EXERCISE FOR ANY GIVEN MUSCLES
to any stationary object as high above your head as you can comfortably reach, say a horizontal bar, and pull yourself up by one finger till your chin touches your hand—if you can. Some gymnasts can do this several times with the little finger.
Just where the thumb joins the palm; and between it and the forefinger on the back of the hand; is a muscle which, while at first usually small, can be developed and enlarged by any exercise which necessitates pinching the ends of the thumb and forefinger together; such as carrying a plate of metal, or other thin but heavy substance between the finger and thumb. Harder work yet: calling on both this muscle and a number of others of the hand and upon most of the fore arm; consists in catching two two-inch beams running overhead; as in the ceiling of a cellar; and about a foot and a half or two feet apart; and walking along, sustaining the whole weight by the grip, first of one hand, then of the other. He who can do this has very unusual strength of fingers.
For improving the ordinary grip of the hand, simply taking a rubber ball in it; or a wad of any elastic material; and even of paper; and repeatedly squeezing it, will soon tell. Simpler yet is it to just practise opening and shutting the hand firmly many times. An athletic friend of ours says that the man of his whole acquaintance who has the strongest grip got it by just practising this exercise.
TO ENLARGE AND STRENGTHEN THE FRONT OF THE CHEST.
Every one of the exercises for the biceps tells also on the pectoral muscles, or those on the front of the upper part of the chest; for the two work so intimately to-
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