taught that the left toe had
to point towards the opponent, that the foot should 'e lifted and lunged
forward and the arm reach full e/tension 1ust 'efore the foot reached
the ground. This, ; was told, would gi)e the luc0less opponent the full
force of the 'low. Children usually ta0e such ad)ice for granted and ;
was no e/ception. &ut, in spite of the fact that ; later 'ecame )ery
strong physically, my Dleft leadE did no damage to any'ody on the rare
occasions that it landed. This fallacy regarding the Dleft leadE is still
e/tant and e)en some 'o/ing instructors still teach it. &ut as the
suggestions gi)en in the short chapter on 'o/ing will pro)e, if you did
not already 0now it, this is the position in which the least power and
reach can 'e put into this particular punch.
Then there is the generally accepted idea that the dri)ing stance
for golf is a definite one for all. A player of years= standing may
continually top, slice and pull his 'all, as well as lift di)ots galore, in
the hopeless attempt to ma0e the stro0e fit his stance, instead of ma0ing
his stance most suita'le for the stro0e. ;f the professional instructor and
the indi)idual will colla'orate to disco)er the stance that suits the 'uild
of the player, it will 'e the one that will ena'le him to get the greatest
num'er of muscles into action and the full acceleration of the clu' at
the instant the clu'Bface contacts the 'all. The length of clu' and angle
of the head can 'e ad1usted so that the 'est position of contact is
assured. ;f the clu' is too short the stri0er has to lean forward out of his
4?
natural 'alance. ;f it is too long he will 'e too upright and ma0e proper
contact a manyBtoBone chance. ;f the natural 'alance is retained and the
length of clu' and angle of clu'Bhead 'e ad1usted to gi)e 1ust the right
clearance it will not 'e )ery difficult to ascertain the 'est spot on which
the 'all should 'e placed.
While most great athletes are unorthodo/ in many details, they
are usually orthodo/ as regards the general principles of stance. &efore
adopting permanently any definite stance for a special action, you
should assure yourself 'y carefully considered e/periment that the
stance is the 'est for the employment of all essential muscles for the
particular action. What may appear to 'e a 'ad starting position, may 'e
a good following or finishing position. *ften a position of the 'ody that
is good for starting a certain mo)ement is 'ad for completing that
mo)ement. Here is an e/ampleF G Assume that the 'o/er wished to
deli)er a right hoo0. He might ma0e the common mista0e of turning the
'ody to the right to get a good start. This puts the pectoralis muscle in a
good position for starting the punch, 'ut 'y the time the 'low reached
its target the pectoralis muscle would ha)e passed its most mo'ile point
of speed and would already 'e acting as its own 'ra0e. ;f, on the other
hand, the 'o/er had started the punch with the right shoulder turned
towards his opponent, ma/imum speed and power would 'e attained at
the moment of impact.
Here is a suggestion for tennis players, and the same principle
can 'e adopted 'y participants in sports demanding similar mo)ements.
Adopt a definite stance, say, in the centre of the court. Then get a friend
to send o)er a series of 'alls from a preBarranged position on the
opposite side of the net. Then use one stro0e only with full power from
that stance and see what happens to the 'all in the ma1ority of shots.
This will show you what is li0ely to happen when the 'all is hit hard
from a definite stance and a definite position. The result may mean
putting the 'all into the net or o)er the side or 'ase line, 'ut this
0nowledge will ena'le you to ma0e stance ad1ustments to meet this
particular shot from your opponent in the most effecti)e manner, and,
ha)ing mastered that thoroughly, practice getting to that position and
stance in the easiest manner from different parts of the court.
4H
M* 9 T E S A ( $ *
E/periment in this manner with all the main shots in open play from
)arious positions on the court and then you will 0now that although
some of your shots are still lia'le to go wrong, many of them will go
right and as you will 'e in the correct position for a powerful stro0e<
e)ery stro0e will ha)e the merit of 'eing a fullB'looded shot. Such
stro0es are more li0ely to 'e winners than most of those of the more
delicate .uality, 'ut which you would still use when necessary. Proof of
this will 'e found in the fact that, other things 'eing e.ual, the hard
hitter is the more successful tennis player. To sum up, find out 'y
e/periments e/actly what happens to a 'all hit from a certain stance
and position in court, sent from a certain position on the other side of
the net, and use this 0nowledge in play. 5emem'er to gain the correct
stance and hit hard, as often as opportunity presents itself.
;t was a careful study of stance in relation to weightBlifting that
ena'led me, although well past 48 years of age at the time, to
accomplish the feat of swinging with one hand to arm=s length o)erhead
a dum'B'ell in e/cess of my own 'odyBweight. ; placed the feet in
)arious positions in relation to the lie of the 'ell and disco)ered what
happened to the 'ell when ; put forth all my effort to swing it aloft.
@inally, ; disco)ered a position that caused the 'ell to tra)el to a perfect
position for Dfi/ingE at arm=s length. Then ; gradually increased the
weight of the 'ell until ; had swung a weight greater than my 'odyB
weight. This feat may not interest many of my readers 'ut it is worth
mentioning as a )alua'le e/ample of the importance of correct stance.
4K
The illustration is from an unretouched photograph ta0en in "8 and
pro)es actual results achie)ed in that year 'y MAXALDING
WITHO<T A''A%AT<S
These men are still
athletically fit, although all well o)er
H8 years of age. The gentlemen
facing the camera wish to remain
anonymous. The 'ac0 pose is of
myself, who, at the a)e o$ 62, ha>e
acce*ted the cha##e!)e o$ the /4 st"
/5 #b" '"C" EC*ert o! a## *oi!ts, / to
co!cede abo&t /6 years i! a)e a!d
o>er $o&r sto!es i! +ei)ht, and meet
him in a pu'lic contest to decide who
is the lifter. And ; still offer to pro)e
that Ma/alding is the 'est and most practical method e)er e)ol)ed for
esta'lishing health and 'uilding up the physi.ueF that it has more
followers than any other methods< and that more testimonials and
unretouched photographs ha)e 'een pu'lished 'y Ma/alding than 'y
any other method.
A.M. SA($*.
The a'o)e challenge, which ; accepted in ,une, "4K, was made
'y H. &room, of Hull, who now styles himself DThe World=s Premier
Physical Culture E/pert.E My acceptance is still open, although so long
ignored. @urther, ; would li0e to meet Earle E. (eiderman=s e/Bpupil,
Angelo Siciliano +now trading as Charles Atlas-, or the Australian
physical culture teacher, Alfred &riton, or all three, in open de'ate and
personal tests of physical fitness.
4#
M* 9 T E S A ( $ *
=ATHING
The three functions of 'athing +apart from the e/ercise of
swimming- are as followsF +- &ody cleansing, +7- 5aising the
temperature of the 'ody and +4- (owering the temperature of the 'ody.
Many athletes engaged in strenuous sports, particularly 5ugger
and Soccer, ma0e a ha'it of the hot Dsoa0E after a strenuous game.
They often do this to an e/tent that may 'e called lu/uriating. Whate)er
may 'e argued to the contrary, the really hot 'ath and the tooBfre.uent
hot 'ath ha)e a definitely 'ad effect on the 'ody. Soa0ing in a hot 'ath
is ener)ating in the first place and dangerous in so far as the e/posure
of the head may result in neuralgia, suscepti'ility to coldBcatching and
e)en middleBear trou'le. The o'1ect of the hot Dsoa0E for the athlete is
to ta0e the pain out of his muscles and 1oints and to relie)e the local
congestion caused through e/cessi)e wor0 and strain on the muscles, as
well as lessen 'ruising from 0noc0s and 'lows. As far as the
stimulation of the 'lood circulation to any damaged parts is concerned,
heat is 'eneficial up to a certain point, 'ut it is not 'eneficial when
applied to the 'ody as a whole, unless used with great circumspection. ;
ha)e nothing against the hot 'ath for the athlete, pro)iding it is got o)er
speedily and is followed 'y the cold sponge 'ath or shower 'ath. @or
the treatment of local sprains the alternation of heat and cold is
recommended. When the 'ody is o)erBheated through e/ertion the
finest correcti)e is the suita'le application of cold water. ; do not thin0
that the sudden complete immersion of the heated 'ody in cold water is
a wise proceeding, for the heat is dri)en inward. &ut ; do 'elie)e that
the scientific and wise use of cold water is the finest form of massage
and a little trial in this direction will satisfy the reader on this point. ;t is
admitted that a continued and prolonged use of cold water has a
hardening effect on the tendons and muscles. When, howe)er, an
athlete spends considera'le periods in e/ercise and mo)ement and the
'ody thus maintains an a'o)eBnormal temperature for these periods, the
cold 'ath can ha)e no hardening effect. ;f the periods of e/ercise were
few and the cold 'athing prolonged and fre.uent, then the hardening
process would 'e a'le to o)erhaul the loosening process as it were. ;
seriously ad)ise all athletes, therefore, to get o)er the hot 'ath as
4!
speedily as possi'le, for long immersion in hot water depletes the
energies considera'ly and certainly lowers the resistance of the 'ody.
The hot 'ath should, therefore, 'e ta0en with the least loss of time and
'e followed 'y the cold 'ath G shower for preference G until normal
'odily temperature has 'een regained. (ocal sprains can 'e treated
separately and, when there is no actual displacement +muscular or
articular-, fre.uent applications of cold water act as a perfect massage
on account of the contraction of the tissue and conse.uent e/pulsion of
waste. When the in1ury is of a more serious nature, then the special
process ad)ised under DTreatment of SprainsE should 'e adopted.
Ho+ to Take a Co#d =ath"
Whether the shower or complete immersion is used, the region
of the heart should 'e first cooled. ;f the ordinary house 'ath or soB
called slipper 'ath is used, the chest and armpits should first 'e
sponged, followed 'y the head and 'ac0 of the nec0. The arms and
shoulders should then 'e sponged and then the region of the heart
again. When this process has 'een repeated se)eral times the legs can
safely 'e immersed, followed 'y the rest of the 'ody. $uring this
process fullBtidal 'reathing should 'e used. When the 'athing is
concluded stand up and remo)e most of the water from the 'ody 'y
ma0ing downward stro0es with the hands. Continue until the whole
'ody is glowing and then dry the head with a towel. Then use the towel
o)er the whole 'ody in the usual way to stimulate the s0in and 0eep it
functioning perfectly. $ress or retire to 'ed without delay. ;t is
important that you ta0e the cold 'ath as soon after e/ercise or e/ertion
as possi'le, and if ta0en in the manner suggested when the 'ody is
o)erBheated, such as would result from a strenuous game of hoc0ey,
Soccer or 5ugger, the 'ody will 'e cooled gradually without the danger
of dri)ing the heat suddenly inward and a perfect form of natural
massage will 'e comprehended. >ou can pro)e this for yourself and
you will find that less afterBstiffness will result than when the hot 'ath
is used. We are, of course, assuming that no actual sprains ha)e
resulted. The action of cold water is to contract, and this remo)es waste
matter from the tissues and the reaction stimulates circulation. This acts
in a manner e)en more fa)oura'le than manual massage, 'ut only if the
4"
M* 9 T E S A ( $ *
'ody is a'o)e normal temperature at the 'eginning of the process. ;t is
for this reason that ; recommend the cold 'ath +ta0en in the manner
e/plained-, for the 'lood is dri)en all o)er the 'ody and not inwards, as
must 'e the case when the immediate and complete immersion is ta0en.
@ollowing any physical e/ertion that o)erheats the 'ody, measures
should 'e adopted to maintain 'odily heat until the actual moment that
the cold 'ath is ta0en. *ne or two woollen sweaters should 'e donned
immediately at the conclusion of the training or e/ertion if the cold
'ath is not immediately a)aila'le. When the hot 'ath is ta0en first, get
through this speedily and go through the cold 'ath in the manner
e/plained, unless a shower 'ath is a)aila'le. $o not ta0e a cold 'ath
when the 'reathing is la'oured from e/ertion. Always regain normal
respiration first.
@or athletes ; ha)e no faith whate)er in steam 'aths or Tur0ish
'aths as they are e/tremely ener)ating. &ut this does not refer to the
treatment of sprains when artificial means may 'e necessary to assist a
cure. To ensure a thorough cleansing of the s0in it will 'e wise to ta0e
one or two warm 'aths wee0ly. These should not e/ceed 88 degrees
@ahrenheit in temperature and should 'e followed 'y the cold 'ath or
shower to close the pores of the s0in and pre)ent any suscepti'ility to
coldBcatching.
STILL IM'%O-ING AT 43 =; MAXALDING
&attery SergeantBMa1or H. 9icholls wrote
in "7#F D; am a Ma/alding Pupil and ha)e
o'tained the results shown in the photograph
since ta0ing the course. ; had 'een East since
"H, when ; was shipped to AnIac. When that
affair was o)er ; got shipped to ;ndia, a 'ro0enB
up article no longer fit for use. ; had $.A.H.
then, caused through shellBshoc0 and a dose of
rheumatic fe)er.
I +e!t i! $or MaCa#di!) a!d am to@day
a thi!) o$ i!terest to the +ho#e o$ I!dia"
?8
8.8.M. NICHOLLS.
Began Maxalding 1918.
; am claimed to 'e a mar)el 'y all who see me, &:T (;TT(E
$* THE> M9*W H*W EAS> ;T A(( ;S. ; am now a good 'o/er,
sprinter and can lift far more than the a)erage man, than0s to
Ma/alding. Since then ; ha)e ta0en to controlling the stomach as taught
'y you. ; am always fit. ;f my photograph and testimonial are of any
use to you for pushing along Ma/alding, you may ma0e what use you
li0e of them.E He wrote in "4?F D ; am still ali)e and well. ; hope the
same applies to yourself.E
M> MEAS:5EME9TS, ETC.
/./. /.34
Weight #! l'. 788l'.
Height H ft. 8 ins. H ft. 8 ins.
9ec0 # ins. # N ins.
Chest +E/p.- ?? ins. ?K ins.
&iceps K N ins. # ins.
Waist 47 ins. 47 ins.
@orearm 4 O! ins. Same
Thigh 74 N ins. 7? ins.
Calf H N ins. K ins.
Ser)ed # years in foreign countries, including 2allipoli and
Mesopotamia during the War. Well, 'yeB'ye and good luc0 from yours
)ery sincerely.
+Signed- H. 9;CH*((S.
?
M* 9 T E S A ( $ *
MASSAGE
Massage is a twoBedged weapon and uns0illed massage, or
massage that hurts, is 'ad massage. The main o'1ect of massage is to
remo)e poisons and waste from the tissues so that they are eliminated
from the 'ody #ia the se)eral organs of elimination. Massage that
dri)es the 'lood +and conse.uently the poisons- in the wrong direction
and thus causes stagnation and e)en swellings is so common that ;
hesitate to recommend massage, e/cept under the direction of a medical
man or a .ualified masseur. The masseur must ha)e a )ery
comprehensi)e 0nowledge of the )ascular and ner)ous systems, as well
as a sufficient 0nowledge of anatomy and physiology. 2enerally
spea0ing, careful massage should 'e safe if the mo)ements are directed
towards the heart. Thus, it should 'e safe to massage the leg carefully
from an0le to 0nee and from 0nee to hip, 'ut not in the opposite
direction. @or massage to 'e effecti)e the 'ody should 'e warm
throughout the period of the massage and the parts treated should 'e in
a state of complete rela/ation.
The perfunctory fingerBdigging and gouging generally used 'y
uns0illed trainers and Tur0ishB'ath shampooers is a'solutely useless
and often dangerous, for it can 'e positi)ely in1urious to certain ner)es.
A team masseur should 'e fully con)ersant with the correct
procedure of massage and, if un.ualified, should recei)e definite
instructions from a medical man.
@or the indi)idual, the 1udicious use of selfBmassage can 'e )ery
'eneficial. The necessity of mastering muscularBrela/ation for selfB
massage ma0es it a )alua'le training in mental control of the 'ody.
SelfBmassage can 'e used 'efore the warm 'ath in the following
mannerF G Sit on the floor and draw up one leg so that the foot rests flat
on the ground. This puts the leg in the correct position for a complete
rela/ation of the lower leg muscles. Massage each lower leg in turn
+using 'oth hands- and remem'er to wor0 from an0le to 0nee and not in
the re)erse direction. :se deep stro0ing mo)ements that will dri)e the
)einous 'lood out of the tissues. &y resting the leg flat on the ground a
?7
complete rela/ation of the thigh muscles can 'e o'tained. A hand
should 'e placed on each side of the thigh and it can 'e gently mo)ed
from side as well as stro0ed from 0nee to hip. The 'est position for the
massage of the a'dominal muscles is sitting on a chair with the 'ac0
slightly rounded so that the distance 'etween the sternum and pel)is is
lessened. Athletes should ta0e care to massage the lateral as well as the
central a'dominal muscles. The forearm, upperBarm and shoulder
muscles can 'e most effecti)ely massaged when the forearm is rested
on a flat surface +such as a ta'le top- or across the thighs when one is
sitting on a chair. The large chest muscles can 'e massaged with the
corresponding arm hanging loosely at the side. The head should 'e
tilted 'ac0ward when the 'ac0 of the nec0 is to 'e massaged and
slightly forward when the front is to 'e massaged. The 'uttoc0 muscles
can 'e massaged in the standing position, as also can the muscles of the
small of the 'ac0. There are, of course, certain 'ac0 muscles that
cannot 'e reached for selfBmassage, 'ut two athletes can safely massage
one another if they follow the ad)ice regarding the correct direction of
massage stro0es and rela/ation of the muscles. Massage should 'e
thorough 'ut ne)er rough. When 'eing massaged 'y a friend it is most
con)enient to lie supine for treatment to the arms, muscles of the front
of the 'ody and thighs and to lie prone for muscles of the 'ac0 and
cal)es. Careful, 'ut thorough, stro0ing and 0neading of all the muscles
should 'e employed, 'ut the parts used most in the particular sport
should recei)e the greatest amount of attention. :nder no
circumstances should there 'e any pressure on the spine itself.
The athlete will 'e a'le to gradually wor0 out a method of selfB
massage that can 'e gone through e/peditiously, 'ut he should
remem'er that the whole of the 'ody must 'e 0ept warm during the
process.
Scientifically applied manual massage 'ecomes necessary for
professional athletes who do not ha)e sufficient time to rest from
strenuous e/ertion.
?4
M* 9 T E S A ( $ *
Treatme!t o$ S*rai!s"
To remedy the ordinary sprains slight 'ruises and contusions
where no lesion has occurred, the alternate use of hot and cold water is
the 'est means of restoring strength and suppleness. This is the simplest
and most natural form of massage, for the hot application rela/es and
draws 'lood to the part and the cold application dri)es the 'lood away
and contracts the tissue, thus forcing out poisons and waste. ;t can, of
course, 'e assisted 'y )ery careful selfBmassage as already descri'ed.
Completely immerse the part to 'e treated in water as hot as can 'e
'orne without actual damage to the s0in and 0eep it immersed for a
minute or so. @ollow 'y a slightly longer immersion in )ery cold water.
This process should 'e repeated se)eral times at each treatment. The
treatment should 'e carried out daily, or e)en twice daily if con)enient,
until the sprain is completely cured. The coldBwater immersion should
always conclude the treatment.
;n the case of a damaged arm, shoulder or wrist the part should
'e rested, e)en to the e/tent of using a sling. Wrists, hands, an0les and
feet should 'e 'andaged when necessary to gi)e support without actual
pressure. The 'andage should 'e applied with the o'1ect of maintaining
the correct anatomical positions of the 'ones without impeding
circulation.
When necessary, the hot and cold immersions can 'e continued
with the 'andages still in place, for it will 'e found that the 'andages
usually dry )ery .uic0ly when there is any inflammation and a cold
wetB'andage will help to reduce inflammation.
When a sprain has 'ecome cured 'y this treatment the muscles
should 'e gradually wor0ed into condition again 'y scientific
mo)ement 'efore full training is resumed.
As rest of the damaged part is an essential to the cure, the
muscles are lia'le to 'ecome softer than is desira'le for strenuous use.
Muscular softness should not 'e confounded with muscular suppleness.
The supple muscle is well toned, whereas the muscle that has 'ecome
soft through inacti)ity is fla''y and wea0. Therefore all muscles must
??
'e reBtoned after a sprain or strain 'efore the sport or physical acti)ity
is resumed.
We often hear that a wellB0nown cric0eter or foot'aller has
DtornE a muscle and the report usually continuesF Dit is e/pected that he
will 'e fit to play toBmorrow, as he is recei)ing e/pert treatment.E This
is, of course, nonsense, for it ta0es wee0s for a muscle or a ligament to
reunite and regain normal tone.
When the in1ury is actually a lesion the sufferer should ma0e up
his mind to gi)e up all sport, ha)e the part treated properly and gi)e it
sufficient rest. This is the safest method, for if the sport is continued
with an in1ury the trou'le may 'ecome aggra)ated and a long rest from
sport may then 'ecome a'solutely necessary. The disregard of this rule
has shortened many a promising athlete=s career. A 'ad in1ury or a torn
muscle cannot 'e cured in a day, for the process of meta'olism are not
fast e)en in the healthy indi)idual.
To massage an in1ured part, )ery light mo)ements must 'e
employed and some form of lu'ricant is recommended. *li)e oil is,
perhaps, the 'est lu'ricant to use, as one can massage for a long while
with only a )ery small .uantity.
The sprained part should 'e rested in a safe and comforta'le
position during sleep. ;n the case of a damaged 0nee, a pillow can 'e
placed under the 0nee so that it can 'e rela/ed and warmth can 'e
applied with the assistance of hotBwater 'ottles. ;f there is much
inflammation, warmth should not 'e applied in this manner.
Se)ere in1uries should, of course, 'e treated 'y .ualified
medical men. $islocations, wrongly treated, e)en after the articulation
has 'een restored, may result in permanent wea0ness of the part. The
great mo'ility of the arm has 'een gained at the e/pense of a small
soc0et in the shoulderB1oint and it is for this reason that dislocation of
the shoulderB1oint is common. *ften after a dislocation has 'een
unscientifically treated, the ligaments do not reattach themsel)es
correctly, with the result that a similar dislocation 'ecomes fre.uent.
&ut if a dislocation is correctly treated 'y a medical man, the ligament
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would reattach itself in a short period and then, 'y careful mo)ement,
the mo'ility of the 1oint would 'e regained and the original strength of
the surrounding muscles restored. ; 0now it is usual among .uac0s and
ignorant trainers to loudly proclaim the ina'ility of a medical man to
deal with an in1ury sustained at sport and particularly with the setting of
'ones. &ut if anyone stops to consider the matter they will realiIe that
the medical man=s training has made it necessary for him to completely
understand the wor0ing of the human 'ody for him to ha)e o'tained his
degree. There is a great future for osteopathy as a separate 'ranch of
medical science, 'ut until this is controlled 'y an association that
demands a )ery thorough 0nowledge of anatomy and physiology in its
mem'ers it will 'e difficult for this science to ma0e real headway. DSir
Her'ert &ar0er has pro)ed that a layman, in the generally accepted
term, can 'ecome mar)ellously e/pert, 'ut he is an e/ception, and
practical 0nowledge of anatomy and physiology, such as he possesses,
could 'e gained 'y orthodo/ methods in the hospitals if one of the
Medical Associations would ta0e the necessary steps to 'ring the
trained osteopath into 'eing. There are a num'er of osteopaths toBday
possessed of e/traordinary talents and lo)e of their wor0 'ut they ha)e
to wor0 outside the medical pale and often are 'unched and confused
with the .uac0s who are daily doing far more harm than good. There is
a similar contrast 'etween the cheapB1ac0 )endor of the soBcalled
physical culture courses, who promises to Ddou'le your strength in 48
days,E and endea)ours to do this 'y sending a printed circular of ad)ice
to all and sundry regardless of age, se/ or condition, and the genuine
trainer and coach who ta0es a real interest in his pupils and prescri'es
e/ercises and ad)ice according to their indi)idual re.uirements.
:nfortunately, the genuine physical culture e/pert who has de)oted his
life to his wor0 often gets confused in the mind of the pu'lic with the
charlatan who sells physical culture as a sideline and whose only
interest is to snatch money from anyone who is foolish enough to
'elie)e his e/aggerated and impossi'le claims.
;f the osteopath could get recognition after a special course of
training and the passing of necessary tests he could wor0 in harmony
with the medical man and sa)e the latter a great deal of trou'le and
?K
wor0.
The illustration shows the author
demonstrating the 'est position for toning
the 'iceps muscle +see article on muscleB
toning-. &y this means he was a'le to
de)elop a KBinch upperBarm, although
weighing under stones in 'odyBweight.

M<SCLE TONING
&y the term Dmuscle toningE ; do not mean the hardening or
toughening of the muscles. ; 0now that there are some sports and many
manual occupations that in time lead to a state of muscleBtoughening
that is sometimes 0nown as Dmuscle 'inding.E Such a condition can 'e
a)oided if counteracti)e training is adopted. S0eletal malformation may
also 'e induced 'y prolonged straining at sport or wor0, and
particularly the 0ind that in)ol)es the lifting or carrying of hea)y
weights. Actual 'one deterioration, howe)er, is generally the result of
the continued use of deficiency foods. 9ature often adapts the physi.ue
and 'one structure to meet the strain imposed 'y wor0 that is too hea)y
and that has 'een continued for some time. ;n connection with this
su'1ect, Sir Ar'uthnot (ane has writtenF DE)erything that 9ature does
to help to meet such an alteration in our mechanical relationship to
surroundings tends to shorten our life.E Here is an instance, not
connected with sport, howe)er, 'ut with an occupation that in)ol)es the
lifting and carrying of hea)y weights, )iI., that of the coalBporter. He
spends hours e)ery day carrying hea)y sac0s on his 'ac0, or 'ac0 and
shoulders. As a result the spine often ta0es on e/treme cur)atures and
certain of the )erte'rae 'ecome an0ylosed. The 'ony structure has 'een
compelled to support the pressure when the muscular support ga)e out.
This an0ylosis fi/es sections of the spinal column that should 'e
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mo'ile. Tidal respiration is correspondingly reduced, the lia'ility to
lungBtrou'le increased and the life pro'a'ly shortened. Such men,
although possessed of a degree of supporting strength a'o)e a)erage,
are none the less )itally wea0 and usually suffer with lung trou'le and
'ronchial affections. ;t has 'een definitely esta'lished that muscles
su'1ected to continued strain 'ecome toughened or D'oundE at first, and
latter emaciated and stringy. The term De/cessi)e strainE should not 'e
confused with De/cessi)e mo)ement.E The supporting legs of the coalB
porter 'ecome )ery hard and sometimes almost tendinous in condition.
;n addition to the 'ad effect that such strain must ha)e on the muscular
system, the health must suffer in some degree. Pressure on the spine is
particularly 'ad as it means pressure on important ner)es and the
ner)ous system must, therefore, suffer as well.
Most of us are fully aware of the danger of e/cessi)e and
prolonged strain and pressure, and such conditions apply in a lesser or
greater degree to all physical acti)ities that are a'normal or sustained.
Correctly toned muscular tissue is hard when contracted 'ut perfectly
soft when rela/ed. Such a condition of the muscular system usually
indicates a condition of suppleness throughout the 'ody, including the
lungs, heart and )ascular system. The correctly toned muscle has
greater speed of contraction than the D'oundE muscle, 'ecause the
refle/ is unresisted and the 'loodBcirculation unhi'ited.
C*9T5ACT;*9. To gain the 'est position for the contraction
of any muscle for the purpose of e/ercise and de)elopment, the student
is recommended to disco)er 'y e/periment the position in which any
muscle can 'e 'rought to its greatest 'ul0 with the least physical effort.
To gi)e a simple e/ample, ; will deal with the 'iceps muscle of the arm.
While training in a class under an e/BArmy instructor in !"# ; found
that ; could not get a satisfactory 'ulge on the upperBarm when fully
fle/ed, whate)er effort ; put forth. ; was told 'y the instructor to 0eep
the upperBarm in contact with the side of the 'ody throughout the
fle/ing and straightening of the arm. Energetic and persistent training
did not 'ring any apprecia'le de)elopment of the 'iceps, although
dum'B'ells ranging from H to 78 l'. were used. (ater, howe)er, ;
disco)ered that ; had 'een taught the wrong method and ; found that,
?!
'y pushing the el'ows forward ; could get a 'allBli0e contraction of the
'iceps without great effort and without the usual cramp that followed
the pre)ious method. ;t was some time later, howe)er, 'efore ;
disco)ered that to get a wellBde)eloped and strong 'iceps muscle, only
a few repetitions of the contracting e/ercise should 'e used and
anything really hea)y should 'e lifted only occasionally. The
illustration showing my arm on page ?" and my feats in the singleB
handed pullBin, will indicate that my training resulted in a com'ination
of good de)elopment and strength. &ut what was of more interest to me
was the fact that ; regained suppleness of the 'iceps muscles and the
a'ility to rela/ the muscle perfectly< whereas under the earlier
repetition method ; had possessed a small and slightly D'oundE muscle.
Since that time Ma/alding has pro)ed that the same conditions apply to
the rest of the muscular system.
To train any muscle with the o'1ect of gaining perfect tone, ta0e
it from the position in which it can remain completely rela/ed and soft
to a position that allows fullest contraction and 'ul0ing. Hold it in this
position and gradually increase the contraction until it has 'een 'rought
to its hardest condition and fully suffused with 'lood. Then return it to
its position of rela/ation. ;f 'loodBsuffusion has 'een thorough, the
temperature of the muscle will increase and the tissues will ha)e 'een
nourished without any nota'le 'rea0ing down, as would 'e the case if
mechanical repetition e/ercise were employed. This is the true way to
'uild tissue, as the 'rea0ing down is so slight and the nourishment so
easily pro)ided. The contraction should not 'e held long< and light selfB
massage of the muscle can follow. The contraction should 'e repeated
until it is felt that the muscle has 'een thoroughly e/ercised 'ut not
actually fatigued. *ccasional tests of each muscle or muscleBgroup
treated in this way should soon re)eal impro)ement in strength and
endurance.
M&sc#e To!i!) by %esista!ce
This method compels the muscles to wor0 in groups and is,
conse.uently, more destructi)e to tissue than the method of isolating
single muscles for contraction. 5esistance howe)er, 'ecomes necessary
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to esta'lish muscular coBordination. 5esistance can 'e pro)ided in a
num'er of ways. The weight of the 'ody supplies resistance to the legs
in the deep 0neeB'end or the weight of the legs supplies resistance to
the a'dominal muscles in the usual supine legBraising mo)ements.
There is also the more definite method of using the two arms in
resistance to one another, or the nec0 against the arms and so on. When
resistance e/ercises are used for de)elopmental purposes, e)en fewer
repetitions should 'e used than in the case of the )oluntary
contractions. E/ceptional toning 'y resistance might 'e pro)ided 'y the
lifting of hea)y weights. Thus, a man who has gained a good physi.ue
'y natural methods and strengthened his internal organs against ris0 of
strain, might find it necessary to occasionally lift hea)y weights to
maintain the muscleBtone necessary for his 'est lifts to 'e
accomplished. ;n so doing he would, of course, reduce his speed for
lighter efforts, 'ut the e/ample is gi)en to indicate my meaning of
muscleBtoning in its 'roadest sense.
MuscleBtoning in connection with certain sports can often 'e
conducted at home 'y a studied use of the implements and mo)ements
used in those sports. As definite e/amples ; might mention tennis and
golf. ;n the former the rac0et could 'e used to practice e)ery stro0e and
in the latter the dri)ing swing and the putting stro0e could 'e studied.
This would com'ine muscleBtoning, stance and techni.ue. The degree
to which your muscles should 'e toned must therefore depend largely
on the re.uirements of your sport, and while it must of necessity 'e
difficult for the e/act degree of tone to 'e ascertained, a certain amount
of help can 'e gained 'y 0eeping a record of your condition from time
to time.
;f speed is 'eing lost e)en when )itality is at its highest, the
muscles are o)erBtoned. ;f strength is lac0ing then the muscles are
pro'a'ly insufficiently toned.
(ong spells of strenuous sport, such as those encountered in a
tennis tournament, incline to o)erBtone the muscles as well as deplete
the energies, although the condition might ha)e 'een perfect at the
'eginning of the tournament. $uring such spells of o)erBe/ertion much
H8
can 'e done to ameliorate the resultant condition 'y the practice of
muscular rela/ation 'etween efforts and )ery careful and s0illed
massage after each match. $uring any such prolonged period of sport
the wise athlete will spend as much of his leisure as possi'le in 'ed,
thus reser)ing his energies, re'uilding 'ro0enBdown tissue and
regaining correct muscleBtone.
SIM'LE DIETETICS IN %ELATION TO S'O%TS
This section is dealt with mainly from the standpoint of the
preparation of the 'ody and condition, for particular sports and not
strictly from the permanent health standpoint. An e/ample can 'e cited
in the )alue of flesh foods for the esta'lishment of great strength. ;t is
e)en not suggested that an e/clusi)e diet of fleshBfood is li0ely to
esta'lish the full potential strength. We must remem'er that many
athletes use concentrated meatBe/tracts in concluding their preparation
for )arious contests, and this is a greater concentration of protein in
some respects that the fleshBfood itself. While such concentrated foods
may 'e of 'enefit in regard to increasing strength, it must 'e
remem'ered that they do nothing to assist elimination.
&eginning with the year !"#, when ; was apprenticed to the
late Eugen Sandow, ; ha)e held a 0ind of watching 'rief on all phases
of dietetics. My o'ser)ations and e/periences ha)e 'een in relation to
the effect of natural foods on the health, strength and )itality of many
persons of )arying professions, constitutions and ages. *f recent years
the word D)itaminsE has appeared in all matters relating to diet, and
while more of the chemistry of food is 0nown as to the effect of natural
foods on definite types of persons and digestions than was 0nown thirty
years ago. There still e/ists, howe)er, two fallacies concerning diet.
The commoner is that on should eat whate)er one fancies, and the
fallacy that is, fortunately, less common is that the larger the .uantity of
food ta0en the stronger one 'ecomes. Sir Ar'uthnot (ane wrote in
"7"F D; would say that there is no e)idence that ci)iliIed man
possesses any instinct in the matter of safe dietary, especially when
surrounded 'y de)italiIed 'ut pleasantBtasing foodstuffs, and it is too
late when damage has occurred to effect real cures 'y changes in diet.E
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This should settle the Deat what you fancyE fallacy, for this great
surgeon 0nows that those persons who gi)e way to the appeal of the
de)italiIed foods are those who later de)elop gastric, intestinal and
other diseases and, while li)ing for their stomachs, )ery fre.uently die
in the same cause.
9ow let us consider the second fallacy G that of e/cessi)e eating
for strength. ;n the first place this leads to an o)ercharge of food in the
stomach, which cannot 'e entirely digested. Also, instead of there 'eing
an increase in strength there is a loss through the large amount of
energy e/pended 'y the digesti)e organs in the struggle with this mass
of undigested food. ;ncidentally, a large .uantity of this food passes
through the 'ody undigested and is therefore wasted. This does not
refer to the unassimila'le DroughageE contained in many foods, more
particularly in stal0s of )egeta'les and integuments of grains. This
Droughage,E when of the right 0ind, cleanses the intestinal tract and
stimulates peristalsis, thus assisting elimination.
My studies and o'ser)ations of dietetics ha)e 'een of a practical
nature and ha)e dealt with the su'1ect from the three main standBpoints
of +- TissueB&uilding, +7- Heating and EnergiIing and +4- Eliminating
and &loodBCleansing.
Tiss&e@=&i#di!)"
&y this term ; mean the 'uilding of muscular tissue and not fat.
;t is undenia'le that a man possessed of superfluous adipose tissue is
unhealthy. *'esity is as much an indication of unfitness as an a'cess or
tumour. An increase in 'odyBweight is only )alua'le, therefore, if it is
'rought a'out 'y an increase in muscular tissue, and then only if it
esta'lishes 'odily symmetry, or when re.uired to gi)e additional
strength for the hea)ier sports such as weight lifting, wrestling and tugB
ofBwar. Additional weight for the runner would 'e a disad)antage
unless 'rought a'out 'y an increased de)elopment of the legs only, and
e)en they might 'ecome hea)y to an e/tent that would defeat the o'1ect
of speed. ;t has 'een said that weight in the sprinter is essential and that
mere weight will act as an impetus, once speed has 'een gained. This
is, howe)er, incorrect, inasmuch as the weight has to 'e carried< and
H7
while, while a good physi.ue is necessary for a sprinter, he should not
carry an ounce of unnecessary muscle on the shoulders and arms.
Muscular tissue can only 'e 'uilt up 'y a ri!ht amount of the
ri!ht &ind of e/ercise and a diet generous in tissueB'uilding elements.
The main tissuebuildin! foods areF @resh, lean and tender 'eef,
mutton and chic0en< nonBfatty fish such as sole and plaice, newBlaid
eggs +lightly 'oiled or poached-.
'oods that are both tissuebuildin! and ener!i(in! are the
follo)in!F +9*TE G @oods in this class are also fattening if ta0en in
e/cess of 'odily needs.- WholeBwheat foods, oatmeal, 'arley, all 0inds
of nuts, dried or fresh 'eans and peas, fresh mil0, cream, pure
+unsalted- 'utter, cheese and honey, fatty fish, such as salmon and
herring, 'eetroot, potatoes, preser)es made with pure fruit, raisins,
sultanas, muscatels, dates, figs, prunes and sugar. $emerara sugar is of
greater )alue than refined white sugar.
*loodcleansin! and eliminati#e foodsF Apples, pears, grapes,
oranges, lemons, grapeBfruit, peaches, 'lac0'erries, rasp'erries,
tomatoes, watercress, landBcress, spinach, lettuce, endi)es, celery, 0ale,
onions, garlic, &russels sprouts and all 'rassicas +ca''age family-.
Wholemeal 'read should 'e ta0en to the e/clusion of white,
although it is often difficult to o'tain wholemeal 'read of a satisfactory
.uality from ordinary 'a0ers. ;f such 'read causes any gastric
discomfort to persons with sensiti)e stomachs, it will 'e wise for them
to 0eep to one of the !uaranteed wholemeal 'reads. ; personally prefer
Allinson=s wholemeal 'read.
The list of foods ; ha)e gi)en is a )ery small one and while
there are many other similar foods, dou'tless of li0e use in their
particular categories, those ; ha)e listed are the simple and natural
foods that ha)e maintained many thousands of my pupils, as well as my
family and myself in perfect health o)er many years.
Healthy and acti)e animals maintain a )ery limited dietary and
do not lose appetite through this lac0 of )ariety. ;t is true that hunger is
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still the 'est sauce. ;f the simple foods recommended are correctly
prepared, thoroughly en1oyed and carefully masticated, gastronomic
en1oyment will 'e e/perienced and the ma/imum 'enefit to the health
gained. The most important foods for, the indi)idual should 'e ta0en at
the 'eginning of the meal.
All foods that can 'e eaten and digested in the raw state should
'e gi)en preference to those that re.uire coo0ing.
;n the )egeta'le 0ingdom there is nothing compara'le, in my
opinion, to watercress or landBcress for 'lood cleansing. &ut the eating
of a few drooping stal0s +usually descri'ed as a D'unchE- is of little
)alue. A good 'ul0 of fresh cress is necessary, 'oth for the sa0e of the
)alua'le salts, the chlorophyll and other elements in the lea)es as well
as for the DroughageE for internal cleansing in the stal0s. (andBcress
can 'e easily grown in any garden and supplies secured practically all
the year round.
The wise person a)oids all sauces, condiments and artificially
preser)ed foods. Those persons with a high secretion of acid in the
stomach and who are prone to the trou'le 0nown as acidity, should
a)oid acid foods of e)ery description< instead of using antacids to
counteract the trou'le. This high secretion of acid is not a disease 'ut is
generally proof of a powerful digestion in regard to flesh foods. ;t is
only when the acid is augmented 'y the ta0ing of other acids
+especially unripe fruit, )inegar and certain 'rews of 'eer- that
heart'urn is e/perienced and e)en gastric ulcer de)eloped.
Alcohol and malt li.uors can only in1ure the delicate
mem'ranes of the internal organs and those who ta0e them should do
so in the greatest moderation.
To sum up, only simple foods in small )ariety and in as natural
a condition as possi'le should 'e ta0en at one meal. @rom day to day
proportions of the elements of the three forms of diet may 'e )aried to
suit e/isting conditions.
;f the weight is too low increase the inta0e of protein and
H?
energiIing foods. ;f the elimination is not perfect it indicates that
insufficient eliminating food is 'eing ta0en. To increase energy for
athletic feats increase the ration of energiIing foods, 'ut always ta0e
care to 'e moderate in the consumption of proteins and energiIing
foods.
2enerosity with 'loodBcleansing foods, especially ripe fruits
and green )egeta'les, would 'e 'eneficial and one can hardly eat too
much of this 0ind of food.
The num'er of meals ta0en daily must to a certain e/tent
depend on one=s profession and con)enience in these matters. @rom my
own e/perience and o'ser)ations the highest condition of health seems
to 'e gained on two meals daily when one is a'le to arrange matters in
that way.
;f, for e/ample, the first meal can 'e ta0en a'out a.m. And
the second and final meal at # p.m., a )ery good period of rest is gi)en
to the digesti)e machinery, assuming that the final meal were digested
'y the time one retired for the night, say, at 8 to p.m. 2i)en from !
to " hours= sleep +the latter would 'e necessary for the athlete in
training- one wold rise at from # to ! a.m. This gi)es a clue to the
general arrangement of the two meals daily plan, when the hours of
rising and retiring are later or earlier than those mentioned.
Dri!ki!)"
As far as we 0now, water is the only natural li.uid suita'le for
ingestion in apprecia'le .uantities. The water in fresh fruits and
)egeta'les cannot 'e estimated as to .uantity and it would 'e hard to
ma0e any definite suggestion as to the amount of water that should 'e
ta0en in one day 'y any person. $esire should control the .uestion and
as much water ta0en as re.uired +in small .uantities- o)er the whole
day.
Ge!era# %&#es to be o##o+ed"
$o not ta0e a crum' of solid food 'etween the fi/ed mealBtimes.
$o not drin0 at meal times 'ut only 'etween meals. Ta0e water as
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desired 'etween meals and prefera'ly an hour from any meal, either
'efore or after. Ta0e the final meal at least three hours 'efore retiring,
as digestion practically ceases with sleep, when tissueB'uilding 'egins.
$o not ta0e a meal within three hours 'efore an athletic contest.
5educe all solid food to a fluid in the month 'y thorough
mastication 'efore swallowing. This should 'e a leisurely and
en1oya'le proceeding and it will ensure that all food is digested and that
greater energy and nourishment are o'tained from the food. Thus, a
smaller .uantity of food would get a 'etter result than would 'e the
case when food passes through the 'ody undigested in the manner
referred to earlier in the chapter.
*ne should always stop eating at the first signs of satisfaction as
all food ta0en after that only hinders digestion and pre)ents the full
'enefit 'eing o'tained from the food.
The mind should 'e free of all pro'lems when food is 'eing
ta0en and all mealBtimes should 'e periods of happy con)ersation,
consideration and courtesy to the rest of the company.
S*eci$ic S&))estio!s o! =&i#di!) M&sc&#ar Tiss&e"
The diet should contain a higher percentage of proteins than
car'ohydrates +sugars and starches-. Thus, pure, lean meat would 'e a
more suita'le food for 'uilding muscular tissue than wheat, as the latter
contains a considera'le percentage of starch. &ut wheat is the more
desira'le food from the health standpoint. Wheat would 'e 'etter than
meat for one wishing to 'uild up tissue during strenuous e/ercise such
as rowing. The oarsman would get the muscleB'uilding elements and
the energiIing elements as well, without the li0elihood of putting on
fat, as the strenuous rowing would 'urn this up. *n the other hand, the
man wishing to put on muscular tissue for the purpose of lifting hea)y
weights would naturally 'e 'etter ser)ed with meat or poultry, eggs and
mil0, for his efforts ha)e to 'e concentrated into a few powerful ones
and he will ac.uire adipose tissue if he ta0es an e/cess of energiIing
food. The weightBlifter does not re.uire the endurance of the oarsman
'ut he needs tremendous power for e/ertion at a gi)en moment and if
HK
he ta0es fats, sugars and starches in e/cess of his re.uirements he
would put on fatty tissue which would 'e useless to him for lifting and
an encum'rance if he were lifting in any class 'elow hea)yweight.
Also, if he included strenuous e/ercise in his training of a nature that
would tend to 'urn up the fat he would 'e doing the wrong 0ind of
training for weightBlifting and he would not 'e a'le to conser)e
sufficient energy for a 88 per cent. effort at his lifting.
As ; ha)e pointed out elsewhere, a weightBlifter needs
concentrated power to ma0e ma/imum efforts while the oarsman needs
less concentrated power 'ut greater endurance.
A diet containing a high percentage of energiIing foods is useful
to the distance runner, or in fact, any athlete who has to spread his
efforts o)er a long period. He will, of course, 'e in no danger of putting
on adipose tissue.
The rules concerning en1oyment and thorough mastication are
of the greatest importance to anyone who wishes to 'uild up healthy
muscular tissue.
S*eci$ic S&))estio!s o! Wei)ht@%ed&ctio!"
Weight reduction in connection with sport is often necessary for
an athlete to 0eep within a certain weight limit. *ften an athlete finds
himself midBway 'etween to weight classes and he then usually wishes
to reduce 'elow his normal weight so that he can get into the lower
weightBclass, rather than concede weight to opponents in the hea)ier
class. ;t is generally assumed that it is safer to 'e a little 'elow one=s
normal weight than to meet opponents se)eral pounds hea)ier and
correspondingly stronger.
The ad)antage in strength that a few pounds of muscle gi)es is
far in e/cess of the mere weight. Conse.uently weightBreduction is a
)ery important part of the training of 'o/ers and e)en of weightBlifters.
There is nothing difficult in remo)ing 8 per cent. of a healthy man=s
weight in a few wee0s< 'ut to do this and retain his strength and
endurance is not so simple. ;f you 'elie)e, for instance, that a
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thoroughly fit athlete whose natural weight in training is stone can
'e as strong and enduring at 8N stone you will not 'e thin0ing
logically. &ut it is often possi'le for a man to ta0e off this proportion of
weight without wea0ening )itality, so that he is in possession of
proportionate power at the reduced weight. Thus, if the Bstone
weightBlifter were a'le to ele)ate twice his 'odyBweight a'o)e head,
which would 'e 48! l'., if 'rought to 8N stone 'y s0illed training he
should still 'e a'le to ele)ate the dou'le 'odyBweight, which in this
case would 'e 7"? l'.
&ut a man whose weight has 'een reduced 'y drastic e/ercise,
artificial sweating, purging or any other clumsy and unscientific
method< must 'e wea0ened. Therefore, all weightBreduction of the
muscular man must 'e accomplished 'y dietetics, and his strength 'e
maintained 'y 1ust the right amount of specialiIed e/ercise to meet the
re.uirements of his sport.
;n the case of the athlete re.uiring endurance as well as
strength, cereal foods can 'e ta0en< 'ut for the man re.uiring
concentrated strength at a reduced 'odyBweight, the main diet should 'e
selected from lean meat, poultry and eggs, while fruits must 'e used to
0eep the 'owels acti)e and green )egeta'les +in the raw state, if
possi'le- to 0eep the 'lood cleansed and the )ascular system supple.
TissueB'uilding food must, of course, 'e ta0en in cases
re.uiring weightBreduction, 'ut such food should not 'e ta0en in e/cess
of needs, or e)en in a .uantity li0ely to maintain the tissue at its
e/isting weight. The 'odyBweight must, of course, 'e carefully chec0ed
daily, so that no drastic reduction in weight is permitted. A cle)er
trainer does not 0eep his charge=s weight reduced for a long period
'efore a contest or recordB'rea0ing effort< for to remain 'elow one=s
normal weight for long may result in general wea0ness. The trainer
should find out e/actly how long it ta0es to safely reduce his man=s
weight to the desired le)el and this weight should 'e reached shortly
'efore the weighingBin ceremony.
;n the case of the weightBlifter the 'odyBweight is usually ta0en
at the actual time of the contest, and when a record is 'ro0en the lifter
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is usually weighed immediately afterwards.
The weighingBin ceremony for 'o/ers is often carried out
se)eral hours 'efore the contest and this should ena'le a man to put
'ac0 a certain amount of weight 'y rest and nourishment. The 'o/er
can often reach the desired weight limit 'efore a contest 'y a dryingB
out process. This should 'e arranged to suit the time of the weighingBin
and is accomplished effecti)ely 'y refraining from any form of drin0
for a few hours. ;f the final training admits of a gentle perspiration
'eing secured the 'ody should 'e carefully wiped afterwards to pre)ent
any reBa'sorption of water, and this will usually result in a reduction of
appro/imately 7 oIs to each stone of 'odyBweight. ;mmediately after
the weighingBin, water or meat e/tract can 'e sipped until within a short
time of the contest. A weighingBin at 7 p.m. for a contest in the e)ening
would allow se)eral hours for rest and restoring the normal water
content of the 'lood. This would result in an apprecia'le increase in
weight.
Thus it will 'e seen that weightBreducing in the athlete who is
not carrying any adipose tissue must 'e carried out without physical
strain and must in)ol)e a lower rate of 'uilding, rather than an
increased rate of 'rea0ingBdown tissue, as well as the reduction of the
waterBcontent of the 'lood for a definitely decided period 'efore the
weighingBin. &ut during the actual conditioning of the 'ody 'y training,
water should not 'e restricted for it is necessary to 0eep the organs of
elimination +including the s0in- completely and thoroughly acti)e. ;t is
recommended that the athlete should first disco)er how much weight
he can reduce 'y the dryingBout process, so that he does not reduce the
muscular tissue 'y an ounce more than is necessary. Water can 'e
replaced in less than an hour, 'ut muscle may ta0e days to replace and
moreo)er, loss of muscular tissue, e)en though the )itality 'e at its
'est< must result in a corresponding loss of strength, as e/plained
earlier in the chapter.
;n conclusion, ; wish to say that DdryingBoutE is not a necessary
part of training or conditioning of the 'ody 'ut only a method of getting
an athlete Dpast the scalesE.
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The athlete who does not ha)e to complete in a special weightB
class, or who has a natural weight for his class, should ne)er ha)e to
resort to the DdryingBoutE process.
The historical instance of weight reduction was the case of the
match for the " st. # l'. WeightBlifting Championship of the World
'etween Soguel and Car.uest. The latter was the Dcrac0E pupil of
Thomas ;nch and Soguel +a man of H ft. # in. in height- had unwisely
made this match at the " st. # l'. limit. Soguel came to me three wee0s
'efore the match to ta0e on a lost cause, as he weighed 8 st. # l'. of
pure 'one and muscle and could not ta0e off a pound, ; reduced his
weight to " st. K l'. within the three wee0s and he too0 the world=s " st.
# l'. championship from Car.uest. This match too0 place on ,uly !th,
".
As a contrast, %y'ysco, the wrestling champion, trained at my
house in @inchley for increased weight, and )ery successfully, too. As
he started in the neigh'ourhood of 78 st., the matter was a more
e/pensi)e one than that of Soguel. %y'sco was one of the .uic0est
wrestlers in the hea)yBweight class and he used neither apparatus nor
hea)y weights in his training.
HOW TO A%%I-E AT A CONTEST
IN 'E%ECT CONDITION
An athlete=s condition on the day of contest depends on his
training a'solutely, and it may 'e truly said that many athletes arri)ing
at the )enue in perfect condition ha)e had much of the good wor0
undone 'y unscientific handling. To e/clude for a moment the .uestion
of physical strength and athletic s0ill in the particular sport, let us
consider how an athlete can 'e at his 'est mentally and physically, with
the energy and )itality at their Ienith, on the day and at the hour of
contest.
@irstly, there must 'e a suita'le period of rest from all really
strenuous acti)ity of whate)er 0ind, and, secondly, the appropriate use
of light e/ercise and suita'le diet during that period of rest, to maintain
functional acti)ity. Complete rest from strenuous physical acti)ity
K8
fre.uently slows up some of the functions, more particularly
elimination 'y the s0in, lungs, 0idneys and 'owels. And while this rest
is essential to ensure that the muscular condition is fully restored after
the pre)ious acti)ities, and the energies must 'e generously conser)ed<
the 'loodBstream must 'e 0ept cleansed, and a good circulation of the
'lood effecti)ely maintained. This is where muscle control and a
0nowledge of simple dietetics will help. ; must digress for a moment to
mention an important fact. Some athletes who perspire freely during
training find that when not training they get a 'etter clearance of the
'owels. This is 'ecause the perspiration decreases the water content of
the 'lood and also washes out the salts from the 'lood. &ut the athlete
who finds that elimination is inclined to slow up during the period of
rest can com'at this difficulty 'y adopting a more eliminati)e diet. This
is another matter dealt with under its own heading. ;t is not necessary to
ma0e any change in the usual diet, 'ut only in the proportions of the
diet. Assuming that there is no difficulty in regard to the 'odyBweight,
then it will only 'e necessary to increase the eliminati)e foods. ;f the
muscular weight is too great, then there can 'e a decrease in the
consumption of the proteins and so on. &ut rest from strenuous acti)ity
is not the whole of the scheme, for e)en the general acti)ities of life can
'e tiring. Tissue is 'eing 'ro0en down during the whole of wa0ing
hours, and this includes cere'ral, ner)ous and muscular tissue. While
plenty of sleep is necessary for the athlete, he should also arrange
matters to ma0e rela/ation a ha'it. The athlete who is suddenly
e/horted to Dta0e it easyE may 'ecome ner)y. &ut the acti)e man who
has made rela/ation and the conser)ation of energy a part of his
training can get e/cellent results, for he will 'e a'le to find some form
of mental occupation that will pre)ent his thoughts re)erting to the
sport or the contest. The 'rain must 'e fresh as well as the 'ody, and
constant 'rooding o)er the possi'le result of a contest, or the
)isualiIing of the actual physical mo)ements, may de)elop
apprehension and impair mental concentration. Hence, rela/ation
should 'e rehearsed, and a light recreation sought, such as reading, that
will occupy the mind pleasura'ly while the 'ody is resting. ;n those
sports where the legs ha)e to 'ear the main 'runt of the performance it
is an e/cellent plan to 0eep off the legs as much as possi'le and adopt
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)arious recum'ent positions, rather than sitting positions. This remo)es
strain from the legs and spinal muscles. The ne/t .uestion of
importance concerns the time of day scheduled for the start of the
contest. The athlete who trains in the e)ening for a contest that is to
ta0e place in the morning is wor0ing under considera'le disad)antages
as the 'ody will not 'e ready to respond to its limit. The athlete should
always endea)our to train under conditions that will pre)ail at the
contest and at the same hour that it will ta0e place. The man who trains
in the morning for a contest that will ta0e place in the e)ening is in a
worse position still, for his energy will 'e on the wane when it should
'e at its highest. *ne could argue that if se)eral days= rest is ta0en from
training, it would not matter at what hour one was accustomed to train,
'ut this is not the fact. A ha'it of 'ody will not change in a wee0. &ut in
any e)ent, the daily life should 'e arranged as far as possi'le to ensure
the )itality 'eing at its highest at the time of the contest. ;n regard to
the hours of sleep, one who is 'y ha'it an early riser is ready to retire
early in the e)ening, and one who is ready for sleep is not in condition
to gi)e his 'est physical performance.
Most professional athletes wor0ing on the stage or performing
in the e)ening ma0e a ha'it of sleeping in the afternoon, if only for half
an hour. This mental and physical rela/ation freshens them for their
e)ening=s wor0. This power to sleep almost at will during the day has to
'e ac.uired 'y practice, and cannot always 'e attained at the first
attempt.
;t should, therefore, 'e made clear that the real training should
'e carried out as near as possi'le to the actual time that the contest is
scheduled to ta0e place. The indi)idual must disco)er for himself 'y
e/periment how many hours he should sleep to gain his ma/imum of
energy and strength, and how many hours after wa0ing he is at his 'est.
He must also disco)er for himself how many days he must rest from
strenuous e/ercise 'efore a contest, to gain his highest com'ination of
strength and stamina without losing s0ill. Aery little s0ill, if any, would
'e lost in sports demanding definite mechanical mo)ements, such as
rowing, running and swimming, pro)iding that the performer is e/pert
and 0nows e/actly what he intends to do. And in any case, light control
K7
mo)ements and a proper period de)oted to fullBtidal 'reathing 1ust
'efore starting a contest will get the muscles ready to respond perfectly
and .uic0ly. @ull potential range of mo)ement will ha)e 'een gained,
the circulation esta'lished and the 'lood fully o/ygenated. The good
trainer will arrange to get his man to the )enue of the contest as near to
the time of starting as possi'le, and 0eep him out of the crowd and in
warmth and comfort until it is a'solutely necessary for him to appear.
The contestant should 'e properly protected, and not su'1ected to any
handBsha0ing, 1ostling, standing a'out or anything else that is li0ely to
tire him or tend to un'alance the mental concentration or deplete the
energy. Any looseningBup in addition to the control mo)ements and
fullBtidal 'reathing already referred to should ha)e 'een done 'efore
hand, so that respiration has 'ecome normal 'efore the actual start of
the contest. StairBclim'ing, 'agBcarrying, unaccustomed tra)elling and
lastBminute ad)ice from wellBmeaning friends, all tend to tire and
impair freshness and concentration.
Perhaps the most important condition of all, especially to the
sprinter, who has to get into top gear instantaneously, is complete and
thorough 'odily warmth. Mere superficial warmth is not sufficient. The
contestant should 'e warmly clad from the time he dresses after getting
up from sleeping, to the last possi'le moment 'efore the contest. The
American sweatBsuit is a suita'le garment for retaining warmth on the
athletic field 'efore races, etc., as it can 'e donned and remo)ed in a
matter of seconds.
The condition most li0ely to 'other a contestant is
unaccustomed en)ironment. A 'o/er, for instance, who has ne)er
pre)iously 'een in the ring although ha)ing trained thoroughly in the
gymnasium, is at a disad)antage against the seasoned 'o/er. All
intending 'o/ers should ser)e a sort of apprenticeship 'y seconding
other 'o/ers. The 'o/er should 'ecome so accustomed to the inside of
the ring that he can o'literate from his mind all sounds outside it. &y
'ecoming a s0ilful second, the intending 'o/er will realiIe the real
needs of the 'o/er during a contest, and he will learn 1ust what he will
re.uire of his seconds when he is a contestant.
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*ne occasionally sees good seconding, 'ut not )ery often.
;nstances could 'e gi)en 'y the doIen to pro)e that principals ha)e
'een so 'adly handled 'y their seconds, to the e/tent of losing the
contest. 2ood seconding can win a fight 1ust as 'ad seconding can lose
it. 5emem'er that a good athlete Dtrained stale,E or 'rought to a contest
tired or 1aded, often falls a )ictim to the tyro.
The illustration is of Tom Hancoc0,
performing e/ercise D9E of Ma/alding and
showing to what degree of de)elopment the
(atissimus $orsi muscles +the punching muscles-
can 'e 'rought 'y this means.
%<NNING
This is one of the most natural of sports and, in addition to
forming a )ery important 'ranch of athletics in itself, enters into most
games and sports.
&ut there are three main degrees of running employed and they
are Sprinting, MiddleB$istance and (ongB$istance running.
Sprinting is the form of running re.uired in most sports and
most team games, including hoc0ey, Soccer, 5ugger and e)en cric0et.
The essentials of good sprinting are great leg strength, great leg
suppleness, long stride, perfect refle/ and good general physi.ue. There
are )arious ways of strengthening the legs for sprinting without actually
sprinting. ; will descri'e two of these methods, the first ha)ing 'een
used 'y one of the greatest sprinters of toBday, and perhaps of all time.
(et us first consider a fact that is not generally appreciated. The
first action of the leg in running is to ad)ance with the o'1ect of placing
the foot as far to the front as possi'le without loss of style. Then the leg
first +ulls the 'ody forward until the 'ody is directly a'o)e the foot and
then the leg starts to +ush the 'ody forward. Therefore, any e/ercise for
K?
running which is not actually running must train 'oth the pulling as
well as the pushing muscles of the leg and no s0ipping or deep 0neeB
'ending is li0ely to do this sufficiently. The first method of training that
; am a'out to descri'e is designed, firstly, to fully strengthen and
control e)ery part of the leg used in sprinting and esta'lish coB
ordination with the )arious 'odyBmuscles that control the mo)ements
of the thighs.
THE ECE5C;SE. G Adopt a sem'lance of the starting position
in the sprint with the weight resting on the fingerBtips and feet. Then,
with sufficient weight resting on the arms, 'ring the ad)anced leg
forward until the thigh contacts the 'ody. At this point the rear leg
should 'e fully e/tended 'ac0ward and .uite straight, thus ma0ing the
greatest possi'le separation 'etween the feet in this position. Then, 'y
slidin! the front foot 'ac0ward until the leg is straight and
simultaneously liftin! the rear foot to the front, the position of the legs
is re)ersed. This esta'lishes an e/aggerated sprinting action of the legs.
>ou will note that the rear foot must 'e lifted to the front while the front
foot slides to the rear. The two actions must 'e simultaneous. When the
mo)ement can 'e performed with a certain amount of accuracy the
speed should 'e gradually increased until the legs are mo)ing at full
speed. The performer should appear to 'e endea)ouring to sprint
forward 'ut is una'le to do so as his feet 0eep sliding 'ac0ward. @or
success in this e/ercise, the soles and toes of the shoes must 'e of a
hard and smooth material and the floor polished. There are four o'1ects
to 'e gained 'y this e/ercise and all must 'e considered. The first is to
strengthen the whole of the leg, and the 'iceps muscle at the 'ac0 of the
leg can only 'e strengthened if the leg contacts the ground as it is 'eing
e/tended. The second o'1ect is to esta'lish speed and control in the
forward mo)ement of the leg. The third o'1ect is to esta'lish and retain
the greatest possi'le length of stride and to secure this as time goes on,
the forward leg should 'e more and more ad)anced until the foot
actually arri)es on a le)el with the hands. The performer should reach
forward with the toe and fully point the toe of the rear foot to gain that
perfect delicacy of footwor0, that pic0s up inches in the actual sprint.
The fourth o'1ect is to esta'lish perfect rhythm and great leg speed.
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Master this e/ercise )ery carefully and, as more proficiency is gained,
ta0e a little more weight o)er to the legs and off the arms. When a
perfect techni.ue has 'een esta'lished the performer should gradually
increase the speed of the mo)ement, always ma0ing sure that no fault
enters into the action. He should also concentrate on the powerful pull
and thrust of the leg that is 'eing ta0en to the rear, for this is the
mo)ement that actually propels the 'ody in running. @inally, a count
should 'e ta0en of the num'er of full and perfect mo)ements that can
'e e/ecuted in 8 seconds. ;f a line is mar0ed on the floor to ensure the
length of the forward mo)ement and to ensure that the stride is not
'eing shortened, it will 'e possi'le 'y timing to get a )ery good idea of
impro)ements in speed from time to time.
This is only for home training and must 'e used with care and
due regard to the necessity of resting for at least two days from such
e/ercise 'efore testing oneself in an actual sprint. The techni.ue of the
sprint is not co)ered 'y this e/ercise, 'ecause the sprinter must
maintain 'alance and direction, and no weight is ta0en on the arms as
in the e/ercise. The e/ercise is only an au/illiary to training and will
definitely increase the power and speed, pro)iding the essential rest is
ta0en 'etween each 'out and 'efore the actual sprinting.
When training for a race it will 'e wise to lea)e this e/ercise
alone and concentrate on the actual sprinting. &ut when training to
impro)e techni.ue and gain greater power, the mo)ements should 'e
employed 'oth slowly +using the longest and lowest stride possi'le-
and )ery speedily as though sprinting. This will gi)e the muscles a
concentrated form of wor0 that is unli0ely to 'e o'tained in sprinting.
With regard to the techni.ue of actual sprinting, only slow practice can
esta'lish this, 'ut if one steadily de)elops case of mo)ement and
'alance, allowing )ery small detail +such as turn of the hip, the action
of the hands and arms, the full e/tension of the rear foot and the
a)oidance of any 'ounding or 1umping mo)ement- to recei)e its proper
attention, the perfect mo)ement with the propulsion at its strongest and
swiftest will ensue. ;n practice a modified sprint with an e/aggerated
'end of the 0nees might help, 'ecause in actual sprinting a greater
strain is thrown on the 0nees and the additional leg strength gained 'y
KK
this practice would pre)ent any tendency to staggering. When the slow
practice has resulted in full potential strideBlength and perfect 'alance
'eing esta'lished, the pace should 'e gradually increased with the
0nees still 'ent more than would 'e used in racing 'ut not to an e/tent
that will de)elop faults. 5est 'etween practices should 'e used whether
one is training for a race or not until the legs are perfectly fresh. When
training for the shorter distances the sprinter should 'e sure to count the
strides he uses o)er the distance when he is accomplishing good time.
Then, 'y counting the strides from time to time during training he will
'e a'le to ma0e sure that the stride is not 'eing allowed to shorten. We
ha)e all 'een told not to get the stride too long and so spoil the speed,
'ut it would ta0e a lot of speed in action to ma0e up for the loss of an
inch in stride. ;t is therefore necessary to de)elop and maintain as long
a stride as possi'le, pro)iding that it can 'e used without loss of ease in
action. ;n short, ac.uire the long stride in practice and then wor0 for
speed. &oth stride and speed must 'e ac.uired in practice, 'ut the
correct action +or stride- should come first< 'ecause wor0ing for speed
first may result in the de)elopment of a 'ad style.
&efore testing himself on the sprint or actual racing the runner
should 'e thoroughly o/ygenate the 'lood 'y fullBtidal 'reathing, and
tune his refle/ 'y performing a few Dleg cyclingE mo)ements while
lying supine. Then shortly 'efore the actual start he should trot around
for a few easy paces 'efore the actual start he should trot around for a
few easy paces to get a proper 'loodBcirculation in the legs and 0eep
the fullBtidal 'reathing going so that the 'lood is thoroughly preB
o/ygenated. The final preparation is mo)ing towards the starting line
while regaining perfectly normal respiration. At the moment of
assuming the starting position the runner should 'reathe easily 'ut
retain a good )olume of air in the lungs. This will ena'le him to get
away with the 'reath held, and if the distance is not greater than 88
yards the 'reath can 'e held for the full distance, pro)iding that the
'lood has 'een preBo/ygenated as pre)iously e/plained. A forward
inclination of the 'ody seems to 'e most fa)oured 'y sprinters 'ut the
'est degree of inclination for speed must 'e ascertained during practice.
Hand and arm action should also recei)e its proper share of attention in
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the ac.uiring of a perfect style. Ac.uire a handBmo)ement on the same
principle of that used in swimming. There is not the same resistance in
the air as there is in water 'ut a soft sliding mo)ement of the hand as it
tra)els forward, followed 'y a powerful stri0ing mo)ement of the
forearm as it tra)els 'ac0ward will enhance the possi'ilities of
impro)ing the time. *nly small matters these, 'ut it is the de)elopment
of such small points that ena'les records to 'e 'ro0en.
MiddleBdistance running naturally re.uires a greater degree of
endurance than sprinting and the training should differ correspondingly.
Howe)er, the middleBdistance man must 'e a'le to sprint and so the
foregoing remar0s apply to him also. Training to gain the 'est results
must, therefore, 'e founded on a proper 'lending of the sprinter=s
re.uirements and condition, 'ut with less e/penditure of effort at any
part of the race. AntiBrhytmic 'reathing can 'e used in middleBdistance
running. ;n the mile and longer distances the real sprinting power
'ecomes less )alua'le 'ut a fast and easy stride essential. The longer
the distance the runner intends specialiIing on, the lighter should his
upperB'ody de)elopment 'e in relation to his legs. ;n fact, a light 'uild
in proportion to height must 'e considered a great ad)antage. ; would
not ad)ise any special e/ercises for the longBdistance runner=s upper
'ody, with the e/ception of those that directly de)elop the respiratory
muscles, such as e/ercises D&E and DME of Ma/alding. The strategy of
a longBdistance race is often controlled 'y the methods employed 'y
one or more of the other competitors. &ut if a runner can 0eep to his
own time, in the manner so consistenly and successfully used 'y the
wonderful @inn, 9urmi, he will always run the race in his 'est time,
and if this time is 'etter than any that his opponents can put up, this
should 'e his scheme, as it would sa)e him from any strategy employed
'y other competitors, either singly or in concert. ; cannot 'elie)e that
the erratic changes of speed ; ha)e seen ad)ised in )arious schedules
can possi'ly result in a runner=s 'est time 'eing accomplished. To
disco)er e/actly how fast to run at e)ery stage of a race in)ol)es
patience, careful tests, and the necessity of 'eing in top condition for
each test. ; ha)e read the )iews of many great trainers and runners and
they all seem to conflict. So it seems that nothing 'ut carefully recorded
K!
indi)idual e/periment can gi)e any real answer to the .uestion. &ut in
any case, careful training as to style and 'reathing must 'e regarded as
essential, and a'solute freshness of mind and 'ody must pre)ail at the
same time of the race. @inally, if the runner has to accelerate at the end
of a race he should not ma0e the mista0e of struggling or staggering,
'ut 'y concentration should endea)our to increase the speed of his leg
action.
;n a world of chaotic claims and contradictions, it is good to see
youths 0eeping their heads and choosing the same and natural way to
Mental and Physical Health. Many such ha)e 'een depicted in
Ma/alding announcements in the Press since "8", and here is another
G not much more than a 'eginner, as he is only !N years old. This
Dsnap,E ta0en during April of the present year, is a )ery fine e/position
of the CentraliIation of the A'dominalBwall, disco)ered and pu'liciIed
'y Ma/alding in "8".
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STA%TING STANCE O% THE S'%INT
The a'o)e s0etch shows the starting position for the sprint used
successfully 'y &en ,ohnson, of the :.S.A. This athlete has an
amaIingly fast and smooth start, and his position is the 'est for proper
weight distri'ution that could possi'ly 'e de)ised. $ue consideration
must 'e gi)en to the fact that the 'ac0 is rounded and that the 'end of
the 0nees is not e/aggerated. The o)erB'ending of the leg decreases
power, and this fine ad1ustment to 'ody and legs has 'een )ery cle)erly
wor0ed out.
;t will 'e seen from the position of the feet in the holes and the
'end of the 0nees that 'oth legs can 'e used propulsi)ely at the start.
This naturally augments speed, and pre)ents the straining of the 'ac0 of
the thigh so common to sprinters, who try to thrust the whole weight off
with one leg only. 9ote that the hands are wide enough apart to ensure
a good lateral 'alance, and to allow of the full chest e/pansion
necessary for a good air inflation at the moment of the start, after which
the 'reath must 'e held. The almost )ertical position of the feet ensures
a direct 'ac0ward thrust of the toes, and a corresponding forward and
low action from the first stride. 9ote also that the thum's and inde/
fingers are in line.
While it is admitted that different sprinters, with their )arying
'odily proportions, must each adopt a stance to suit himself, the stance
depicted herewith is a sound one on which to found it. *nly continual
e/periment and practice with careful tests in timing for the first ten
#8
yards can pro)e definitely what is the 'est starting stance for the
indi)idual.
Practice should 'e carefully carried out, perfect style 'eing
aimed at rather than speed at first. Too much practice with full effort
would 'e too great a strain on the legs, and must reduce the actual
sprinting speed.
THE AGET@AWA;B O% THE S'%INT
The upper s0etch shows the position of &en ,ohnson when he is
1ust Dout of the holes.E The contrast in position of the fingers of the
right and left hands should 'e noted. The ad)ancing hand has the
fingers rela/ed and 'ent, while the rear hand, which is the stri0ing hand
in running, has the fingers fully e/tended. The concentration is
therefore on the stri0ing hand.
The lower s0etch shows the style used 'y that genius of running
and sprinting, A.2.M. &rown, ma0ing his first stride from the starting
line. Although the 'ody is carried low, it will 'e seen that the 0nee is
raised high enough to allow of ample clearance of the ad)ancing foot.
The fists are lightly clenched and the arm action is almost aggressi)e.
A.2.M. &rown is the most consistent of runners, and has cloc0ed
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amaIing times in the 88, 778, 488, ??8 and !!8 yards. His style and
action are flawless. His a'ility to increase speed near the end of a race
is outstanding, and this is accomplished 'y an acceleration of perfect
leg action. All 0een sprinters should try to see A.2.M. &rown in action.
8<M'ING
;n no other form of athleticism is such a great di)ersity of style
found as in 1umping. We can only deal with the high 1ump here, and
#7
although there are so many different forms of running up for the Dta0e
off,E and each 1umper ta0es off at his own fa)ourite angle and distance
from the 'ar, there can 'e little dou't that a definite 'est position of the
'ody at the time it passes or rolls o)er the 'ar must apply to all
1umpers.
The accompanying illustration shows the style used 'y
Cornelius ,ohnson, of :.S.A., as he passes o)er the 'ar, and it seems
o')ious that no position could 'e 'etter for the purpose. The whole
'ody passes o)er the 'ar at the smallest possi'le distance from the
ground, and this method must therefore get 'etter results than those in
which the head and shoulders are o)er so much higher than the legs.
The high 1ump is a feat re.uiring careful and accurate practice, so that
the performer 0nows e/actly how to get the 'est results from his own
physi.ue. The Drun upE for the Dta0e offE should 'e studied step 'y
step, and an accurate distance measured off, so that there will 'e no
misBtiming at the actual 1ump. ;f wrong striding is used it may result in
the last stride 'eing too short or too long.
Ha)ing e/perimented until the 'est possi'le Drun upE has 'een
gained, the position for the actual 1ump should 'e ascertained 'y steady
practice o)er comforta'le heights, and the position for the Dta0e offE
modified to allow of a perfect action 'eing de)eloped. ;f the Dta0e offE
is made too far from the 'ar loss of height will result, while if it is too
near to the 'ar loss of clearance must result. Consistently fine
performance of the high 1ump can only 'e gained 'y great accuracy in
regard to the Drun upE and Dta0e off.E
As 1umping is so indi)idual an affair, general suggestions can
only usefully 'e made.
As it is a test demanding a great fund of energy, it has to 'e one
splendid effort, or more lesser efforts, as in weightBlifting.
;f a 1umper is perfectly prepared and confident, he will 'e a'le
to do a good 1ump at the first attempt, after properly Dwarming upE and
getting the refle/ into order. The style should 'e de)elop 'y using a
sufficient 'end of the 0nees to get the greatest ele)ation. Then the angle
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of Dta0e offE must 'e of a nature that will allow the 'ody to ta0e a line
parallel to the 'ar at the top of the 1ump. @ull use should 'e made of all
the leg muscles, especially in getting the full lift from the toes.
Practice and testing should 'e used on separate occasions, for
a'solute freshness of the whole muscular system is necessary for the
full potential height to 'e cleared.
Special e/ercises that strengthen and control the a'dominal
muscles +'oth rectus and obli,ue- will gi)e a 'etter refle/ for 'ringing
the legs up after they ha)e finished lifting the 'ody. Cadence here is
important, for a too sudden lifting of the legs would tend to halt the
upward mo)ement of the 'ody. The legs should 'e 'rought up 'ent,
when a forward thrust of the arms can 'e used to assist in throwing the
'ody o)er sideways. Smoothness of action, good timing and rhythm,
must 'e ac.uired, e)en though a longer period of preparation is entailed
in perfecting e)ery stage of the 1ump.
Mr. W. ,. Hunt, whose photograph
appears herewith, wrote after training for 1ust
o)er a year on Ma/aldingF G
DE)eryone though ; had reached my
limit 'oth in Strength and $e)elopment. ; ha)e
amaIed e)eryone, including myself. ; was cured
of catarrh, my only wea0ness, after trying
e)erything. ; was 8 st. ! l'. of solid 'one and
muscle when ; started Ma/alding. ToBday ; am
st. l'. and still as solid in muscle and
stronger allBround.E
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=OXING
The magic word, D'o/ing,E apparently co)ers a multitude of
meanings, from the friendly DsparE to the terrific 'attles of the really
great hea)yBweights.
There must 'e tens of thousands of 'o/ers if the term is used in
a complimentary way, 'ut comparati)ely few really fine e/ponents.
There is an unlimited supply of Dscrappers,E howe)er, and this
scrapping seems to pass for 'o/ing if the enthusiasm of the audiences
attending this form of entertainment is any criterion.
&ut the really cle)er 'o/er is a rarity nowadays, and 'y the time
a man realiIes what the true fundamentals of good 'o/ing are, he is
usually past the age when he can use this 0nowledge for himself and he
will 'e )ery fortunate if he finds a youth of suita'le inclination and
physi.ue ready to assimilate the sound and simple ad)ice necessary to
produce the firstBclass performer.
@irst, let us analyse the simple fundamentals of good 'o/ing.
The 'asis of 'o/ing is good footwor0 and the ne/t essential is a sound
defence, first 'y parrying and stopping punches and then 'y slipping
and a)oiding punches. The counterBattac0, with 'lows that will 'e
effecti)e should come when the defence is perfect.
A S&mmary o$ Im*orta!t =#o+s"
STA9CE. The feet should ne)er 'e widely separated, for 'y
0eeping them rear to each other it is possi'le to ad)ance swiftly 'y
mo)ing the front foot .uic0ly forward or retreat swiftly 'y mo)ing the
rear foot 'ac0ward. Correct stance is necessary, whether for the purpose
of e)asion, attac0 or hard punching. ;f the feet are too widely separated,
perfect footwor0 is impossi'le.
THE (E@T (EA$. Stand with the left foot slightly in ad)ance
of the right. The right foot should 'e across the line of the punch and
flat on the ground to ta0e the pressure. The left toe only should contact
the ground, to allow a swift turn of the foot +the heel tra)elling
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outward- at the moment of the punch. @rom this simple stance the
shoulder should 'e turned swiftly to the edgeBon or line position. A test
with the punch 'ag will pro)e that the left side of the 'ody should 'e
turned so completely towards the opponent that a line is esta'lished
with the arm and 'ody pointing straight at the opponent. The shoulder
1oint is the wea0est of all 1oints on account of its greater mo'ility and it
is therefore necessary for the head of the humerus +'one of the upperB
arm- to 'e in the centre of the soc0et at the moment the punch impacts.
When the left arm and the shoulders are forming a straight line and
pointing straight towards the opponent this is 0nown as the line
position. At the 'eginning of the left lead the shoulders can 'e almost at
fullBfront and facing the opponent, 'ut the arm can 'e almost straight.
Then from this easy position the shoulders should 'e 'rought to the line
position at the same time as the left hip is 'rought round and the left
heel almost pointed at the opponent. The whole mo)ement should 'e
carried out simultaneously and should not ta0e more than a fifth of a
second to complete.
The shoulder turn lengthens the reach and if a few preliminary
feints ha)e 'een made without the shoulder turn, and light contact
made with the opponent=s face or glo)es, this sudden lengthening of the
reach 'y the turning of the shoulder and heel will come as a complete
surprise. The 0nees should 'e slightly 'ent to gi)e scope for 'alance
and easy mo)ement. All punches should tra)el right DthroughE and not
1ust touch an opponent and 'e withdrawn almost 'efore they arri)e.
THE 5;2HT C*5SS. The left foot should only 'e a few inches
in ad)ance of the right for this punch and should 'e pointing straight at
the opponent. The right toe only should contact the ground so that the
right heel can 'e swung outwards as the right shoulder is turned for the
punch. @rom this stance the weight should 'e shifted to the left foot and
the right hip and shoulder turned as the arm is straightened. At the
'eginning of the punch the right shoulder is 'ehind the left shoulder,
'ut on completion of the punch the position of the shoulders is
re)ersed. The shoulder and hipBturn should 'e e/ecuted in a flash.
To ma0e an opening for this rightBhand punch a feint can 'e
#K
made with the left hand as the left toe is pointed towards the opponent
and the right shoulder can then 'e tra)elling forward so that the right
punch lands only a fraction after the left feint. ;t will 'e found +if the
feet are not separated unduly- that the right hand will reach further than
the left owing to the Dhip turn.E This is a 'eautiful mo)e and should 'e
e/ecuted in a fifth of a second with real power. 9ote here that in a left
lead the right foot contacts the ground and carries most of the weight,
and in a right cross the weight is carried forward on to the left foot,
which contacts the ground. The heel of the foot corresponding with the
arm that is deli)ering the 'low is always raised and turned outwards for
straight punching. An ad)anced 'o/er, when mo)ing around and across
the ring, also uses the right lead and the left cross, when the positions
and stance are e/actly re)ersed.
(E@T H**M. This is accomplished from the leftBhand stance.
When the left shoulder is already turned in and the left heel raised a
flashing Dleft hoo0E can 'e deli)ered. ;f the hoo0 is started 'efore the
shoulder is turned in it can 'e easily seen and a)oided or countered 'y
the opponent.
5;2HT H**M. As in the left hoo0, the shoulder should 'e
'rought in 'efore the punch is deli)ered as this puts the muscles in the
most fa)oura'le position for getting real power into the punch. ;t will
'e found that these 'lows are sometimes deli)ered when the feet are in
line with the front of the 'ody and not always in the stance necessary
for the straight punches.
All these attac0ing 'lows should 'e used at opportune moments,
when suita'le openings are presented and not as deli'erate attac0s.
(E@T A9$ 5;2HT SW;92S. These are deli)ered in the same
way as the hoo0s, e/cept that the arms are 0ept straighter and are used
to deal with an outBfighter. &ut they are more easily a)oided and ha)e
not the power of the hoo0s.
:PPE5BC:T. This is the punch that can 'e deli)ered with either
hand with the weight on either foot, as a little e/periment will show. A
right upperBcut can 'e deli)ered with the weight on the right foot or on
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the left foot, and #ice #ersa. These punches are seldom used
successfully against a good 'o/er for he will not 'ring his head down.
;n the deli)ery of the upperBcut it is necessary to allow the fist to tra)el
forward as well as upward, for a mere circling of the fi/ed and 'ent arm
will result in the fist tra)elling away from the target.
&*$> P:9CHES. These are usually in the nature of hoo0s or
shortBarm 1a's 'ut lea)e the attac0er open to punches on the face and
head and if the defender is properly trained. 'ody 'lows will not 'e
effecti)e enough to ma0e them worth while under such conditions. The
e/ecution of the D'odyBhoo0E is identical to the hoo0s already
descri'ed, 'ut the arm is shortened to almost rightBangles and can 'e
correspondingly more powerfully employed. These are the main 'lows
li0ely to 'e effecti)e, for all the Dcor0BscrewE and other fancy punches,
not deli)ered from a proper stance and with little strength and weight
'ehind them, are of little, if any, utility against a trained and fit
opponent.
$E@E9CE. The first really essential defence is when the
defender is in a corner or on the ropes. This in)ol)es parrying and
stopping or 'loc0ing e)ery 'low. The 'eginner should use unlimited
patience in the study of this form of defence from the )ery 'eginning of
his 'o/ing. The 'est defensi)e position is gained under such
circumstances 'y pulling the 'ody slightly down, so that the a'dominal
muscles are )oluntarily contracted during the attac0. The head should
not 'e in ad)ance of the rest of the 'ody to any e/tent as this would
entail ris0 of an upperBcut. Then, if the el'ows are 0ept fairly close to
the 'ody +at a'out waistBheight- and the glo)es 0ept in the region of the
face and ears, it is possi'le with practice to 'loc0 or deflect e)ery 'low
aimed at the face or 'ody, 'ut they should 'e 0ept close enough to
ma0e only a )ery small mo)ement necessary to protect any part. The
glo)es should 'e 0ept close enough together to pre)ent a straight punch
coming through, 'ut not close enough to unsight the opponent. Short
parries can 'e used to deflect punches from face and ears 'ut all 'odyB
punches can 'e effecti)ely 'loc0ed with the forearms and el'ows. ;f the
old method of parrying with the arms partially e/tended is used, there is
the ris0 of lea)ing oneself open from a feint. So, during the time that
#!
you ha)e to use this defence, do not ta0e the arms any apprecia'le
distance from the 'ody or head. ;t is 'est to 0eep sufficient contraction
of the muscles and sufficient distance of the arms from the head and
'ody, so that sufficient resistance is gi)en to hea)y 'lows without
unco)ering, thus pre)enting transmission of contactBshoc0.
The am'itious 'o/er should practise this phase of defence with
friends until he is practically unhitta'le under a fierce and strong closeB
.uarter attac0. Then he will ha)e the confidence to loo0 for an opening
and will pro'a'ly find himself fre.uently in a fa)oura'le position to
e/ecute one or other of the punches already descri'ed. ;n actual contest
it is wise to a)oid 'eing cornered and to get out of a corner or away
from the ropes as soon as possi'le. The 'est direction to ta0e when
getting out of a corner is to your right, outside the opponent=s left hand.
The ne/t line of defence is e)asion, and when thoroughly
mastered should 'ecome the first line of defence, 'ecause much wear
and tear is sa)ed to the arms, thus sa)ing them for attac0. ;t is
impossi'le to deal with this phase more than 'riefly in this 'oo0, 'ut
the following hints are founded on careful o'ser)ation and will 'e
found sound. Mere e)asion of a punch is not of great )alue unless it
lea)es on in a position for a powerful counterBpunch. A punch should,
of course, always 'e e)aded, e)en if a counterBattac0 cannot 'e
employed at the time, or when it does not lead one to a fa)oura'le
position for such a counter. &ut at the same time it is ad)antageous to
wor0 so that each e)asion leads to a fa)oura'le stance for a damaging
counterBpunch. Thus, when a left lead is employed, the defender may
e)ade it 'y mo)ing his head to the right. ;f he merely e)ades he has
gained nothing, 'ut if his e)asion puts him in a fa)oura'le stance and
he counters successfully, then his e)asion has ena'led him to gain
something. So, when attac0ing with the Dleft lead,E the 'o/er should
realiIe that his opponent may use the head mo)ement to the right and a
counterBpunch and he should therefore prepare for such a counter
automatically, as followsF G As the left lead is e/ecuted the attac0er
should mo)e his head out of the line of his opponent=s possi'le counter
with the left and ma0e precaution dou'ly certain 'y co)ering the left
side of his 1aw and his left ear with the front of the open glo)e. This
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will sa)e him from a counter swing or hoo0 as well. He should not
duc0 his head 'ut only mo)e it towards the right, 0eeping at least one
eye on the opponent. Here we ha)e an analysis of the whole mo)ement
and, when attac0ed with the left lead, the 'o/er should counter with his
left and co)er in the manner already e/plained.
;f the 'eginner learns this counter and automatic co)er, he will
'e .uite a useful 'o/er.
When an opponent employs the co)er to ear and 1aw, the 'o/er
should try a powerful counter punch to the 'ody in an attempt to induce
the opponent to lower his guard, and as soon as this is done a counter
should 'e used to the head in the ne/t e/change.
Another )ery fine mo)e is the sideBstep. The perfect mo)e is not
often seen in the ring, 'ut it is not really difficult to de)elop. @rom a
position of perfect rela/ation in the general sense, the sideBstep to the
right is e/ecuted 'y turning the 'ody slightly to the right and separating
the feet with a .uic0 mo)ement, the left foot tra)elling towards the
opponent and the right foot away from the opponent. ;f this sideBstep is
used to e)ade a left lead the 'ody should lean slightly to the right to
allow the 'low to pass o)er the shoulder. This puts the defender in a
fa)oura'le position to deli)er a smashing counterB'low to 'ody or 1aw
with the left hand. As the right sideBstep is employed the 1aw and left
ear should 'e co)ered automatically with the right glo)e as e/plained
pre)iously. Here ; wish to mention that properly deli)ered 'lows do not
throw the attac0er out of 'alance, if they are a)oided 'y the opponent.
;t is only the wild swinging and lunging that lea)es the attac0er out of
'alance and at the mercy of the cool and s0illed 'o/er.
There are other mo)ements of e)asion, such as the Dsway 'ac0E
1ust out of reach of the opponent=s punch, with the counter to follow.
&ut the 'o/er who employs the Dsway 'ac0E against a wily opponent is
li0ely to recei)e a damaging 'odyB'low with the a'dominal muscles
stretched. As ; ha)e e/plained earlier in the chapter, the 'ody should 'e
in a position during close contact with an opponent, that will harden
and shorten the a'dominal muscles. 9ow, ; thin0, is the moment to
e/plain the )alue of muscleBcontrol. Ta0e as an e/ample the mechanical
!8
use of the a'dominal muscles. ;f one is lying on the 'ac0 and raises the
legs the a'dominal muscles are mechanically hardened, as they are
used to lift the legs, 'ut in the erect position the a'dominal muscles are
often flaccid. This is the condition responsi'le for so many 'o/ers
'eing 0noc0ed out 'y the soBcalled solarBple/us punch. &ut the trained
muscle controller can ma0e a powerful )oluntary contraction of the
a'dominal wall and thus protect the solar ple/us of the a'dominal
organs. This hardening or contracting of the a'dominal muscles is more
effecti)e when the distance 'etween the sternum and pel)is is shortened
and that is why ; recommend a shortening of the 'ody +without
'ringing the head forward- when at close .uarters with an opponent
who is li0ely to use powerful 'ody 'lows. As already indicated, these
may 'e 'loc0ed to a certain e/tent with the el'ows,'ut if the a'dominal
condition is good enough to withstand a few of these 'lows, there will
'e a wonderful chance for counterBpunching to the attac0er=s 1aw as he
ma0es the 'odyB'lows. As the 'odyB'low contacts, the shoulder of the
defender should 'e turned in and he should deli)er a smashing counter
to the 1aw, which e)en if not terminating the contest will gain a great
ad)antage.
;n regard to parrying or turning 'odyB'lows away with the
forearm, this is ris0y, inasmuch as the hand has to 'e ta0en too far from
the head. These lower parries were originated and used 'y ,em Mace
and are still used considera'ly 'y many good 'o/ers. &ut as the head is
in greatest need of protection when the 'ody is correctly conditioned, ;
thin0 it will 'e agreed that my ad)ice is correct. ; do not consider that
the 'o/er who is una'le to ta0e a really hard 'odyB'low without
distress is in a fit condition to ris0 a contest with a strong opponent.
ST5ATE2>. ;n actual contest the 'o/er should mo)e lightly
a'out on the toes with the arms held easily across the 'ody and the
glo)es con)eniently in the neigh'ourhood of the chin. When there is no
opening for attac0, ma0e one 'y feinting, or draw a lead so that a
counterBpunch can 'e employed. 9e)er ma0e a mista0e in foot wor0.
Meep the feet fairly close so that swift mo)ements in any direction can
'e made and ne)er cross the legs 'y stepping in the wrong direction.
5ise on the toes for easy mo)ement when necessary, 'ut 0eep dropping
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to the flat of the feet again to pre)ent leg fatigue. The 'o/er with the
really good arm defence can mo)e right into his opponent relentlessly
to ma0e him lead, and then get inside his punches and use the first
offensi)e mo)e, for which his position happens to 'e suita'le, with
decision and power. He should then instantly co)er again with what
was the attac0ing hand and continue as 'efore. This is a scheme that
will 'affle most opponents, 0eep them on the retreat +thus losing points-
and e)entually wear them down. The 'o/er a'le to employ this style
gains points for continually Dwal0ing inE and does not really e/pose
himself to the fatigue and rushing attac0s that usually follow a
successful punch. A good 'o/er should not hesitate to follow up an
ad)antage 'ut this should not 'e done 'y a rec0less flurry of 'lows, 'ut
'y 0eeping his opponent Don the run,E as it were, and employing
powerful punches from correct and safe positions.
Assume you are 'o/ing an opponent who is employed the same
method as yourselfF you can score points 'y a simulation of attac0
while co)ering automatically. The 'est he will 'e a'le to do is to
counter and co)er, and you, 'eing the attac0er, should in this case gain
most of the points. ;f you ha)e 'y constant practice of e)ery mo)e,
de)eloped a perfect defence and refle/, only a man in 'etter physical
condition would 'e li0ely to get the 'etter of you. Therefore, ma0e your
physical condition perfect and ne)er go to a contest unless you ha)e
prepared for it carefully in the manner ad)ised in the chapter dealing
with preparation for a contest.
; do not 'elie)e in fancy 'allBpunching, for that may 'ecome
mechanical. &ut ; do 'elie)e in powerful 'ut correct punching at a
moderately hea)y punchB'ag. When practising with the 'ag mo)e a'out
as though in actual contest and at any gi)en moment slip to the proper
stance, simultaneously closing the glo)e tightly, and deli)er a powerful
sta''ing 'low, not a pushing, 'anging or thudding 'low. ;magine that
you are going to sta' a hole right through the 'ag.
The long periods of gruelling roadBwor0 ad)ocated 'y many
'o/ing trainers will ma0e a 'o/er slow in the ring. Pleasant wal0s,
interspersed with short sprints and short spells of running 'ac0ward at a
!7
'ris0 pace, comprehend the 'est form of road training for the 'o/er.
(ong 'outs of running or s0ipping at the same plodding pace will spoil
a man=s refle/ for really fast footwor0. A little shadow 'o/ing and
footwor0 can 'e practised on the road as well as in the gymnasium.
@or the rest, use your own 'rains and initiati)e throughout a
contest and concentrate all the time you are in the ring and ne)er
'ecome careless 1ust 'ecause you ha)e an apparently wea0er opponent.
;f you get into the ha'it of letting wea0 opponents hit you, you may not
'e a'le to pre)ent a strong opponent doing li0ewise.
A SAILO% W%ITESD E
DS.S. ;CE(A9$, cOo Her'ert Watson, # $oc0, Salford, Manchester.
DMr. Monte Saldo,
$ear Sir, G ; am forwarding a few more snaps ta0en 1ust
recently. ; am still increasing and am getting much more supple. ; ha)e
increased greatly on all speed lifts and also when wrestling, where ;
find speed a great asset. THE5E ;S *9E TH;92 A&*:T >*:5
C*:5SE G ;T CA9 &E PE5@*5ME$ A9>WHE5E. ; ought to
0now, 'ecause this 1o' is ne)er steady. ; can always perform Ma/alding
whether the ship is on an e)en 0eel or hea)ing dec0. &ut not so with
weights or any other apparatus< the slightest roll of the ship pre)ents it.
Then one has to wait for fa)oura'le weather, which ma0es the e/ercise
irregular.
+Signed- E.5. W5;2HTE
GOL
Although opinions may )ary in regard to the actual techni.ue of
golf, all good golfers 0now that strength, suppleness and control are
essentials. &alance in the swing is the fundamental of accuracy and
length, and this can only 'e at its 'est when the physical attri'utes
mentioned a'o)e are in e)idence. *ne great golfer ad)ises all players
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to get as much lift on the 'ac0Bswing as possi'le< to allow for a
stiffening of the muscles as the years go on, and to pre)ent a too early
shortening of the downward swing. Here is a great player who is good
in spite of the fact that he has done nothing for his physi.ue. ;t has not
occurred to him that no healthy person need allow their 'odyBmuscles
to 'ecome stiff. &ut he has pro)ed my point once more, in regard to the
fact that no game or sport is definite in its effect on the physi.ue. Here
one is faced with an important fact, which is that the golfer should
prepare and train his 'ody for golf, and then, 'y coming fresh and fit to
the game, 'e a'le to perform all essential mo)ements easily, with the
'est muscular 'ac0ing to the stro0es re.uiring length. To digress for a
moment, much has 'een said 'y different players as to whether the 'all
should 'e s)e+t or hit in stro0es re.uiring length. We were recently told
that the golfer who s)ee+s the 'all should 'e taught to hit< while the
golfer that hits should 'e taught to s)ee+. &ut gi)en a perfect swing,
the golfer trained perfectly as to physical condition )ill hit the 'all.
What the spea0er meant was that the physically strong player should 'e
taught to swing with greater accuracy< and the physically wea0 player
to ma0e a greater effort. The former would answer well enough, 'ut not
the latter< for forced effort always results in inaccuracy and early
fatigue. The player with a good style should therefore 'e made strong,
while the strong player should study for greater s0ill. When you get a
physically strong person to play well, you get the ma0ings of a
champion. This may seem )ery o')ious to some persons, 'ut it is not so
to all. There are still many golfers who 'elie)e that they should rela/
all muscles all the time. Anyone ta0ing the trou'le to thin0 this out
would realiIe that this must result in complete collapse. The fact is that
any person who can contract certain muscleBgroups )oluntarily, while
rela/ing other groups, can 'ecome a great golfer, for greater use of the
muscles in )olition, greater accuracy in direction and greater length are
secured. @or en1oyment of the game the golfer should 'e a'le to play
within comforta'le physical limits, and not strain the whole time. ; will
gi)e two e/amples of what ; mean, and then suggest some e/ercises.
The first e/ample concerns the swing. 2i)en a fairly good swing,
distance can 'e increased 'y the mastery of a good, easy and
comforta'le 'ac0Bswing. The further 'ac0 the clu' can 'e ta0en, the
!?
more time is there for acceleration. &ut if the clu' is ta0en 'ac0 to an
e/tent that causes loss of 'alance the ad)antage is lost. Therefore the
greatest possi'le suppleness of the shoulders is necessary for the full
potential ad)antage to 'e gained. ;f the player will remem'er to softly
transfer the 'alance to the right foot in the 'ac0Bswing and then to the
left foot in ample time for the dri)e, greater accuracy in 'allBcontact
will 'e gained. That is why most good golfers use the slow 'ac0Bswing.
A fast 'ac0 swing throws the 'ody out of 'alance. ;t is important that
the left 0nee 'e well 'raced in ad)ance of the contact of clu' and 'all.
With this impro)ed control of 'alance, a cleaner and harder dri)e will
'e esta'lished. Any looseness or wo''ling of the left 0nee or any
stiffness in shoulders pre)enting an easy and full 'ac0Bswing, will alter
the relation 'etween clu'Bhead and 'all.
The second e/ample concerns putting. *ne great player says
that a part of the 'ody should 'e fi/ed, so that swer)ing, and the
creation of an arc in the stro0e are pre)ented. Another says that all
muscles must 'e rela/ed and so on. As already pointed out, one would
not 'e a'le to stand up if all muscles were rela/ed. &ut, ta0ing the
'road meaning, it is presumed that what the latter means is that nothing
should 'e done to inhi'it necessar" mo)ement. And this is a different
thing to rela/ing the muscles to an e/tent that will increase the margin
of error. Why should not one part of the 'ody 'e anchored for a short
putt, for instanceL ; mean, of course, the legs and hips. ;f the grip and
stro0e are such as to impart a wrong direction to the 'all, the angle of
the clu'Bface or the stance must 'e at fault. &y mastering a fi/ed stance
from which to putt, one handicap will ha)e 'een eliminated, for it is not
difficult to find a suita'le position for arms and hands.
ECercise $or Go#$ers
The foundation of good golf is correct stance, and the legs must
therefore 'e strong and under perfect control. An e/ercise li0e the halfB
0nee 'end should suffice in this direction, as fully 'ent legs are not
needed in this game. To get the 'est results, the performer should rise
on the toes and then lower the 'ody 'y 'ending the 0nees to
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appro/imate rightBangles< and then raise the 'ody 'y straightening the
legs again. This should 'e done slowly for se)eral repetitions, and then
speedily for se)eral more repetitions.
To strengthen the o'li.ue a'dominal muscles, one should raise
the leg laterally without 'ending the 0nees, and holding it at this angle,
'ring the pointed toe round to the front of the 'ody and then lower the
foot to the ground. Then the leg should 'e raised as high as possi'le in
front, carried round to the side, and then lowered to the ground. The
'ody should 'e 'alanced steadily. Perform with the other leg also. This
e/ercise should 'e done slowly and deli'erately.
9ow comes the most important e/ercise for all golfers. Clasp
the hands down in front of the 'ody. Then pulling laterally, as though
trying to separate the hands, ta0e the arms steadily to full stretch a'o)e
the head. ;f this is done correctly, the shoulderB'lades will spread
outward as shown in the illustration of e/ercise D&E. Then, maintaining
the outward pull, the performer should turn the trun0 to the right, ta0ing
the weight on to the right foot as in the golfBswing. The outward pull
should still 'e maintained and the swing should 'e simulated, the hands
'eing 'rought down past the front of the 'ody and then upward on the
left side, as the 'ody is turned to the left, and the weight transferred to
the left foot. This amounts to a simulation of the golfBswing with the
hands clasped, and an outward pull maintained the whole time. The feet
should 'e placed as far apart as would 'e re.uired for the correct golf
stance. The e/ercise can then 'e performed in the opposite direction.
;t will 'e seen that the left arm and shoulder are employed as
though in the actual dri)e. Many players find that any attempt to use
the left arm to 'ring power into the swing results in inaccuracy and 'ad
direction. &ut the foregoing e/ercise will gi)e great power and
suppleness to 'oth arms and shoulders, so that in the actual swing the
left arm will 'e doing its 1o' automatically. The player should, of
course, forget all a'out this when actually playing, 'ut as time goes on
he should o'ser)e what length and accuracy he is getting in the swing.
Then, ha)ing pro)ed to himself what increased suppleness and strength
will do to impro)e his swing, he should thin0 out other schemes for
!K
impro)ing 'odily suppleness, strength and control< and thus gi)e his
game the physical support it deser)es. ,ust one other suggestion. The
player should ma0e golf a game, and not a purgatory, as so many
golfers are inclined to do. The golfer should always do his 'est to win,
'ut when he loses, whether 'y 'ad play, 'ad luc0, or through the
superior play of his opponent, he should not let that annoy him. Aictory
will 'e all the sweeter when it comes.
2eoffrey 2reenwood, Es.., whose unretouched photograph
appears herewith, wrote after recei)ing the second lesson of a
Ma/alding Postal CourseF G
D; ha)e spent so many years on P.C. ; am amaIed at the
wonderful impro)ement 'rought a'out 'y Ma/alding. ; am stronger
also.E
9*TE G This would 'e an ideal form of de)elopment for the
golfer, especially as these muscles are supple in rela/ation and under
perfect control.
W%ESTLING
My first 0nowledge of the grappling game was gained in the
early nineties, when the Continental maulers were gi)ing nightly
e/hi'itions at the Alham'ra in (eicester S.uare, (ondon. As far as ;
can remem'er, they were all ponderous fellows, and used the 2raecoB
5oman style. My first practical wrestling e/perience was gained among
the champions, and .uite early in the present century ; made this sport
my real ho''y. &y the year "8KB#, scientific wrestling had reached its
pea0 in this country, and we had with us the greatest gala/y of &ritish
wrestling talent, as well as the 'est from the Continent, America, and
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the Colonies, that has e)er flourished at one period. And practically all
of them, 'oth amateur and professional, trained at the ApolloBSaldo
Academy during their )isits to (ondon. We also had at that time the
,apanese ,uB,itsu champion, :0io Tani, and ; feel that much of the
greater finesse that entered into catchBasBcatchBcan wrestling at that
time was due to him and his manager, William &an0ier. @or the 'etter
part of two years ; was studying, teaching, and practising wrestling at
the Academy, and ne)er was ; satisfied with my 0nowledge. Some of
the champion wrestlers who were my personal friends, and with whom
; trained, were 2eorge 5elwys0ow +(ightweight Champion of the
World, and winner of o)er ,888 contests-. Willie Wood +&ritish
(ightweight Champion-, >oung *lsen, and Tom 5ose. ; also learned
much from the hea)ier men, including 2eorges Hac0enschmidt, @erdy
2rPhn, William &an0ier, ,ohn (emm, Maurice $eriaI, and e)en the 78B
stone %y'sco, whose techni.ue was astounding. Many wise words of
ad)ice came from his lips, and he always impressed on me the
importance of doing nothing li0ely to 'ring a'out the ris0 of 'eing
thrown. His rule was Dsafety first,E and it 'ecame mine, until ; 'ecame
unthrowa'le 'y any'ody with whom ; trained or wrestled, under the
middleBweight limit, and ; say this without any fear of contradiction.
This ga)e me great selfBconfidence, and ; was then a'le to de)elop
attac0ing holds, and many times succeeded in throwing e)en )ery
hea)y wrestlers. The man ; learned most from theoretically was
&an0ier, and ; got much of my practical e/perience from 5elwys0ow.
The latter was undou'tedly the cle)erest catchBasBcatchBcan wrestler of
our time. ; do not 'elie)e that here has 'een another wrestler
compara'le to him in s0ill and courage. There ha)e 'een stronger
wrestlers at his weight, 'ut non so con)ersant with e)ery worthBwhile
mo)e, nor any with so many mo)es, counters, and traps. Many an hour
ha)e ; spent watching him wrestle, and training with him. His greatness
was shown in his ne)er hesitating to point out a fault, or show a new
tric0. ;t would ta0e a )ery carefully analysed wor0, and hundreds of
illustrations, to descri'e wrestling as ; 0now it, 'ut there are the few
fundamentals, and a strong and determined wrestler who masters these
may 'ecome a great wrestler without 'eing a master of a great many
holds.
!!
De$e!ce
A passi)e defence is not of any great )alue in securing falls, 'ut
a sound and impregna'le defence is the finest groundwor0 for
dangerous and swift attac0. $efence should 'e studied and mastered
'efore serious wrestling is ta0en up. We are, of course, assuming that
the student is physically fit, and has trained himself to withstand the
strain of wrestling,a great part of which falls on the nec0. M" first
defence was mastered in the standing position, and it was a Dstanding
1o0eE that no'ody could get 'ehind me. &ut while ; was perfecting this
defence, ; was also studying ground defence, for ; e/pected some'ody
to get me to the mat sooner or later. ,ohn (emm, the hea)yweight
Swiss champion, was the first to do so. The 'eginner should thin0 for
himself and de)elop a sound defence in 'oth standing and ground
departments. Physical strength assists in defence, 'oth for withstanding
pain and to pre)ent lim's collapsing under strain. Continual attention to
detail and careful practice will lead to the de)elopment of a sound
defence.
Sta!ce
;f we consider the commonest of initial catchBasBcatchBcan
wrestling holds, after the preliminary feinting, we find that the left hand
clasps the 'ac0 of the opponent=s nec0 and the right hand grasps his left
el'ow. The opponent ta0es an identical hold. When this grip occurred, ;
would 0eep the 'ac0 rounded +to pre)ent the possi'ility of a waist
hold-< my left el'ow close to the opponent=s 'ody and my right el'ow
close to my side. ; would 0eep the 0nees slightly 'ent for control and
'alance, and the feet well separated for lateral power. ; would then
simulate )arious attac0s, especially a feint of catching the leg of an
opponent, which usually induced him to attempt one of the many
counterBthrows, all of which could 'e easily pre)ented without fatigue,
'y a proper use of the left upperBarm and the right foreBarm. The left
el'ow would contact his 'ody to pre)ent him coming closer, and the
right hand would 'e used against his left el'ow or ri's for the same
purpose, while my right el'ow contacted my own 'ody. This meant that
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; was using the 'ones only for defence, with practically no muscular
effort. Any wrestler can wor0 this out for himself with a little
e/periment and trial. E)en attac0s at the legs can 'e pre)ented with this
defence, and occasional sudden twists and turns will throw the
opponent off 'alance.
When ; was sure of this defence, ; would sometimes let an
opponent almost get a waist hold +inside my arms-, and then ; would
suddenly shut his arms inside my own, and 'y grasping one of my
wrists with the other hand, ; could get enough power to shut his arms
together. A legBtrip and turn could then 'e employed to throw him.
Another effecti)e counter that ; used, and one especially
effecti)e on taller opponents who had to stoop or 'end more than ;, was
the followingF G @rom the initial nec0 and el'ow grip already descri'ed,
; would suddenly force my opponent=s left el'ow inward,
simultaneously forcing his head o)er his left shoulder, which would
throw him off 'alance towards his left. He would then usually ma0e an
effort to reco)er, 'y forcing his left el'ow upwards and outward,
straightening his 'ody and mo)ing o)er to the right. This was the
moment for my attac0, which put many a 'ig man on his 'ac0. ; would
assist the upward and outward mo)ement of his left el'ow 'y 'ringing
the heel of my right hand underneath, at the same time pulling him
round to my left side +'y his nec0- with the left arm, turning towards
my left all the time, so that he would 'e 'rought to the ground, where
he would find that my upper 'ody was across his chest, and my left arm
'ehind his nec0, grasping his left upperBarm, supported 'y pressure
from my right hand if necessary.
As ; had forced his el'ow upward, assisted 'y his own effort in
resistance to my original downward pressure +which was only a feint-, ;
had slipped my left arm far enough 'ehind his nec0 to grasp his left
upperBarm, immediately following the trip. His right arm would 'e
'elow my 'ody, and he could not therefore escape from the hold. This
may appear rather complicated in print, 'ut it is .uite easy to wor0 out
with a wrestling partner, and ; ha)e gi)en it as an e/ample to one of the
holds where an opponent is led into a trap 'y a feint.
"8
:sing this hold as a 'asis for more ad)anced wrestling, the left
arm can 'e trapped 1ust prior to the throw, and a leg or crotch hold
could 'e employed with the right arm. ;t is not a hold li0ely to succeed
with a )ery cle)er wrestler, although ; may say that ; possessed a
degree of speed and strength that ena'led me to 'ring it off on .uite a
num'er of goodBclass wrestlers who came from all parts of the
Continent for the Alham'ra Tournaments.
There is not much to 'e gained 'y throwing or turning an
opponent o)er unless it leads to a pinBfall or an ad)antageous hold, and
so all the planning must 'e to that end.
A cle)er wrestler can induce a hardBwor0ing opponent to lift
him a'out until e/hausted, 'efore 'ringing his 0nowledge into use that
will lead to a fall.
An important defensi)e rule is that the wrestler must ne)er
allow an opponent to trap his upperBarm, whether he is on his feet or on
allBfours. The tyro, e)en when applying a hold li0e the halfBnelson, will
ha)e his upperBarm entrapped, and may 'e thrown.
The famous wrestler, Peter 2otI, did not employ a great )ariety
of holds, 'ut he had se)eral good se.uence holds, which, with his
e/ceptional strength and Ddash,E were )ery often successful. ; will
descri'e one. When 2otI was in the usual groundBdefence position on
hands and 0nees, and his opponent was 0neeling at his left side, he
would wait until his opponent placed his right hand anywhere in the
region of his +2otI=s- waist, when 2otI would grasp the opponent=s
wrist and appear to 'e ta0ing an armBroll to the right, lea)ing his left
upperBarm lifted sufficiently to entice his opponent to apply the usual
counterBhold, which is the halfBnelson on the left side. As the halfB
nelson was 'eing applied, 2otI would trap his opponent=s upperBarm
with his own left upperBarm, at the same time grasping his opponent=s
left wrist with his right hand, and rolling o)er so that he had his
opponent trapped, with at least one shoulder down. This is a simple
e/ample of offering an opponent what appears to 'e an attac0ing
counter, only to find himself trapped irre)oca'ly. ,ust one other
e/ample. The 'ac0Bheel is usually successful when used against a
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M* 9 T E S A ( $ *
'eginner or slow opponent, 'ut the cle)er wrestler in)ites it, for when
the opponent=s heel is 'ehind his own for the attempted trip, the attac0er
must 'e slightly off 'alance. The defender merely straightens his own
leg powerfully, simultaneously pushing his opponent to the side and
'ac0ward. ;f this happens with the initial nec0 and el'ow grip in action,
it would 'e made into a clean pinBfall, 'ecause the defender=s left arm
passes around the attac0er=s nec0, while the attac0er finds that his left
arm is trapped under his opponent=s right arm. The defender thus turns
the 'ac0Bheel to his own ad)antage, and 'ecomes the attac0er.
; ha)e not referred to many throws and trips, for they must 'e
learned 'y careful practice under s0illed instruction. The am'itious
wrestler should study the whole art mo)e 'y mo)e, and would 'e well
ad)ised to learn all he can a'out the science of ,uB,itsu, for ; feel that
any success ; attained at wrestling was greatly augmented 'y a study of
,uB,itsu. ; owed much of my 0nowledge of this art to the teaching of
William &an0ier, who was for many years the manager, friend, and
pupil of :0io Tani.
EXE%CISE AFB O MAXALDING
A S*#e!did eCercise $or +rest#ers
E/tend the arms laterally in line with the
shoulders. Secure a )oluntary contraction of all
upperB'ac0 and arm muscles. ;nhale. SimultaB
neously with a lateral 'end to the right, fle/ the left
arm and lower the right arm, e/haling as you do so.
5eturn to the position of e/tended arms as you
inhale, retaining the full contraction all the way.
Then 'end to the left side, this time fle/ing the right
arm and lowering the left, e/haling as you do so.
5eturn to the position of e/tended arms again as
you inhale. 5ela/. 5epeat ad libitum$
"7
C;CLING
;t has 'een dogmatically stated that the same muscles are used
in cycling as in sprinting. 9e)er was a greater mista0e made. A
champion cyclist cannot 'e a champion sprinter +running-, nor a
champion sprinter a champion cyclist, at the same time. The cyclist is
sitting and his a'dominal muscles are, therefore, not used in the same
way as in running. The cyclist=s chest is also in a cramped position, for
were he to sit upright he would lose propulsi)e power from the legs and
offer a greater resistance to the air. He should therefore train his
a'dominal muscles and de)elop his chest 'y other means. ; ha)e
DstartedE men for many sprintBcycling e)ents and paced distance men
on tandem, DtriE and D.uad,E and ; ha)e a close understanding of 'oth
sprintBcycling and distance re.uirements. Most cycling trainers also
ha)e this understanding and so ; can confine myself to 'reathing and
leg action.
The same scheme of 'reathing should apply as for running and
the same scheme of preparation as for sprinting. &ut in legBaction ; still
see that many cyclists do not DwindE the pedal. They push one pedal
down and let the other come up. Argument does not always con)ince
the cyclist and proof in the performance of champions does not seem to
impress him. Howe)er, those not already using this method can study
and master it to the 'est possi'le ad)antage. The clip to strap should 'e
so arranged that the foot is used to DwindE the pedal, 1ust as the hand
would do. This does not actually necessitate the foot 'eing tied to the
pedal, as the ad)ice might indicate. ;t is left to the ingenuity of the rider
to get a proper clip or strap that will ena'le him to DwindE the pedals,
using pressure and muscular power the whole time. ;t is not enough to
merely push the pedal down and then pull it up with the 'iceps of the
leg. ;t must 'e mo)ed in a perfect circle 'y 'eing pushed down, ta0en
'ac0, lifted, pushed forward and so on, so that all a)aila'le muscles are
used and the an0le is employed in its fullest range of mo)ement. This is
not so difficult as it may sound, as the opposite leg is assisting in the
mo)ement. @or instance, the pushing muscles, which are the strongest
of all, will 'e in action on one side, while the lifting muscles are in
action on the other. More sets of muscles are employed than in the
"4
M* 9 T E S A ( $ *
usual DpushingE method and as one set of muscles assists another a
greater power and endurance must result. The greatest difficulty is in
getting a contri)ance to 0eep the foot in perfect contact with the pedal
throughout the complete re)olution of the pedal. ;n the early days of
this century ; started many riders in the halfBmile and oneBmile e)ents.
(ater ; was in much demand as ; was a'le to get such a good Dthrow
offE. @or the halfBmile or mile ; would tie my man=s feet to the pedals
with hand0erchiefs. ; then got the cycle on the mar0 with 'oth pedals at
the same height. The rider would 'e sitting up 'reathing fully until the
DreadyE signal was gi)en, when he would crouch and concentrate on
pushing with the forward leg and lifting with the rear leg. Then, at the
crac0 of the pistol, ; would thrust him off, using my foot against the
'an0 or a post when a)aila'le, straighten my left arm and turn sideways
in the manner of the straightBleft in 'o/ing. ;t was often possi'le to get
my man clear of the handicap men 'efore they had time to spread out
for o'struction. @or the rest my man would ride his own race, or get on
to the tail of the 'est man and sprint at the right moment. The sprint
was usually started near enough to the post to pre)ent any other rider
ta0ing up a sprint in time to 'eat him again. The DsprintE in these
distances is, of course, an acceleration of )ery fast pedalling and can
only 'e 'rought a'out 'y fullBpower concentration on DwindingE the
pedals.
The foregoing scheme was so successful
that a 'rother of mine won many mile and halfB
mile races in open competition, although he did
not ran0 himself as a great rider.
The cyclist should ma0e a thorough
study of antiBrhythmic respiration, which is
e/plained in detail in the chapter on 'reathing.
EXE%CISE AMB O MAXALDING
+See chapter on &reathing.-
;nterlace the fingers and clasp the 'ac0 of the nec0.
"?
Meep the forearms pressed against the sides of the head.
Then 'end the head 'ac0 as far as possi'le, resisting with the
arms.
This will cause the el'ows to point upwards, which is correct.
5eturn to original position, resisting with the nec0, and then
repeat.
The o'1ect of this e/ercise is to stretch and loosen the Serratus
Magnus muscles, shown under the arms in the accompanying
illustration +four )isi'le-, and any mo)ement of the trun0 should 'e
concentrated upon that point.
,ames E)ans, whose perfect physi.ue is shown herewith, wrote
in "7"F DHa)ing tried other systems without much success, ; decided
to enrol as a Ma/alding pupil G if it had not 'een for the careful manner
in which you conducted my training ; should ha)e still 'een in the
.ueue.E
WEIGHT@LITING
As mentioned elsewhere, ; was apprenticed to the late Eugen
Sandow in the year !"#, and ; had 'een interested in strong men and
their acti)ities from early childhood. ;n my teens ; was a mem'er of the
old (ondon WeightB(ifting Clu' in Argyll Place, 5egent Street,
(ondon, where many of the champions and pioneers of &ritish weight
lifting congregated, including the four Spencer 'rothers and the hea)yB
weight champion Tom Pe)ier, who still has records standing to his
credit.
(ater ; too0 to stage wor0 and produced a strongBman act of my
own, and challenged with an open stage at the old (ondon A.uarium,
Westminster, for si/ months, 'eginning in the year "88 and continuing
into "8. This success encouraged me to produce an entirely original
act, which included the feat of supporting a motor car. This act started
its run at the (ondon Pa)ilion, 'ut it was not long 'efore a foreign
imitator got to wor0 on the Continent, 'ut 'y tric0ery was not
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supporting his car at all. To outwit him, and pro)e that my car was
genuinely supported, ; concei)ed the idea of supporting and 'alancing
on a high pedestal a hea)y car with a full complement of passengers
with the engine racing, and then ha)e the platform re)ol)e. A &ritish
engineer designed the apparatus, platform and lifting tac0le. ; was a'le
to rehearse and produce this dangerous and sensational act through the
0indness and help of Mr. @ran0 2lenister, who was manager of the
(ondon Pa)ilion for o)er 48 years, and who, strangely enough, had
first seen me perform in 2ermany +during one of my Continental tours-
and had 'oo0ed my act from there. My engagements included tours in
all the leading European countries and one in South America.
After this my 'rother and ; produced the act 0nown as DThe
Sculptor=s $ream,E and in this we introduced the idea of posing and
performing feats of strength while whitened from head to foot to appear
as statues. Many of my readers may remem'er this act, which toured
2reat &ritain and the Continent for a num'er of years.
After this ; decided to ta0e a rest from the stage, and in
partnership with William &an0ier +DApollo,E the Scottish Hercules-,
who is now a leading wrestling promoter, ; ran a training school in the
West End of (ondon, and there all athletes of note congregated and
many of them trained. Some of the great athletes who )isited the school
included 2eorges Hac0enschmidt, @ran0 2otch, ,ohn (emm, and
Maurice $eriaI +four of the greatest wrestlers of all time-< ,ames
,effries and ,ac0 ,ohnson +successi)e holders of the World=s Hea)yB
weight &o/ing Championship-< >u0io Tani +the ,uB,itsu champion of
the world-, and practically e)ery famous Continental weightBlifter,
'o/er and wrestler who )isited this country.
;t was at this school that Ma/ic0 made his sensational de'ut in
"8".
;n the year " ; trained and 'ac0ed Edward Aston against
Thomas ;nch for the Professional WeightB(ifting Championship and the
title of &ritain=s Strongest Man. Aston +although gi)ing away stones in
weight- defeated ;nch so decisi)ely that ;nch was ne)er a'le to regain
the title.
"K
The foregoing facts ha)e 'een gi)en, not with the intention of
selfBpraise, 'ut with the o'1ect of assuring the reader that my
e/periences entitle me to spea0 with some authority as an athlete and a
trainer. Among my own contri'utions, performed at the lightBweight
limit, ha)e 'een the following F G 5ight hand DcleanE lift from floor to
a'o)e head 77 l'., and left hand ditto 787 l'. &ut perhaps my most
interesting e/perience in weightBlifting was accomplished in the year
"7, and which is featured in the reproduction of the certificate which
appears on page !. The lift in .uestion is 0nown as the DSwing,E and
was )ery popular lift on the Continent, e)en decades 'efore the period
referred to. &ut there was no record of any man e)er ha)ing lifted a
weight e.ual to, or in e/cess of, his own 'odyBweight in this particular
style. ;n this lift it is necessary to swing a weight from the ground to
arm=s length a'o)e head in one continuous mo)ement, with the arm
straight. ;t was regarded as impossi'le to swing a dum'B'ell e.ual to
one=s 'odyBweight in this style, 'ecause it was contended that a lifter
would 'e thrown out of 'alance. Howe)er, to cut a long story short, ;
succeeded in lifting a weight of H8 l'. in this style whilst only 'eing
?4 l'. in 'odyBweight. ; must say here that ; ha)e ne)er seen the 'odyB
weight lifted in this style 'y anyone else, with the elbo) loc&ed.
Towards the end of "8" the arri)al and feats of Ma/ic0
stimulated sufficient interest in weightBlifting in this country to ma0e
the creation of the Professional and Amateur WeightB(ifting
Associations worth while. This produced some interesting lifting and
matches, 'ut produced that despica'le creature, the 'raggart and scaleB
fa0er, as well.
There is still some interest in weightBlifting in 2reat &ritain,
although it does not get the support of the general pu'lic or the daily
Press. The 0een follower of this sport sometimes has to wait two wee0s
'efore he can learn the result of a match, 'ecause only the physical
culture periodicals thin0 it worth while to feature weightBlifting news.
&ritish weightBlifting teams ha)e 'een sent to se)eral
*lympiads 'y their go)erning 'ody, which has had control of the sport
in this country for many years. The defeat of the English team has
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always 'een most thorough, and it is no use telling us that we ha)e the
men to smash records if +ro+erl" trained, if the selected trainers spoil
the lifters instead of impro)ing them. We hear of astounding feats 'eing
performed at clu's, 'ut when these same lifters come out and lift at the
*lympic 2ames or other ;nternational Contests they lift so much less,
that we are compelled to 'elie)e that the training 'y the official coaches
must ha)e 'een a'solutely wrong, or that errors must ha)e crept into
the refereeing or weighing at the clu's.
At the last *lympiad at &erlin three lifts decided the issue. They
were two hands press< two hands snatch< and two hands 1er0. The
aggregate total of the three 'est lifts of any competitor to count in his
fa)our. ; will gi)e a list of winners in the different classes, and their
lifts and totals, and for the purpose of comparison ; will gi)e the lifts
and totals of the &ritish Hea)y and MiddleBweight representati)es.
HEAA>BWE;2HT C(ASS.
Press. Snatch. ,er0. Total.
-inner. Manger
+2ermany-
7"7 l'. 7#8 l'. 4?N l'. "84N l'.
/th +lace. Wal0er
+England-
7?7N l'. 7! l'. 4H7N l'. !#K l'.
M;$$(EBWE;2HT C(ASS.
-inner. Touni
+Egypt-
7H" l'. 7K? l'. 448 l'. !H4 l'.
00th +lace. (aurance
+England-
"!Q l'. 78"Q l'. 7!KN l'. K"? l'.
Mes'ah, the Egyptian, won the (ightBweight Class with a total
of #H?N l'., and TerlaIIo, of America, won the @eatherBweight Class
with a total of K!!N l'.
"!
Wal0er, who is the 'est hea)yBweight lifter &ritain has yet
produced, was much lighter than the 2erman champion Manger, and
his lifting was therefore all the more meritorious.
;n march, "4#, Mr. ;r)ing Clar0, of the &ritish Amateur
WeightB(ifting Association, stated that since the *lympic 2ames
Wal0er had performed the following liftsF G 1ress2 7#8 l'.< Snatch2 488
l'.< 3er&2 4!8 l'.< Total2 "H8 l'. (ater we learned that Wal0er was
persuaded 'y H. &room, of Hull, to ta0e up an intensi)e 'odyB'uilding
course, with the o'1ect of 'ringing 'ac0 a World=s Title from the
Championships held in Paris. &room then featured photographs of
Wal0er in his ad)ertisements, and e/horted us to DWatch Wal0er.E 9ot
to prolong the agony, ; will now gi)e the result of Hea)yBweight Class
at Paris Championships in Septem'er, "4#F G
-inner. Manger
+2ermany-
7"#N l'. 7#HN l'. 4H7N l'. "7HN l'.
4th +lace. Wal0er
+England-
7K?N l'. 7K?N l'. 448N l'. !H"N l'.
Wal0er=s total was, therefore, KN l'. less than he lifted at the
*lympic 2ames, and "8N l'. less than his su'se.uent total reported 'y
;r)ing Clar0.
5e)erting to the MiddleBweight Class at the *lympic 2ames, it
will 'e seen that the eclipse of the &ritish representati)e, Harold
(aurance, was so complete that his total would not ha)e e)en made a
show in the (ightBweight Class. ;n fact, (aurance=s total was only HN
l'. more than the winner of the @eatherBweight Class. (aurance has
now relin.uished his amateur status 'y 'ecoming a teacher of physical
culture, and we are told in his ad)ertisements that he is the Dfinest
e/ample of physical perfection in the world G the finest man since the
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immortal Eugen Sandow.E
9ow, as a matter of interest, ; will gi)e three lifts performed 'y
Ma/ic0 in the year "8 at a 'odyBweight of ?# l'., and which are still
un'eaten. 3er&, 477 l'.< 1ress2 7H? l'.< Sin!lehand 3er&2 747 l'. So one
appreciates that Ma/ic0 has no need to 'oast, and, of course, he did not
use apparatus for training.
This all pro)es that any e/traneous training with apparatus,
which we all 0now to 'e useless, ta0es toll of the )itality and strength.
S*ecia#i9atio!"
The recent increase in the records of the three lifts used at the
*lympic 2ames is due to the specialiIation on this group of lifts, as
they all employ the same muscle groups. SpecialiIation on one lift only
would produce higher records still. Conse.uently a lifter wishing to
perform his highest possi'le total on a set of lifts or a single lift should
use no others. He should, of course, maintain the 'ody in proper
condition in the manner outlined in the chapter on DMuscle ToningE. He
should use as few attempts as possi'le, 'oth during training and at the
contest. A little consideration of energy conser)ation will con)ince the
logical mind that the lifter has to use one 'ig lift, or se)eral lesser lifts.
To put it simply, the greater num'er of lifts he performs, the lighter
they must 'e. >et it is difficult to persuade a lifter to attempt his
greatest possi'le lift first, as he usually lac0s confidence in starting
with hea)y weights. This is, ; thin0, due to the fact that most lifters start
cold, and without proper preparation, such as, for instance, the
Dwarming upE that the great runner employs. The correct preparation
for any feat should ensure that all muscles are well supplied with
freshly o/ygenated 'lood, and that the position essential for the finish
of the lift can 'e attained with the greatest possi'le ease. The former
condition can 'e o'tained 'y the necessary muscle control and fullBtidal
'reathing, and the latter 'y a simulation of the finishing position of the
lift, until this position can 'e held with freedom and ease. Thus, if the
lift is the singleBhanded snatch, the arm should 'e reached up and the
'ody ad1usted a few times until the mental concentration ena'les the
lifter to gain and hold the position easily and speedily. *ften a lifter
88
starts his attempts when he is too stiff in the muscles from pre)ious
lifting to adopt the finishing positions of the lift with ease. ;f he attains
the essential reach for the finishing position with actually lifting
weights, he will 'e wasting the strength and energy that he needs for
the real attempt. ;n a contest where a return to a lighter weight is not
permitted it would not 'e wise to ris0 all 'y starting with the hea)iest
possi'le lift, unless only that lift would 'e worth ris0ing all on a 'ig
lift, or more lesser lifts.
The weightBlifter who is desirous of attaining his full
potentialities on any lift is ad)ised to train in the following manner.
He should decide on the style that suits him 'est< the strict
method of performing the lift and holding it, so that it will pass a strict
;nternational referee. Then ha)e his 'ell prepared and the grips mar0ed
so that it will ne)er 'e pic0ed up out of 'alance. This will sa)e the
e/penditure of energy so often occasioned 'y the lifter ha)ing to test
the 'alance of his own 'ell 'efore attempting the lift, or the worse
trou'le of suddenly attempting a lift only to find that the 'ell is coming
up out of 'alance. The lifter should carefully study the techni.ue of the
lift with a weight well within his power, 'ut not one that can 'e lifted
without much effort, or laIy lifting ha'its will 'e ac.uired and the great
concentration necessary for record performance will ne)er 'e gained.
*nce the lifter is confident that the correct style has 'een mastered, and
is sure that no loss of control is sensed at any part of the lift, he should
increase the weight of the 'ell only slightly. An increase of ounces may
'e 'etter than pounds, for the o'1ect is to ma0e sure that the lift is
performed a'solutely correctly at e)ery attempt, with all the s0ill and
concentration at the lifter=s disposal, and with the muscles fresh and the
energies unimpaired. Each time the feat can 'e performed with ease the
lifter should not ma0e the mista0e of increasing repetitions, 'ut should
)ery slightly increase the weight for the ne/t practice, and proceed in
this manner until the full limit has 'een reached. ; 0now it will 'e a
great temptation for the lifter to try a hea)ier weight each time a lift is
performed with ease, or to see how many repetitions he can perform
with a lighter weight. &ut if the lifter always lifts until he registers a
failure he will get into the ha'it of practising failures< and if he uses
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many repetitions and light weights he will wear out the muscles and
ne)er get the concentration necessary to reach his full potentialities.
The periods that should 'e allowed to elapse 'etween the 'outs
with the weight must 'e left to indi)idual consideration, and should
)ary from three to si/ days.
After a 'out of lifting, an apprecia'le period of rest is necessary,
as there has 'een a considera'le 'rea0ing down of tissue, although few
lifters will 'elie)e this. &ut the tissue will re'uild during the periods of
rest and muscleBconditioning e/ercises without weights< and the
amount of time necessary for this re'uilding process will )ary
according to indi)idual meta'olism. This will e/plain why a lifter, who
only uses a few 'ig lifts, with sufficient periods of rest 'etween, often
gets 'ig de)elopment of the muscles in)ol)ed, while the lifter who does
much repetition wor0, or who does not allow sufficient periods of rest
'etween lifting 'outs, reduces de)elopment and e)en loses strength.
The science of recordB'rea0ing in)ol)es the a'ility to put all the
energy, concentration and strength into one effort. ;f the lifter has to use
more than one lift, as would 'e the case if he were training for the
*lympic set +press, snatch and 1er0-, he should use all the lifts at each
practice 'out.
The training for condition should consist of fully stretching,
contracting, rela/ing and controlling e)ery muscle and muscle group
e#er" da"5 and simulation of the lift or lifts to 'e performed. (ight
outdoor e/ercise, with fullBtidal 'reathing, would help to esta'lish a
good circulation and general functional health.
The preparation for the actual contest or record attempt should
include the necessary period of rest 'eforehand, which each lifter must
determine for himself 'y o'ser)ation and e/periment. ; would here
mention that when Ma/ic0 was preparing for a record attempt he
usually rested for si/ to se)en days from the weights. He did not always
lea)e that period 'etween his practice tests, howe)er. *n the other
hand, he would do no lifting for wee0s at a time. Another important
matter is the time at which the lift or lifts should 'e practised. This
87
should 'e as near as possi'le to the hour that the match or record
attempt is to ta0e place.
*ne e/ample of lifting is gi)en herewith, and in)ol)es the 'est
method of ta0ing a 'ell clean to the chest and pressing it aloft. This will
ser)e as a good principle for dealing with other lifts, 'ecause accuracy
and thoroughness are a'solutely necessary for good performance.
Each lifter li0es to de)elop a style that suits his 'uild, and if he
can support this with a scientific use of the 'ones and muscles, he is
li0ely to do 'etter than would 'e the case if he allowed his feelings to
ta0e charge without .uestion.
T+o Ha!ds C#ea! to Chest"
The s0etch on page 8" shows the 'est grip for the purpose. The
thum' should 'e in line with the fingers +on the same side of the 'ar-. ;f
the lifter fears that the 'ar will slip out of his hands in this style of grip,
he should test the grip in a place where he can safely drop the 'ar if
necessary, and he will find that he can securely hold the 'ar at any part
of the lift. The ad)antages are o')ious, for there is an e/tra finger as it
were, greater freedom for turning the el'ows in towards the 'ody, and a
'etter position for the press or 1er0 when the 'ell is at the shoulders. ;t
must here 'e mentioned, howe)er, that some lifters find the ordinary
grip more suita'le for pressing the weight from the chest. ;f that
happens to 'e the case after proper trial, it will 'e as well for such
lifters to use the grip with the thum' on the opposite side of the 'ar, and
circling round towards the fingers, for the pullBin to chest. A weight that
can 'e pressed is usually easy to ta0e to the chest, and so one grip can
'e used for the press and the other for the 1er0 and snatch.
1rocedure. G With the feet comforta'ly separated to ensure
lateral 'alance, grasp the 'ar with the hands as wide apart as desired
and permitted. Then press hard with the legs, straighten the 'ac0 and
pull powerfully. Allow the 'ell to get DwayE on it, 'ut do not lift the
el'ows. Then in a flash simultaneously allow the forearms to slip
84
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forward, 'end the 0nees and lean 'ac0ward slightly. This will allow the
'ell to 'e fi/ed )ery low indeed, lower, in fact, than a hea)y weight
could 'e fi/ed 'y any other method. The feet do not ha)e to 'e mo)ed
in this method until the fi/ is gained, and in any case the 'ell will DrunE
up to the height of the shoulders immediately after the fi/. Then if the
lifter wishes to mo)e his feet he will 'e a'le to do so. The toes should
point almost straight to the front to maintain the fullest Dfore and aftE
'alance. The feet should 'e separated apprecia'ly to gi)e lateral control
and 'alance for the press, 'ut not wide enough to infringe any rules in
this connection. ;f the pullBin is practised with a light weight, it should
'e pulled high so that the DsnatchE de)elops from it. ;f the el'ows can
'e 0ept fairly low in the DsnatchE a 'igger poundage can 'e handle in
time.
The T+o Ha!ds 'ress"
This is one of the hardest lifts to perform from the strength
standpoint, 'ut one of the easiest technically. >et dis.ualification seems
to 'e the rule rather than the e/ception. Spea0ing generally, the lifter
does not adopt a sound stance with the 'ell. The most common mista0e
is for the lifter to 'e out of 'alance and to reach up with the shoulders,
instead of allowing the weight to settle down on a solid pressing 'ase
'efore starting the actual pressing.
As soon as the 'ell reaches the chest the lifter should contract
the gluteus muscles, press his toes firmly to the ground, and allow the
'ell to press down solidly on a central 'ase as it were. ;f this is
practised without shoes or 'oots, it will 'e found that a good control of
the 'alance can 'e o'tained. The pressing position should 'e attained as
the 'ell reaches the chest and the contractions gained simultaneously.
Then, as the 'reath is inspired, the 'ell should 'e powerfully and
determinedly pressed straight up o)er the centre of the 'alance i.e.,
e/actly o)er the centre of the heels and toes. ;f the weight is ta0en 'ac0
on the heels loss of 'alance must result, and if ta0en forward on to the
toes, loss of pressing resistance will 'e e/perienced. Allow the
shoulders to 'e +ressed do)n, as this will allow the arms to do their
wor0 with freedom. ;f the shoulders are lifted or shrugged, the arms can
8?
seldom 'e straightened with a really hea)y weight, and there is
generally a loss of 'alance as well. The inspiration at the start of the
press is most important.
The T+o Ha!ds 8erk"
(ittle need 'e said a'out the actual 1er0ing of the weight aloft,
for each lifter finds his own style according to his adapta'ility. The
mo)ement of the feet after the initial 1er0 must 'e directed to suit the
fi/ of the lifter. ;t is of little use to 1er0 a 'ell well from the chest if it
arri)es in a position that does not allow it to 'e cleanly fi/ed. The lifter
should disco)er the position in which he can secure a strong and low
fi/ at the conclusion of the 1er0, and he should split the feet to that
position after 1er0ing the 'ell aloft. Thereafter it is a simple matter to
straighten the 'ody and 'ring the feet to the necessary position for the
Dcount.E ,ust one more warningF the lifter should not throw the 'ell
aloft, 'ut thrust it powerfully. This will pre)ent the arms from
unloc0ing at the conclusion of the 1er0.
;t is interesting to note that TerlaIIo, referred to earlier in this
article, also lifted lifted at the Paris Championships in Septem'er, "4#,
and performed the following liftsF G
74Q l'. 7?7N l'. 4? l'. #!#R l'.
;n the DSuperman MagaIineE of May, "4#, TerlaIIo states in
reference to his winning the @eatherweight Championship of the World
in &erlin, "4KF D. . . the day came when, surrounded 'y cheering
crowds, the America team dro)e through the streets of &erlin on its way
to the *lympic Aillage. Here ; put in my final training. ; had wor0ed
hard on the 'oat and needed 'ut a few light wor0Bouts to 'ring myself
to the pea0. ; finished m" +re+aration si% da"s before the liftin! o+ened
and for the rest ; spent my time in meeting and tal0ing with athletes of
other countries.E
;n the same issue, referring to the dou'leB'odyweight 1er0 +a
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feat performed 'y Ma/ic0 in "8" in (ondon-, TerlaIIo statesF D;
scaled 4#N l'. when ; made the attempt. When ; was successful with a
lift of 7#H l'. ; was a )ery proud man, for no American lifter had e)er
performed the lift 'efore. Since then it has 'ecome a commonplace and
6 ha#e often been able to start at or abo#e the doublebod")ei!ht
standard$E The italics are mine.
5igoulot, the great @rench athlete, still holds the following
records, although created some years agoF G
7 hands snatch, 7 hands clean and 1er0, hand snatch,
4H l'. ?8 l'. 7HH l'.
9ossier, the great Egyptian athlete, who, ; am proud to say,
'egan Ma/alding when a youth, held the world=s amateur record of 4K!
l'. in the two hands clean and 1er0 for some years.
;n concluding this section ; would li0e to repeat my offer to
train any promising &ritish lifter in an attempt to produce a World=s
Champion.
TWO HANDS CLEAN TO CHEST
This s0etch clearly indicates the position of the thum's
descri'ed in the weightBlifting section for the special method of
'ringing a hea)y 'ell to the chest. The position illustrated is
immediately 'efore the straightening of the 'ody and legs, when the
forearms should slip forward the 0nees should 'e 'ent, and the 'ody
inclined slightly 'ac0ward. The hips must 'e 'rought forward for the
Dfi/.E
8K
THE TWO HANDS '%ESS
This s0etch indicates the 0ey position to the start of the press,
after the 'ell has 'een ta0en to the chest. ;t will 'e noticed that the
centre of the dis0 is 'ehind and not directly a'o)e the wrist. This is due
to the fact that the special grip ad)ised in the section on weightBlifting
allows the 'ar to rest 'ac0 on the hands, and so assists in 'ringing the
weight o)er the centre of the feet. ;n lifts where the head must 'e 0ept
erect it can 'e drawn slightly 'ac0ward out of the way of the 'ar. &ut if
there is no o'1ection to the head 'eing tilted 'ac0, the 'ar can 'e
'rought o)er the face if that is found necessary to secure the perfect
position for 'alance and power.
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8!
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How To Excel at Athletics

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