Part 4

The very great and growing popularity of gymnastic exercise is due to several facts. First of all, there is a general awakening to the need for organized exercise at most schools and colleges and within the ranks of many social organizations. Aside from walking, gymnastic exercises, as they have been developed by the Swedes and the Germans, are possibly the most obvious form of beneficial physical exercise. Then this form of physical training has the very decided advantage of being susceptible to the widest kind of application. It may be graded so as to be beneficial to various groups of individuals of varying physical development. It may be given in the most scientific quantities--more so than any other form of exercise save walking. It may be used as a drilling force to instill discipline--against fire, for instance--in great groups of persons, for ability and sufficient knowledge in handling one’s body quickly and efficiently in a crowd under abnormal conditions is quite an important and necessary accomplishment. In fact, everyone, no matter at what age, could do well by her or his body to indulge in some form of calisthenics or gymnastic exercise.

There are two main divisions of gymnastics--floor work and apparatus work.

The floor work consists mainly of tactics, calisthenics, drills with hand apparatus, such as wands, dumb bells, Indian clubs, etc., dancing and posturing exercises.

The tactics consist mainly of marching by ones, twos, threes, fours, etc., of flank marching, and of circle marching. Form in this counts for a great deal together with quick execution of commands and memory of the proper method by which the figure is to be executed. Perfect form in marching consists of the head erect, the eyes straight ahead, the shoulders back, the arms down straight at the sides, the palms of the hands turned toward the body, the fingers close together; the toes should be pointed and reach for the floor, so that the muscles of the leg and the thigh can feel the effort made. Also the marchers should observe carefully the space between each one and the straightness or regularity of the line. Watch the person ahead of you and beside you. This keeps the marching from being ragged.

In the calisthenics and drills--Indian clubs excepted--the most used exercises are: the arm stretching or raising upward, downward, sideward, forward; the bending of the head, trunk, arms, or legs; the bending of the knees; the stretching of the legs; the lunges sideward and forward; the raising and sinking on the toes. These are the fundamental exercises and may be combined to form the different drills. To attain perfect form in these, it is best to watch a competent gymnast; after so doing it is possible, by careful imitation, to attain good form yourself. These exercises may easily be practised in any sufficient space, in front of a mirror when possible. It is well to remember that form and grace are very important factors. Always keep in mind that the lines of the body should be kept symmetrical; that a lot of snap in executing the exercises is a help.

The Indian club drills consist of full arm swings, circles, dips, etc. These can best be taught by a teacher. Form is the all-important factor here also.

Dancing is divided into three separate groups: æsthetic, social, and folk dancing. The æsthetic develops the natural grace of the body; social dancing does this, too, but not to such a great extent. There are many girls who feel ungainly and unnatural in the æsthetic and social dances. For these are the folk dances. These dances are a natural expression of joy and good humor. The girl who is most unsuited to other types of dancing may enjoy and ultimately become very efficient in folk dancing.

Posturing may be added here. This is practising and attaining the correct poise and positions of the body.

Apparatus work consists of exercises on the following: stall bar, horizontal bar, parallel bar, trapeze, swinging rings, traveling rings, ropes, rope ladder, horizontal ladder, side horse, buck, etc.

The secret of success in apparatus work lies in the knowledge of muscular control and of the balance of the body. By muscular control, I mean the power to exert the proper amount of strength at the exact moment; by balance, I mean adapting the weight of the body to the strength. Apparatus work should be undertaken carefully--if possible, under the supervision of an instructor; mats should always be placed to break any fall. Too continued exercises tire even the best gymnast; sometimes the girl does not realize she is tired. Between exercises give yourself plenty of rest and relax your muscles.

As the subject is so extensive and so varied I can only mention a few exercises. The most popular pieces of apparatus seem to be the side horse, the parallel bars, and the swinging rings.

_The Side Horse._--The most elementary exercises on the horse are the rests. The girl grasps the pommels of the horse and jumps to a straight-arm position; the body is straight, weight on the arms. Or she may jump to a kneeling position between the pommels; or she may jump to her toes. There are different ways of ending these exercises, either jumping back to the first position or jumping to the other side of horse. Another exercise is to run, grasp the pommels with both hands, arms straight, draw the legs up and shoot them between the pommels, landing on opposite side of the horse. The landing may be straight or by retaining a grip with one hand on the pommel, you can turn either to the left or the right, according to the hand on pommel.

Next comes the vaults. In vaulting you must remember always to jump from both feet from the center of the springboard. The best form in vaulting is gotten by keeping the arms as straight as possible; the body should be straight with toes pointing and together, the legs thrown high in the air. The different kinds of vaults which may be taken on either side are: The front vault; the face and front of the body are turned above the top of the horse, the landing is made facing the side. The flank or side vault; the side of the body is above the horse, the landing is made between the pommels with the back toward the horse. The back vault; the back of body is over the horse, the landing is the same as the side vault. The wolf vault; for the right side, the left leg passes through pommels, the right leg passes over the right pommel; as the right leg passes over the pommel, the right hand is taken away so that leg may pass; the hold is kept by the left hand. Same for left side, except leg and hand used are the left instead of the right.

Besides the vaults there are cuts, circles, dives, and inversions, which may be acquired by practice.

_Parallel Bars._--As on the horse, the most elementary are the rest positions. Jumps to straight arm position at sides or ends accompanied by lifting of arms and legs, etc. It is important that every gymnast know how to swing and vault well on the bars. For the swing, the hands grasp the bars directly opposite each other. You then jump to a straight-arm position. To start to swing, the heels are drawn back, the legs brought forward and upward with free movement from the hips. The head should be held up, trunk kept erect, legs straight, toes pointed and together. For the front vault, the front of body faces the bar; for the back vault, the back of the body is over the bar.

On both the horse and the parallel bars are a multitude of cuts and circles combined with each other and with vaults.

_Flying Rings._--The proper way to swing on the rings is to have the rings at such a height so that the arms are straight and the feet touch the ground comfortably. Then step backward, grasping the rings, one in each hand, until the tips of the toes just touch the ground; run forward, swing the legs forward and upward from the hips. As the body swings backward, touch the floor with both feet as if stepping; do the same on the forward swing. The legs in swinging should be kept straight both forward and backward, toes together. Another popular exercise on the rings is the inversion, that is, hanging head down, feet in air, the body straight.

There are many exercises on these three pieces of apparatus together with those on the other apparatus, for which there is not room in this book.

GYMNASTIC MEET OR EXHIBITION.

An interesting event at many gymnasiums is a meet or exhibition--in case of school, college, or club, generally the results of the year’s work. If these events are competitive or non-competitive, it is, for the most part, the most carefully practised work by the most proficient girls.

If these events are judged, the judges, as a rule, have a certain mark, such as 10, for each event. If the performance of the event is perfect, then the number won for that event is 10; if nearly perfect, then 9 is given, etc. The judges consider entrance; general appearance, such as neatness, regularity of order, etc.; manner of executing the exercise, such as form, position, memory, rhythm, etc.; the finish or exit. All of these factors are taken into account by the judges in scoring.

Whether for individual or group prizes, it is advisable to have competent judges who have a decided system of marking. Usually there are three judges, each marking the score independently of the others. Comparisons are made at the end of each event. The scores of all judges for each performer are added together and divided by three (or as many times as there are judges) and the result is the score for the performer.

Track Athletics

Everybody knows that a certain amount of exercise is beneficial to all persons physically able to indulge. But there are still many protests against more active competitive exercise. In particular, track and field athletics for girls and women have been criticised. Of course, it is only reasonable to admit that for a girl physically unfit, over-indulgence in track work is a mistake. But in these days when the majority of schools and colleges have competent teachers for their athletic work, and when the girls are allowed to participate in events only after a thorough medical examination, the danger from track work seems to be rapidly diminishing.

Tennis, basket ball and battle ball were the first competitive sports to be widely participated in by the colleges. Miss Harriet Ballintine, Director of Physical Culture at Vassar College, thus tells of the beginning of track and field sports for women in her book, “The History of Physical Training at Vassar College”: “Following basket and battle ball a demand was made for other out-of-door activities. The students became interested in hurdling, running and jumping, etc. They organized an athletic association and in November, 1895, the first field day was held. This was the beginning of track and field sports for women. Before this time there was no record of girls taking part in such competitive events. In 1896 at the Harvard Summer School a course in athletic training was opened to women. This first class was composed principally of teachers from schools and colleges whose students had asked for instruction in athletics. After Vassar’s first field day many schools and colleges became interested in such contests. Previous to 1896 a course in athletics had been offered to women at the Chautauqua Summer School, but as there was no demand for it, the Harvard Summer School was, therefore, the first school to give systematic instruction to girls in track and field sports. This first class in athletics for women was in charge of Mr. James Lathrop, for many years athletic trainer at Harvard and instructor in the Theory and Practice of Athletics at the Summer School. He ordered for Miss Eva G. May, then an instructor in the gymnasium at Vassar, the first pair of spiked running shoes ever made for a woman. The Vassar College Athletic Association provided these running shoes for every student who entered field day.”

One of the main difficulties in track work at the present time is that there is no set standard for coaches and participants to use. A very creditable attempt has been made by Dr. Harry E. Stewart, Physical Director of the New Haven Normal School of Gymnastics, to collect the records made by girls and women. (See Spalding’s Athletic Almanac, published annually.) However, it is not the exceptional girl who is of the record-breaking ability that should be considered entirely. Track work should be first regarded from the point of view of exercise. The equipment for track work should be supervised carefully. The clothing worn should be the lightest and the least harmful to the limbs. Light shirt waist or middy blouse, bloomers, spiked or rubber-soled shoes should be adopted. The track itself should be level and smooth, the jumping pits soft so that there is no jar, and the throwing events should have plenty of room.

TRACK.

The track, if possible, should be a straight 100 yards. If the work is done inside it is necessary to work on the circular track or on the floor of the gymnasium. A cinder track is the most desirable if it can be procured. First the earth is dug up, then mixed with coarse ashes; the earth and coarse ashes are then packed down; fine ashes are mixed on the top layer. The whole track is then wet thoroughly and rolled until level and smooth. The track is generally divided into lanes, three feet six inches in width, and is made wide enough to have four lanes.

DISTANCES.

There are a variety of distances from 25 yards to the 100 on the straight track, and the 220 and the 440 on the circular track. A few coaches still believe that the long sprints--220 and 440--are not injurious, while others contend that the half-mile is not so harmful. However, the 50, 75, and 100-yard dashes seem to be most common at different schools and colleges. According to the records collected by Mr. Stewart, 12 seconds is the best time for the 100-yard; 8-3/5 seconds for the 75-yard; 6 seconds for the 50-yard. The other dashes noted by him are the 25-yard, 3-4/5 seconds; 30-yard, 4-3/5 seconds; 40-yard, 5-1/5 seconds; 60-yard, 8 seconds; 80-yard, 11 seconds. Also the 220-yard, 30-3/5 seconds, and 440 yard, 1 minute and 16 seconds. There is also a short relay, 300 yards, four girls, each running 75 yards. This race is very popular at the colleges.

HURDLES.

As in the running races so in the hurdles there is a wide difference of opinion as to length and as to height of hurdles and number of hurdles. The 100-yard hurdle race seems very popular, 8 hurdles, varying from 1-1/2, 2 or 2-1/2 feet in height. There is also the 120-yard, 10 hurdles, 14 inches high; 90-yard, 7 hurdles, 1-1/2 and 2-1/2 feet in height; 80-yard, 6 hurdles, 2-1/2 feet; 65-yard, 6 hurdles, 2-1/2 feet; 60-yard, 4 hurdles, 2-1/2 feet; 60-yard, 3 hurdles, 2-1/2 feet; 50-yard, 4 hurdles, 2 feet; 40-yard, 5 hurdles, 2 feet; 40-yard, 4 hurdles, 1-1/2 feet. There is a great variety of choice.

The hurdles should be arranged: First hurdle, 15 yards from start and each hurdle 10 yards apart, allowing 15 yards between last hurdle and finish line.

In a pamphlet reprinted from the American Physical Education Review, January, 1916, “A Survey of Track Athletics for Women,” Mr. Stewart has made the following selection in order to standardize track events.

_Junior Events:_ 50-yard dash 75-yard dash 60-yard, four 2-foot hurdles Standing broad jump Running broad jump Running hop, step and jump Base ball throw Basket ball throw _Senior Events:_ 50-yard dash 100-yard dash 100-yard, eight 2-1/2-foot hurdles Standing broad jump Running broad jump Running high jump Running hop, step and jump 8-pound shot-put Base ball throw Basket ball throw

Mr. Stewart also says: “Only the exceptional girl should pole vault, run the 220-yard race, or put the 12-pound shot. Hurl ball (Sargent), discus (free style), javelin throw, standing high jump, and many other events are good, but the above groups seem sufficient and best adapted to competitive work.”

JUMPING.

While all jumping may be done in one pit, where the space is available it is better to have one pit for the high jumps, one for the running broad, one for hop, step and jump, another for the pole vault.

The pits should be soft. All pits are made the same way but differ in size. The earth should be dug up to a depth of at least a foot and a half. If ground is hard, pits should be deeper. This soft dug-up earth should be equally mixed with sand or sawdust or both. Pits should be kept well raked up and not allowed to become packed.

For the high jump the pit should be wide, at least eight feet in width and six or seven feet long. For high jumping, two adjustable standards and a bamboo or thin cross-bar are required. These standards are placed six feet apart, directly opposite each other in a straight line. The standards are perforated by little round holes into which the pegs (not more than 3 inches long) are inserted to hold the cross-bar. There should be a runway or approach of at least twenty yards. There is _no take-off_.

For the running broad jump there is a runway--cinder track, if possible--20 to 30 yards in length, 3 feet in width. A take-off is sunk, marking division between runway and pit. This is a planed joist, 5 inches wide, sunk into ground so that top is on a level with runway, and painted white. The pit should be at least 25 feet long and about 6 feet wide. This may also be used for standing broad. The pit for the hop, step and jump is constructed in the same way.

For the pole vault the uprights should be 10 feet apart, placed opposite each other. There is a runway--cinder track, if possible--about 20 or 25 yards long, 10 feet wide. Between the two uprights a plank 16 inches deep should be sunk, 2 inches of which should be above ground level. In front of plank, in center, a hole 5 or 6 inches deep should be dug.

PUTTING THE SHOT.

The contestant stands in a 7-foot circle and the put or throw must be made from within the circle. It is a foul for either foot to touch the ground outside until the shot has landed. A toe board raised 4 or 5 inches above the ground and sunk firmly into the earth should form about one-quarter of the circle. Spalding’s official 8 and 12-pound shots are used.

SPRINTING.

From my own observation, I have seen few girls that really know how to run. One great trouble is that the instinct is to run as speedily as possible from the minute you get on the track. First of all you should learn to run well in good form. I shall try to give a few hints to the runner which may be helpful.

_Head._--The head should be up, the eyes looking straight ahead and firmly fixed on the finish line.

_Shoulders._--The shoulders should be kept straight up and back, not allowed to wiggle from side to side.

_Body._--The whole trunk from waistline up, however, should be bent slightly forward.

_Arms_.--The arms should be held loosely in a bent position, the forearm at right angles with the upper arm. The movement of the arms should be controlled; they should be allowed to swing forward and backward in accordance with the motion of the rest of the body. Many runners do not control the swinging of the arms, letting them flap sideward, downward, thus wasting energy. Some runners use cork grips for the hands; personally, I prefer to run with my hands clenched into a fist.

_Legs._--Many runners make the mistake in thinking the longer your stride, the better your form and the faster you run. If you have a long stride it is often apt to be very helpful, but the runner should not try to take an abnormally long stride. By that I mean take only as long a stride as you can manage without strain, or without appearing to be running in leaps and bounds. Neither should the knees be dashed high in front.

_Feet._--A great deal in running depends upon the way the feet are placed. The toe of the foot should reach out for the ground; the toe should be pointed straight ahead and each foot should be put down on the ground directly in front of its former position. The runner should take care not to run heavily, and she should, whether in practice or competition, always stride well up on her toes.

In running you should always think of yourself as a unit, running with the smoothest possible action. Some runners are not units, but arms, legs, body and knees, all wobbling in different ways, giving the general appearance of falling apart. Yet you must not go too far the other way, that is, don’t run tensely. Be limber but not loose. Try to get all the spring and lightness possible. To do this get the balance over the feet; don’t run with balance too far forward or too far back.

_The Start._--The crouch start is conceded to be the best. This should be practised until the runner learns to get away at the word “go,” to get the proper push with the rear leg, and to rise to an upright position gradually. There are three counts for the crouching start: “Get ready.” The fingers are placed just behind starting line; the arms should be carried straight down from the shoulders, thus making the hands shoulder width apart; the runners then kneel on one knee, either right or left, according to preference; the toe of the forward foot should be as close to starting line as is comfortable for runner; the knee of rear leg should be on a line with front leg, close up to it, with lower part of leg (that is, below the knee) reaching back as far as possible in a straight line from the knee. A hole should be dug for the toe of each foot. “Get set.” The rear knee is raised, the whole body tense ready for the spring; the weight is thrown over the front knee so that the toe of front foot feels the weight and can get a good push over; the head is up; the whole strength of the body seems concentrated in the muscles used in springing forward. “Go” (or the pistol shot). The sprinter springs forward with all the force possible from the front foot. But she should not assume an upright position at once, but gradually, after three or four strides have been taken. In other starts you stand upright with one leg back, other leg front. Front leg is slightly bent, weight of body is over front leg.

HURDLING.