Page:How to Get Strong (1899).pdf/212

 at the waist. Were such a one to practise daily hopping straight ahead, on one foot; and then on the other; until he could by-and-by so cover half a mile without fatigue; he would find his swaying propensity fast disappearing; and if he has been troubled with a feeble or unshapely waist, that also will have gradually changed; until at the end it has become firm and well set.

Take the long balancing-pole of the tight-rope walker, and try to walk a rope a while; or try the more simple expedient of walking on the railroad rail; and these muscles are at once uncommonly busy. Notice the professional tight-rope man, and see how strong he is here, especially when to the weight of his own body he adds another, as did Farini when he carried a man on his shoulders across the Niagara River; or as the Eastern porter, with his huge weight of luggage; or the carrier at the meat-market, who shoulders a whole side or more of beef and marches off with it. These men soon get great and unusual power in these side muscles. Wrestling also, whether Cornish or Græco-Roman, or indeed almost any sort, tells directly and severely here. If one prefers to use apparatus made specially, he will find in every well-appointed gymnasium, a simple device of Dr. Sargent's, made purposely to bring up and strengthen these muscles.

But with no apparatus, stand erect. Put one hand as high over your head as you can. Put the other as low down at your side as you can. Now raise the low hand and lower the high one. You will feel like swaying your body to one side as you do this. Well sway it all you can. Your sides are getting great work now; and if your liver is torpid, it will think there has been a declaration of war; and there has been, on torpidity of