hem 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.]
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.
[Illustration: FIG. 5 A.--SECOND POSITION OF GRATE]
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.)
[Illustration: FIG. 6.--GRASP
In the "Grasp" position it is not necessary to go to extremes 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.]
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 movem
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