HOW TO GET STRONG
work done stooping over their tasks—such as lifting, shovelling, picking, and mowing—use the thighs much; but keep them so long fixed in one position, with little or no varying exercise to supple and limber them and the joints, that both gradually stiffen, and their instep soon begins to lack elasticity, which tendency is too often increased by heavy, stiff, and unwieldy boots.
Swinging forward when rowing, either in a boat or at the toe-straps, after first swinging far back, takes these upper muscles in a way quite the reverse of their ordinary use, they now aiding to pull the whole trunk forward, and so acting like two long hooks.
All lifting of heavy objects from the ground, standing in almost any position, tells heavily on these muscles being about the severest momentary test they can have, greater even than in jumping. But occasional heavy lifting tends rather to harden the muscle than to rapidly increase its size, protracted effort at lighter but good-sized weights doing the latter to better advantage. Sandow's lifting for years has made these muscles of his gigantic.
Brisk horseback-riding keeps these muscles very actively employed. Every sort of work which calls for frequent stooping down does the same. Persons who take short steps, and many of them, if they walk with vigor, are likely to have legs thicker and stouter everywhere than they who stride out far, but make the whole step as easy for themselves as possible.
For wheel-work these are the muscles-in-chief. Without these unusually strong, you are no unusual wheelman. It is so common among the cyclists to soon enlarge the fronts or tops of the thighs that it no longer attracts notice.
Indeed no other muscles have been so overdeveloped
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