and impart vigor and tone
to the vital organs and assist them in their functions; they develop
endurance and are important factors in the development of smartness,
grace, and precision. They should be assiduously practiced. The fact
that they require no apparatus of any description makes it possible to
do this out of doors or even in the most restricted room, proper
sanitary conditions being the only adjunct upon which their success is
dependent. No physical training drill is complete without them. They
should always precede the more strenuous forms of training, as they
prepare the body for the greater exertion these forms demand.

At the discretion of instructors these exercises may be substituted by
others of a similar character. Instructors are cautioned, however, to
employ all the parts of the body in every lesson and to suit the
exercise as far as practicable to the natural function of the
particular part of the body which they employ.

In these lessons only the preparatory command is given here; the
command of execution, which is invariably =Exercise=, and the commands
of continuance, as well as the command to discontinue, having been
explained are omitted.

Every preparatory command should convey a definite description of the
exercise required; by doing so long explanations are avoided and the
men will not be compelled to memorize the various movements.

RECRUIT INSTRUCTION

_First Series_

Position of attention, from =at ease= and =rest=.

Starting position, Figs. 1 to 5.

TRUNK EXERCISES

=838. 1. Hands on hips, 2. PLACE, 3. QUARTER BEND TRUNK FORWARD.=

Two counts; repeat 8 to 10 times, Fig. 6.

[Illustration: Fig. 6]

The trunk is inclined forward at the waist about 45 deg. and then extended
again; the hips are as perpendicular as possible; execute slowly;
exhale on first and inhale and raise chest on second count.

By substituting the words _half_ or _full_ for the word quarter in
the command, the half bend, Fig. 7, and full bend exercise can be
given.

[Illustration: Fig. 7]

=1. Hands on hips, 2. PLACE, 3. BEND TRUNK BACKWARD.=

Two counts; repeat 6 to 8 times, Fig. 8.

[Illustration: Fig. 8]

The trunk is bent backward as far as possible; head and shoulders
fixed; knees extended; feet firmly on the ground; hips as nearly
perpendicular as possible; in recovering care should be taken not to
sway forward; execute slowly; inhale on first and exhale on second
count.

=1. Hands o