Men who have really kept themselves fit are few. Those who have conscientiously started in to do this and then abandoned it are a host. There are valid reasons for this lamentable state of affairs.
First—Because the antiquated systems under which these men have attempted the task have
(1) Occupied too much time;
(2) Left men tired instead of refreshed;
(3) Exercised muscles which get all they need in a man's ordinary pursuits.
Secondly—Because the instructors who have taught these systems have laid stress upon
(1) Mere increase in size of the muscles;
(2) Ability to do "stunts" which are of no practical use to a man;
(3) Unnecessary use of apparatus.
Thirdly—Because they made necessary the services of a teacher to
(1) Lead the exercises;
(2) Keep track of their number and variety;
(3) Give special treatment to produce results.
But these mistakes are in the past. Let us look toward a brighter, saner, and more productive future.
The following chapters give a set of exercises carefully tested upon thousands of men, and these exercises will be fully explained so that any individual reader may practise them daily and secure their full benefit. To each chapter are appended a few health hints, couched in language that is brief and to the point, in order that they may be readily remembered. The object is to make an efficient working-machine of the man without useless effort, to increase that man's resistive force against disease, to add to his suppleness and endurance, to give him poise and balance, and to develop co-ordination or control over his muscles. By doing this his power to work will be augmented, and at the same time any work that he does will be accomplished more readily and with less effort. Finally his cheerfulness will be increased, and those who work with him or under him or about him will be spared the disagreeable experiences that accompany association with a man whose irritability and irascibility have become part of his daily habit.
We call this system the "Daily Dozen Set-up." It is a shorthand system of setting-up exercises for use on any and all occasions.
The "Daily Dozen Set-up" consists of twelve exercises which, for ease in memorizing, are divided into four groups of three exercises each. Each exercise or movement is given a name, and the names of all the movements of a group commence with the same letter, thus:
These exercises are not difficult nor exhausting, and do not demand great strength for their proper execution. They are designed, both from a scientific and a practical point of view, to give exactly the right amount of exercise to every muscle of the body. They are intended to promote suppleness, and especially to strengthen those muscles which are seldom brought into play in ordinary daily life. A conscientious fifteen minutes a day with the "Daily Dozen" will soon do more for a man than any amount of skilled physical feats or "strong-man stunts." When one first practises these movements their effect will be felt on the little-used muscles of the neck, back, and stomach; yet they will not leave the pronounced muscular fatigue which follows the ordinary exercises and which does more harm than good.
Dress to be cool when you walk and warm when you ride.
Clean skin, clean socks, clean underwear every day.
Getting mad makes black marks on the health.
Sleep woos the physically tired man; she flouts the mentally exhausted.
Nature won't stand for overdrafts any more than your bank.
In a squad it is the job of each individual to make himself fit, for it is his example that helps the rest.
The leader may be no better than you, but some one must give the orders and set the pace.
Two things are essential to a clean skin; one is bathing and a rub-down, but the other is still more important, and that is perspiration.
Food, water, and oxygen are the fuel for running the human machine.
You never saw a dog fill his mouth with food and then take a drink to wash it down.
Any setting-up exercises should be preparatory—that is, they should make men ready for the serious work of their day, and in no way exhaust any portion of their vitality. This modern "shorthand" method of setting-up leaves men in an exhilarated condition, and, instead of taking anything out of them, it prepares the body for any kind of work that may be required.
Each exercise starts from the position of "Attention," which is thus described in the army manual:
Heels on the same line and as near each other as the conformation of the man permits.
Feet turned out equally and forming with each other an angle of about sixty degrees.
Knees straight without stiffness.
Body erect on hips, inclined a little forward; shoulders square and falling equally.
Arms and hands hanging naturally, backs of the hands outward; thumbs along the seams of the trousers; elbows near the body.
Head erect and straight to the front, chin slightly drawn in without constraint, eyes straight to the front. (See Fig. 1.)
Each movement, with the exception of the "Speed Test" (a catch exercise with which any man may test his rapidity of action and co-ordination), should be executed in a slow and measured manner. These exercises do not depend upon snap for their effect, but upon the steady, deliberate, but not extreme stretching of the muscles. Any tendency toward hurried, careless execution should be avoided in favor of uniformity of movement.
Hands: This is the same position as "Attention." (See Fig. 1.)
Especial care should be taken to see that whenever, throughout the exercises, this position is taken—as at the completion of each movement—full control is retained over the arms; the hands should not be allowed to slap against the sides audibly.
It is not difficult to acquire a certain amount of accuracy in this position, but one of the easiest ways of getting men to assume it properly is to tell them to "push their necks back." This seems more effective than to speak of holding the chin in with the head erect, or anything of that kind. If a man stands naturally and then forces the back of his neck back against his collar, he comes into very nearly the desired position of "Attention," so far as his head and neck are concerned.
The shoulders should be rolled a little downward and back, for that is the sensation which comes when one speaks of the shoulders being square. The chest should be arched and the abdomen drawn in somewhat. The effect is that of a man standing erect and feeling himself a little taller than usual.
Hips: The hands are placed on the hips, with shoulders, elbows and thumbs well back. (See Fig. 2.) The position of "Hips" is that of "Attention" with the hands placed on the hips, the fingers forward and the thumbs back, at the same time keeping the shoulders and elbows well back.
Head: The hands are placed behind the neck, index finger-tips just touching and elbows forced back. (See Fig. 3.)
In the position called "Head" the body is still in the position of "Attention," the neck pushed well back, the fingers and the hands just touching behind the neck, and the elbows not allowed to push forward but kept as far back as the shoulders.
Speed Test: The above three exercises, "Hands, Hips, Head," should be executed but a few times each, being preparatory to the "Speed Test." For this the pupil should concentrate his thought on running through the above set as rapidly as possible, at the same time making each position correct.
Success comes from service.
Don't make excuses. Make good.
If you feel tired, remember so does the other man.
After a hearty meal, stand up straight for fifteen minutes.
Your squad is only as good as the poorer ones. Don't be one of those.
The success of the drill depends upon the concentration of each man of the squad.
If you have a stake in life, it is worth playing the game for all there is in it.
The man who gets things is the one who pulls up his belt a hole tighter and goes out after them.
If you will save your smoke till after luncheon, you'll never have smoker's heart.
A bath, cold if you please, hot if you must, with a good rub, starts the day right.
Grind: (The order is "Shoulder Grind. Ready—Cross. Balance Turn. Grind!") Assume the "Cross"[2] position. (See Fig. 2, Chapter V.) The palms are then turned up, with the backs of the hands down and the arms forced back as far as possible. (See Fig. 4.)
Then to a measured counting—"One, two, three, four, five," up to ten—circles of twelve-inch diameter are described with the finger tips, the latter moving forward and upward, the arms remaining stiff and pivoting from the shoulders. On the backward movement of the circle the arms should be forced back to the limit. A complete circle should be described at each count. Then reverse, going through the same process, the circles being described in the opposite direction.
In the "Grind" exercises special precaution should be taken not to let the center of the circle, that the hands are making, come in front of the shoulders; it should be straight out in the horizontal position; moreover, as the arm goes backward an attempt should be made to make the shoulder-blades almost meet. This is particularly necessary on the reverse—that is, when the hands are coming forward—for here the tendency, unless men keep the shoulders back, is to contract the chest.
Grate: (The order is "Shoulder Grate. Ready—Cross. Grate!") Assume the "Cross" position. Then at a count of "One" the arms are slowly raised, as a deep inhalation is taken, to an angle of forty-five degrees from horizontal; at the same time the heels are raised till the weight of the body rests on the balls of the feet. (See Fig. 5.)
At "Two" the arms are slowly returned to "Cross" as all air is exhaled and the heels are lowered to a normal position. Care should be taken to see that the arms are not allowed to drop below the level of the shoulders or to rise more than forty-five degrees. The arms should be raised and lowered ten times.
FIG. 5 A.—SECOND POSITION OF GRATE
FIG. 5 A.—SECOND POSITION OF GRATE |
The caution in the "Grate" position is not to let the arms drop, even a fraction of an inch, below the horizontal, and not to let them go up above the angle of forty-five degrees, for in either of these cases there is a distinct rest given to the shoulder muscles. Most of the ordinary exercises of this kind carry the arms above the head; this always releases the effort of the shoulder muscle and is therefore nearly valueless as an exercise for these members.
Another fault in this exercise is letting the head come forward. The neck should be kept back all the time.
Grasp: (The order is "Head Grasp. Ready—Cross. Grasp!") Assume the "Cross" position. Then place the hands behind the head. With head up and eyes front, and in time with the counting, "One, two, three, four," the body is bent forward from the waist as far as possible. (See Fig. 6.)
The body is returned to the upright in the same number of counts, and at an unusually slow "One" it is bent as far back as comfortable only from the waist, being returned to the upright at "Two." Care should be taken to see that this motion is slow and not jerky. The entire movement should be repeated five times.
In the "Grasp" position it is not necessary to go to an extreme on the backward movement; only so far as is really comfortable. In the forward movement the body should come down practically at right angles to the hips, but the head should not be allowed to drop forward. The head should be kept up, with the elbows back and the eyes looking to the front.
Vacillation and doubt are poison to the nerves.
Fear is the forerunner of illness.
"Eyes in the boat" is as good a maxim at drill as in a shell.
When drinking a glass of water stand erect and take a full breath first; then drink with chest out and hips back and head up.
The men who chase the golf-ball don't have to pursue the doctor.
Two hours of outdoor exercise by the master never yet made him over-critical of the cook.
Nature never punished a man for getting his legs tired. She has punished many for getting their nerves exhausted.
The best record in golf is the record she has made of restored health to the middle-aged.
See how high you can hold your head and deeply you can breathe whenever you are out of doors.
Six to eight glasses of water a day, none with meals, will make you free of doctors.
On the "Cross" position, the arms should be straight out horizontally from the body, with the elbows locked. At the same time every resistance should be placed against the head and neck coming forward at all. These should be held in exactly the same position as at "Attention." The tendency is either to let the arms bend a little, or to let them drop a little below the horizontal, or even to hold them slightly above the level.
Crawl: (The order is "Crawl. Ready—Cross. Crawl!") Assume the "Cross" position. The left palm is then turned up, and on a count of "One, two, three, four" the left arm is raised and the right arm is lowered laterally until at "Four" the right arm should be in a position of "Hands," while the left arm should be extended straight up, with the palm to the right. (See Fig. 7.)
Then on the count of "One, two, three, four" the body is slowly bent sideways from the waist, the right hand slipping down the right leg to or beyond the knee, and the left arm bending in a half-circle over the head until the fingers touch the right ear. (See Fig. 8.) At "Four" the position of "Cross" is quickly resumed, and at "Two" of the next counting the right palm is turned up and the exercise is completed in the opposite direction.
In the "Crawl" position it is not necessary, in the beginning of the exercise, to slide the hand down the hip any farther than is perfectly comfortable. But this distance should be gradually increased, and it will be found quite easy to do this as the muscles of the side become more and more supple.
Curl: (The order is "Curl. Ready—Cross. Curl!") Assume the "Cross" position. In this movement, at "Cross" the feet are spread until the heels are about twelve inches apart. The left foot remains stationary, the right foot being moved to accomplish this. On a count of "One, two, three, four," at the same time inhaling slowly, the fists and lower arms are bent down from the elbows, which are kept pressed back, and the fists are slowly curled up into the armpits. This position should be reached at "Three," when the head and shoulders should be forced back rather strongly, reaching the limit of motion at "Four." (See Fig. 9.) Again on the count of "One, two, three, four," at "One" the arms are extended straight forward from the shoulders, with the palms down, and exhalation is begun.
At "Two" the arms begin to fall and the body bends forward from the waist, head up and eyes front, until, at "Four," the body has reached the limit of motion and the arms have passed the sides and have been forced back and up (as the trunk assumes a horizontal position) as far as possible. At this point the abdomen should be well drawn in at the finish of exhalation.
(Note that in this figure the feet are together, an incorrect position for this exercise.) For a third time, on a count of "One, two, three, four" the body is straightened, reaching an upright position, with arms straight forward at "Three." "Cross" is assumed at "Four." As the body is straightened from the "Wing" position, a full breath should be taken, the lungs being filled, slowly, to the maximum as "Curl" is finally reached. This breath should be retained and then exhaled as the "Wing" position is taken. Inhale through the nose.
The entire movement should be repeated five times.
In the "Curl" position the head and shoulders should be thrown well back and the fists should go well up into the armpits. Keep the elbows back so that the entire thorax is lifted forward and up; at the same time take a deep inhalation.
Crouch: (The order is "Crouch. Ready—Cross. Crouch!") Assume the "Cross" position. In this movement, at "Cross" the feet are spread until the heels are about twelve inches apart. The left foot remains stationary, the right foot being moved to accomplish this. On a count of "One" the knees are bent, and, with the weight on the toes, the body is lowered nearly to the heels, keeping the trunk as nearly erect as possible. (See Fig. 10.)
This is done at "One," and at "Two" the upright position is resumed.
The entire movement should be repeated ten times.
The "Crouch" position is intended for the acquisition of balance and poise; at the same time it is good exercise for the legs. The back should be kept straight and the balance preserved as the body goes up and down. This will be a little difficult at first, but will soon become natural.
Worry makes cowards.
Happiness comes from health, not from money.
Co-operation with others is the life of the squad.
Drill is a mental as well as a physical discipline.
Work will take your mind off most of your ills.
Obesity comes from overloading the stomach and underworking the body.
Nine-tenths of the "blues" come from a bad liver and lack of outdoor exercise.
Wearing the same weight underclothing the year around will save you a lot of colds.
Your nose, not your mouth, was given you to breathe through.
Short shoes and shoes that don't fit cost a lot in the long run.
Blood pressure does not come to the men who walk a lot out of doors; instead it looks for those who sit and eat a lot indoors.
Two men in an eight-oared shell may be able to go faster than the other six, but they never win the race that way.
Wave: (The order is "Wave. Ready—Cross. Arms up. Wave!") Assume the "Cross" position. The arms are then stretched straight above the head, the fingers interlaced and the arms touching the ears. (See Fig. 11.)
On a count of "One, two, three, four" a complete circle, of about twenty-four inches in diameter, is described with the hands, the body bending only at the waist. The trunk should be bent as far backward as forward, and as far to one side as to the other. (See Fig. 12.)
The body should be forward at "One," to the right at "Two," backward at "Three," and to the left at "Four." The motion should be steady and not in jerks.
At "Reverse" the same movement should be repeated in the opposite direction—i.e. to the left.
As the movement is completed for the fifteenth time the body should be brought to an erect position, stretching the arms up as far as possible; and at "Rest" the arms should drop slowly, laterally, to a "Hands" position. Five circles should be described in each direction.
In the "Wave" the tendency is to go too far forward, and not far enough back, the result being an unsymmetrical motion. It is very easy to go forward, but more difficult to make the motion to the side and back. Care should be taken that the arms are kept squarely against the ears. The motion should be like waving the mast of a ship, the hips representing the deck, while the trunk, head, and arms up to the top of the hands, represent the mast. This movement, like the others, should not be extreme at first, but gradually increased after a week or so.
Weave: (The order is "Weave. Ready—Cross. Weave!") Assume the "Cross" position. In this movement, at "Cross" the feet are spread until the heels are about twelve inches apart. The left foot remains stationary, the right foot being moved to accomplish this. On a count of "One, two, three, four" the body is turned to the left from the hips, the arms maintaining the same relation to the shoulders as at "Cross," until at "One" the face is to the left, the right arm pointing straight forward (in relation to the feet) and the left arm straight backward. (See Fig. 13.)
At "Two" the body is bent from the waist so that the right arm goes down and the left up; and at "Three" the fingers of the right hand touch the ground midway between the feet. The left arm should then be pointing straight up, with the face still to the left. The right knee must be slightly bent to accomplish this position. (See Fig. 14.)
At "Four" the position of "Cross" is resumed, and on a count of "One, two, three, four" the same movement is repeated, this time with the left hand touching the ground. Throughout the exercise care should be taken that the arms remain in the same straight line, making no separate movement, but changing their position only as the trunk and shoulders are moved and carry the arms along. After this exercise has been thoroughly mastered, the turning and bending movements made on the counts "One" and "Two" should be combined—i.e., instead of making the entire turn, as described above, turn and bend simultaneously. The entire movement should be repeated ten times.
In the "Weave" care should be taken that the arms and shoulders are kept in one line. The turn begins with the arms horizontal until they are nearly at right angles to the "Cross" position. Then the knee commences to flex and the body bends at the trunk, the hip turning in until the finger-tips touch the floor. At that time the arms and shoulders should still be in the same relative position as at the start—namely, in "Cross" position.
Wing: (The order is "Wing. Ready—Cross. Arms up. Wing!") This is a finishing exercise consisting of deep breathing and is performed slowly. On a count of "One, two, three, four" the arms are raised laterally until they are extended straight upward at "One" and a full inhalation is reached. (See Fig. 15.) At "Two" the arms begin to fall forward and downward, and the body bends forward from the waist up, and eyes front, until, at "Four" the body has reached the limit of motion and the arms have passed the sides and have been forced back and up (as the trunk assumes a horizontal position) as far as possible. (See Fig. 15a.)
On a count of "One, two, three, four" the body is straightened, reaching an upright position, with arms vertically extended, at "Three." At "Four" the arms are lowered to a "Cross" position, but with palms up and arms and shoulders forced hard back. Very slow counting is essential to the correct execution of this exercise. All air should be forced from the lungs as the body bends forward to the "Wing" position, and they should be filled to capacity as the body is straightened and the arms brought down. Inhale through the nose. The entire movement should be repeated five times.
Preparedness is nine-tenths physical strength and endurance.
If you take more food than the digestion can handle, you not only tire the stomach, but the whole system.
Envy, jealousy, and wrath will ruin any digestion.
You'll never get the gout from walking.
Tennis up to the thirties, but golf after forty.
Tight shoes have sent many a man to bed with a cold.
Leg weariness never yet produced brain fag.
Whenever you walk, stand up, with chin in, hips back, and chest out, and think how tall you are.
Courage and concentration will conquer most obstacles.
The hurry of half a squad never brought the whole troop home.
The army must have sound lungs and a good stomach quite as much as arms and ammunition.