Athletic Sports (extract)

The Physical Proportions of the Typical Man ( v 1 1 . j By d e p r i v i n g t h emo f t h e i r e f f i c a c y as a means to health. An individual having this aim (excellence in the achievement) in view, and having decided upon a spe­ cialty in athletics, at once proceeds to strengthen those muscles most used in his chosen sport. The runner or jumper develops his legs, the oarsman his legs and back, and the gymnast his arms, chest, and shoul­ ders. The runner ar­ gues that the heavier his body is above the hips, so much more of a bur­ den is there for him to carry; the gymnast rea­ sons in a similar way with regard to the weight of his body below the hips. There is a constant ten­ dency on the part of special­ ists to overdevelop a few sets of muscles, and to un­ dervalue the importance of keeping the muscles all in a healthy condition. Consequently, through incompleteness of structure and a want of harmony in function, some local weakness is produced which sooner or later