Athletic Sports (extract)

The Physical Proportions of the Typical Alan ical exercise under good conditions the de­ velopment of the muscles has been lifted above that of the average or typical man, and the strength made greatly to exceed it. A few months'special training might bring the measurement of the thighs to the nor­ mal standard, and adda little to the devel­ opment of other parts ; but it would add nothing tothe health, permanent strength, or longevity of the individual. Figs. F, G, H, and Chart III. represent an individual of another type—of Ameri­ can ancestry. His age is thirty-three years, weight 161 pounds, and height 5 feet 9.7 inches. Upon referring to the chart, it will be noticed that the most remarkable charac­ teristic of this figure is its approach to perfect symmetry in some parts and its marked divergence from it in others. The weight, which is a trifle heavy for the height, is very uniformly distributed, the only excess being in the region of the chest, hips, and arms. The relativeproportion of the different heights of the body is very nearly true. The onlydivergence is a slight falling off in the sitting height, which is probably due to the shortness of the neck. The neck and chest are large in circumference. 38