Success in Athletics and how to obtain it

APPENDIX ments are performed ; the knee must be held at full extension, and no movement must take place in the ankle-joint (figs. 84, 85). The exercise is done from the hip-joint, and there must be no rolling movements of the lower girdle of the trunk, or pelvis, or swaying of the body. ExERCISE 3 The position of the limbs and body is the same as that used in the previous exercise. The limb is raised, with the foot pointed to its greatest extent and the knee fixed; the limb is rolled, and at the same time a circular movement is performed (fig. 86). The rotary and circular movements are made from the hip-joint, and the trunk is held steady as in Exercise 2 . If the exercise be performed with the right leg, and the rotary and circular movements are performed to the right, the first arc of the circle will be made towards the right from below upwards, and the uppermost portion of the circle will be in a line with the natural position of the limb when straightened. ExERCISE 4 This exercise is 1a reversal of the order of making and com– pleting the circle with rotary movement, as described in·Exercise 3· EXERCISE 5 The athlete must stand on his bare feet, with the heels together and feet placed at about an angle of 45 degrees, much in the manner of a soldier on parade at "attention." The arms may hang loosely at the sides, or the hands may rest upon the hips ; the head must be held erect, for the athlete should avoid looking at his feet whilst going through his exercises, and thus prevent the development of a slight stoop by constan habit. This exercise is simple enough ; it consists in raising oneself on the toes to the highest pitch and sustaining the position for a couple of seconds, and then dropping heavily upon the heels and repeating the movements (figs. 87, 88). This and the following three exercises are to be performed for, say, half a minute, counted upon the second-hand of a watch, and gradually increased in the frequency of repetition until the l