HOW TO GET STRONG
tion. Now, had he held himself rigidly erect; and, first expanding his chest to its utmost by inhaling all the air he possiby could; and holding it in during the effort;—a most valuable practice, by the way, in all feats calling for a great effort,-—-he would not only have helped to expand his chest; but would find, to his gratification, that he had hit upon a wrinkle which somehow made the task easier than it ever was before.
Holding the head and neck back of the vertical; say six inches; with the face pointing to the ceiling; and then working with the dumb-bells at arm's-length, as above referred to,—or without them either—is grand for the upper chest; tending to raise the depressed collarbones and the whole upper ribs; and to make a person hitherto flat-chested now shapely and full; while the benefit to lungs perhaps formerly weak would be hard to overestimate.
Steady and protracted but easy running is a great auxiliary in enlarging the lung-room. So is plenty of sparring. So is the practice of drawing air slowly in at the nostrils, until every air-cell of the lungs is absolutely full; then holding it long; and then expelling it slowly. Most public singers and speakers know the value of this and kindred practices in bringing, with increased diaphragmatic action, improved power and endurance of voice.
If you will do this several hours each day; you will get strong faster than in almost any other known way. Again, standing erect, with heels together, toes well out, and hands hanging at your sides; keeping elbows straight, slap the backs of your hands together as high over the head as you can; at the same time rise high on your toes and soles. Do this slowly twenty times. If this does not satisfy you; do a series of twenties. This is a great chest-broadener; and is good for the calves. Again
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