Show Reducing the Girth of the Hips A chest weight can be made easily at home at an outside cost of say 25 cents Find two pieces of wood and shape them to fit the hand around each of them tie a stout piece of twine about one yard long then take six rubber rub-ber bands each one Inch wide and by means of slip knots secure three together to-gether fasten two screw hooks one a little above the floor and the other above the head You can then slip the ends of the two sets of rubbers over them and presto your Improvised chest weight is ready to use and It will do as good service one that cost several sev-eral dollars Having set up the chest weight there are any number of exercises for which it can be utilized besides those 8 Z 1 which are intended to strengthen the muscles of chest shoulders and arms The muscles of the thighs for instance in-stance require more attention than they are wont to jeceive if one would be possessed of graceful gait Among the exercises the following are suggested sug-gested No1 Place the back toward the appliance ap-pliance and the foot in the loop made by tying both handles together TJjen move the foot backward and forward This will exercise the muscles on the front of the thigh No 2 Tie the handles together and place one leg outward until it Is at right angles with the other then bring It down over the other and return This motion is for the benefit of the inner side of the thlg and the muscles of the calf No3 Stand facing the appliance grasping the blocks with the hands put all the weight on one foot and extend II ex-tend the other a long step diagonally forward touching the toe to the ground Now partially transfer the weight to the forward leg at the same time bend that knee as much as possible possi-ble and raise the heel high from the ground keeping the whole of the back foot on the ground until this position of the bent knee and the raised heel of the forward leg is firmly taken Then gradually pull all but the toe of the back foot from the ground while pressing down forcibly as If overcoming overcom-ing a strong resistance with the forward for-ward leg The outward knee straight ana + 1 + 1 u u nUll uv V1U LV uC ground and the weight Is entirely r transferred to the forward leg during the movement Slowly transfer the weight of the back leg forcibly pushing I push-ing that foot to the ground as the heel Of the forward foot rises Repeat these movements several times after which alternately bend the knees and rise on I the bails of the feet rapidly six or eight times Do not strain or push with the body it must be easily maintained erect and free from tension Do not work the arms the legs only should be energized One cannot practice these exercises which strengthen the muscles of the thighs too often if a good poise and gait Is desired The muscles should do the creates work in walking and In order to work well they must be exercised exer-cised and strengthened that there maybe may-be a free action at the hip joints There are several exercises which can be taken without any appliance whicTi are excellent for thigh muscles One is to stand erect on a slight elevation from the ground with the weight on one leg Relax the other leg and with the power from the thigh first swing the relaxed leg forward and backward I then swing it in a circle around the strong leg During these swinging leg movements keep a steady poise the body from the I hips upward must be quite motionless |