Fig. 15
Fig. 16
A good exercise for the muscles of the back is to drop through when in position as in [Fig. 14], to position as in [Fig. 16], and back again to [Fig. 2]. Be careful to keep the legs straight while doing it. It is easy enough to effect with legs bent.
Having accomplished ‘sitting,’ accustom yourself to remaining in that position without holding the bar with the hands, balancing yourself with the bar under different parts of the leg.
This will prepare you for the
Sit Swing (Backward),
which is not unlike the leg swing, but very much more difficult, as greater strength is required, in consequence of the whole weight being thrown upon the arms.
Sitting on the bar as in [Fig. 11], stiffen the arms, and launch yourself backwards with a good swing, holding the bar firmly with both hands, and go right round the bar with the impetus you have given yourself, resuming the position from which you started. As in the leg swing, you must judge the swing correctly, or else you will go round half a turn too much, or fail to give sufficient swing to come up at all. This will very likely be the case in your first few attempts, for you can hardly expect to accomplish the feat at once.
In attempting this exercise it is as well to have some one standing in front of the bar ready to catch you in the event of your not having given swing enough to balance yourself, in which case you will fall forward.