Success in Athletics and how to obtain it

APPENDIX concavity is formed underneath ; he then shoots out the toes and grasps the floor with the end of his toes and drags the heel along ; this is repeated until the foot is no longer in a position to perform the movements (figs. 94, 95). He brings his foot ne~rer to him, and again repeats the movement. Simply described, it may be said that he makes the foot crawl along the floor. In standing to perform this exercise, he places himself in a somewhat similar attitude-so far as the lower limbs are con– cerned- as the soldier used to take up in the bayonet exercise; both knees are bent, and the foot in starting to perform the crawling exercise is placed in the hollow of the other. EXERCISE IO In this exercise the athlete is seated on the edge of a chair; his rjght leg is crossed over his left and supported by the left knee; the left foot is arched under him, and his right leg is suspended ·easily from the knee ; the toes of the right foot are pointed to the extremes.t tension, and the foot is circled in a direction which corresponds with the hands of a clock, and in forming the complete circle the toes and foot are raised at the highest portion of the imaginary circle (figs. 96, 97, 98). With the left foot exercise the direction in forming the circular movement must be made in a direction counter-clockwise. EXERCISE II The athlete ·stands with the left foot resting firmly on a book, so that the right foot is clear of the ground ; th'e right hand is placed on the hip, the left hand rests upon the back of a chair to give support to the body. The right toe is pointed, and the leg is moved directly out from the body with a rotary movement of the whole limb, as will be seen in fig. 99· The right leg is then brought back to the left with a rotary movement of the whole limb, so that at th·e end of the movement the great toes are close together, as in fig. roo. Throughout the exercise the muscles should be set and the pelvis kept square to the front.