Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 09.djvu/458

* GYMNASTICS. 408 GYMNASTICS. of which, like all other wall machines, is capable of regulation to any desired degree. I'ulley- If tights, or, as they are frequently called, ihesl weights, are made double for the special purpose of exercising both sides of the body at the same time. It is probably the most important single piece of ap])aratus for general physical exercise that can be used. The weights are adjustable so that therc need be no danger of straining. A good exercise with lliis apparatus is as follows: Take a liandle in cacli liand and stand facing the ai>paralus at such a distance as will leave the hands al)out twelve inches from the pulley when the arms are extended, then, raising the arms to a per]iendicular position, return to the original position and repeat the process as many times as desired. Other exercises are as follows: (1) Kxtend the arms as far apart as possible and return them to the first position. (2) Lower the arms to the sides and return to the first ])osition. These exercises may be combined in any way that the gj-mnast feels would best advance his scheme of practice. Good exercises for the legs may be obtained by putting a foot in each handle, stirrup fashion, and marking time with the feet or using one foot at a time, balancing with the other leg. In this latter exercise, many movements may be executed, and valuable exercise for the legs and hips thus de- rived. ■A good machine for strengthening the muscles of the neck is one in which a pulley weight is used, having a small semicircular net at the end of the rope. This is placed on the back of the head, which is moved backward and forward, lifting the weight. In this particular exercise the muscles in the back of the neck derive special benefit, but the position ma}' be easily shifted so that the other neck muscles may be similarly exerci.sed. Dynamometers, or strength-measurers, are ma- chines for testing the muscles : a spirometer, or breath-measurer, is a similar contrivance for gauging the c.ipacity of the lungs. These and similar machines are common in every thoroughly equipped gymnasium, and by their aid the gym- nast is enabled to keep an accurate record of his progress and development. The heavy apparatus usually consists of a hori- zontal bar; a pair of parallel bars: a trapeze; a pair of hanging rings suspended from the ceiling or bar; a horse or vaulting bar: horizon- tal, perpendicular, and inclined ladders; and a climbing pole, or rope. The horizontal bar is usually made of hickory, or some other hard wood, and is about six feet long by one and three- quarter inches in diameter. It is sometimes so ai ranged that it can be adjusted to any height by sliding it up or down the iipright posts to which it is fastened. The bar shovild be placed at such a height that the feet will be clear of the ground, and while some instrvictors maintain that it is best to hold on to the bar Avith the thinid) on the opposite side from the fingers, it is generally found to be more advantageous to grasp it with the thumb and fingers on the same side. The first exercise with the horizontal bar should be that of drawing the body steadily up imtil the chin is above the bar. and then lowering it slowly until it hangs again at full length. This exercise should be frequently practiced imtil the beginner can sticceed in raising himself several times in succession without any undue effort. This ac- complished, he may practice hanging from the bar, using each hand alternately, or 'walk' along the hiiT hand over hand, or practice swinging the body backward and forward until he can attain almost a horizontal position. Having thus become familiar with the 'feel' of the bar, lie iiKiy next proceed to its exercises. To mount, the body must be raised until the chin is above the bar, after which the left leg is raised and thrown over tlic liar, knee bent. The oilier leg is now swung until it gains sufficient impetus to aid the g;smnast in securing an upright posi- tion above the bar, which passes between his legs, after which he may throw the right leg also over the bar, and practice balancing him- self on it by sitting in various positions without holding on by his hands. After this, numerous exercises will suggest themselves. A much more difficult ap]iaratus is the hanging or trapeze bar, which is similar to a horizontal bar except that it is sup])orted by two ropes, swing fashion. The same exercises may be performed on it, but with very much more difliculty. Parallel bars are two bars side by side sup- a feet high, 3 or more inches in diameter, and from IG to 20 inches apart. They are sometimes oval and sometimes round. An elementary exer- cise is to practice supporting the weiglit of the body with a liand on each bar, arms held rigid; after which should be practiced 'walking' along the bars, taking a step alternately with each hand. Care should be taken that the body is perfectly erect, head well up, eyes to the front, legs rigid and close together, and toes pointing to the ground. Another exercise is to allow the body to drop a little by bending the elbows, and allowing them to point liackward on a level with the shoulders, the gymnast advancing along the bars by a series of jumps, both hands striking the bars at once. In this exercise considerable reenforcement is obtained by drawing the feet up in readiness to aid the arms at the instant of jumping, and then kicking them straight down. There are a great variety of exercises possible with the parallel bars, which are at the same time among the most profitable of the entire gymnastic curriculum. The vaulting horse may consist of a block of wood, rounded at the top and shaped so as to resemble a horse's back. Two pommels, so constructed that they can be removed when necessary, are fixed on the back, saddlewise. The numerous exercises with the horse range from vaulting it by placing the hands on the pommels, to jumping over it. starting with a run. Hanging rings, or traveling rings, are leather-covered iron rings suspended from above by a rope. Ordinarily, several are suspended in a row' so that. cDiiimencing with the first one. the gymnast may swing hini.self to the second, after w-hich he lets go of the first, and so on down the line. There are many positions in swinging, each one of which has its own advantages, while with two of these rings many of the exercises on the horizontal and parallel bars may also be features of gymnastic training. In climbing, the rope is grasped with both hands, one above the other, the rope hanging between the feet, which are crossed. -As the hands pull the boiiy up. the rope is allowed to swing between the feet, which proceed to grasp it tightly, permitting the hands one at a time to be moved to a new grip: so that the body is first supported by both hands,
 * )orted on posts. They are usually from 4Vj to