Exercise - Group II

Keeping Fit all the Way
by Walter Camp

(Page 9 of 11)

Grind: (The order is "Shoulder Grind. Ready - Cross. Balance Turn. Grind!") Assume the "Cross" position. The palms are then turned up, with the backs of the hands down and the arms forced back as far as possible.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Health Maxims

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.

About the Author

Walter Chauncey Camp (1859 - 1925) was a sports writer and football coach known as the "Father of American Football". Along with John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Glenn Scobey Warner, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most significant people in the history of American football.