Scientific Athletics

CHAPTER II. ACQ ~I ITIOX ~\.~D COX ERVATIOX OF VIT.\LITY. I T i apparently under toocl by both ol> · rvant and unobservant p opl that phy. ical dev lopment i no crit rion a to tr ngth . The fact that, without energy abnormal phy ical cl \' lopment i · unavailing ha been v rified time innum rahl . ,'p ctators of athl tic conte tsar frequ ntly a touncl d to b holcl a herculean portsrnan utterly outvi cl hy a comparatively in ·ignif1cant rival. ut wer the funcla– m ntal attribute of the athlete investigated and ontra. tecl, the uperior characteri. tic of th succe sful one \\'oulcl b easily di tinguishccl, \\'h r a· the pot n– tialitie · of the h avier man could onlv he surmi eel. Th admirabl . uhscrvi ncy and symm -tr r of th light athlet '· phy iqu would he pc·rceptiblc, whil the infallibility of hi· accumulat cl store of nergy would b demon ·tratcd in all hi. performances. 01 positcly, 1-he clrawbaclc of the hea\'Y man's phy. iqu would be evinced by hi maladroit mm·cmcnt ancl comparative de titution of \'itality. Therefore th novice i. under an obligation to place, as it were, a premium upon the a quisition of vitality. and to appr, iatc th fact that, although th, accc ion of proportionat dc\·elopm nt is rcqui ite yet it i · th unqu ·tionable quality of th, phy. ique that con ·titntcs th ideal athl t . . \rtificiall - incra.. atecl muscl ·, although answ ring cl monstrative cle ign , ar , a· lscwhere cmpha. i. <l, pra -tically 36