Strength and How to Obtain It

by Eugen Sandow

If possible, the pupil should always exercise stripped to the waist; if he wear a singlet it should be cut well away round the arms, so as to allow of free play for the muscles around the shoulder. It is also desirable to exercise before a looking-glass, for then the movements of the various muscles can be followed, and to see the muscles at work, and to mark their steady development, is itself a help and a pleasure.

In performing the exercises the pupil should bend the knees slightly and keep the muscles of the thighs tense; the legs will thus share in the benefit of all the movements.

What I wish to impress on delicate pupils is the desirability of progress by degrees. Many men before beginning my system of physical training have been so weak that doctors have thought little of the prospect of saving their lives, yet to-day they are amongst the strongest. They have progressed gradually, always being careful not to undertake too much, and thus to adapt the exercises to their own individual requirements. It may be mentioned also that the old, as well as the young, may derive great benefits from my system, though all who are over the age of fifty should moderate the exercises on the lines suggested in the table of ages for pupils between fifteen and seventeen. My exercises will also be found of considerable benefit to persons who suffer from obesity.

Pupils must not be discouraged because, after the first few days’ training, they may feel stiff. It sometimes happens that a young man or woman, or perhaps a middle-aged one, sets out on the course of training with the greatest enthusiasm. After the first two or three days the enthusiasm, perhaps, wears off. Then comes a period of stiffness, and the pupil is inclined to think that he cannot be bothered to proceed with the course. To such pupils, I would say, in all earnestness, “Don’t be overcome by apparent difficulties; if you wish to succeed, go forward; never draw back.” This stiffness, moreover, becomes a very pleasant feeling. You soon grow to like it; personally, indeed, it may be said that it is one of the most agreeable sensations I have ever had.

Frequently pupils ask me how long it should take them to get strong. The answer again depends on themselves, not only on their physical constitution, but also on the amount of will power they put into their exercises. As I have said already, it is the brain that developers the muscles. Brain will do as much as dumb-bells, even more. For example, when you are sitting down reading, practise contracting your muscles. Do this every time you are sitting down leisurely, and by contracting them harder and harder each time, you will find that it will have the same effect as the use of dumb-bells or any more vigorous form of exercise.

It is very advisable for all pupils to get into the habit of constantly practising this muscle-contraction. In itself it is an admirable exercise, but it is perhaps even more valuable owing to the fact that it improves the will power and helps to establish that connection between the brain and the muscles which is the basis of strength and “condition.”

It will be noticed that throughout my exercises I make a point of alternate movements. By this means one arm, or, as the case may be, one set of muscles, is given a momentary rest whilst the other is in motion, and thus freer circulation is gained than by performing the movements simultaneously and the strain upon the heart and lungs relieved.

Another question which pupils are constantly asking me is whether it is right for them to perspire after the exercises. The answer to this question is that it depends on the constitution of the pupil. If you perspire, it does you good; if you do not it shows that your condition is sound already. Of course it will be understood that I am answering in this, as in other questions, for general cases. There are always exceptions.

Again, “What,” it is asked, “are the general benefits of the Sandow system of physical training?”

The benefits are not, of course, confined to the visible muscular development. The inner organs of the body also share them. The liver and kidneys are kept in good order, the heart and nerves are strengthened, the brain and energy are braced up. The body, in fact, like a child, wants to be educated, and only through a series of exercises can this education be given. By its aid the whole body is developed and, as will be seen, pupils who have conscientiously worked at my system testify freely to the good results obtained, not only in the direction of vastly increasing their muscular strength, but of raising the standard of their vitality and general health.