to pneumonia within a few days after his illness, and many other athletic exponents have impaired their health or gone to too early a grave, the victims of professional ambition.
One should be by no means adverse to well developed and strong muscles, so long as the elasticity and rhythm of the movements of the body are unimpaired, but if the nerves and organs have been overtaxed in the development of the muscles, the result is a weaker instead of a stronger individual.
Experiments have shown that while the man with big and hard biceps muscles may be able to lift a heavier weight than the man with more supple and elastic muscles, the latter would lift a smaller weight a greater number of times. Both would improve their performance after five minutes of massage had been applied to the arms.
When practicing the combined massage exercises set forth in this book, the muscles become massaged during each exercise.
The strongest athlete may exert the same strength that he employs in heavy-weight lifting, or apparatus work, when applying these massage movements to the body, without any of the possible ill effects resulting from heavy gymnastic work. The use of such strength in the combined massage exercises will thus result in benefit for the body in the form of massage, and this will greatly assist in re-establishing the vitality that might have been lost by excessive strenuous exercises.
It should not be construed that these arguments are intended as advice to refrain from outdoor exercises and sports. Anyone and everyone should practice and participate in any sports suitable to their temperament, time and purse, but care should be taken not to overtax the strength or vitality.
