OCR Text |
Show G0TCH TAIKS ON PHYSICAL FITNESS; i (By Frank A. Gotcb.) , Some years ago a professional 1 strong man toured the country and did 1 a thriving street corner business. He . lifted weights, displayed his muscles, balanced ploughs on his chin and caused the small town folk to gasp ' and marvel. j The profit in this gypsy existenco came of pun-eying rubber tubes about a foot long and reinforced with a l cork in either end. The Rube was t nothing but tough elastic and it could c be stretched to three or more feet in length with more power being re- .1 quhed for the greater distance It was t stretched. r There wus nothing fancy or com- t plicated about this pocket gymnasi- um. but it came pretty close to developing de-veloping all the muscles In the cat- 1 alogue. It could be held out straight t before one, and it could bo thrown 1 over the shoulder. It could be used f In any position, and there was no , chart necessary to sugest tho variety c of angles from which this rubber tube 0 could be sli etched. T Held back of one, with the hands grasping tlto ends and pulling side-wise, side-wise, it was not only a developer of the wrist and arms, but of the backhand backh-and shoulders Held above one's head and stretched It expanded the chest and made the forearms labor. n Now this simple exercise did every I, thing that any npparatus could be ex"- rooted to do. It presented resistance, and therefore, was equivalent to lift- B lug weights. It was flexible and sorv- 9 cd the purpose of dumbells or clubs. w It could bo operated while one stooped fl over, strengthening the abdominal M muscles, and giving rise to some good "W tough work. ' The rubber tubo, retaining Its clas- m ticity, wasn't such a slinplo toy as M one might fancy It called for a good 9 many jiounds oi effort to bo stretch- "M ed to Its maximum, and it demanded W a keen grip to keep it stretched. The M little exerciser would tire out the m hardiest is a few minutes, and when fl the work was over it could be tucked V away In a coat pocket, with very lit- S tlo weight and no demand on space fl In itj favor. 9 The business man usually imagines 9 that he must equip an elaborate gym- 9 nnslum if ho is going to Join a club, 9 or move into a home that will supply 9 the space for his rings, bars, pulleys 9 and the rest of it. But those things 'JR" are usually matters for tomorrow S and the false promises keep up year J 9 after year. H But the clastic tube costs only a j9 few cents, and it does the work, pro- Kt vlded one will not overlook Its use. 19g It is not fancj. It doesn't look the 9jj part but It Is quite as efficient as 9 tho "moro elaborate devices that cannot 911 help the muscles to a more pironounc- 9 cd degree. jH The strong man has likely gone his WHi waj, but the rubber industry still does 9H business, and the price of a good cigar H will negotiate the equipment, 9 Why not try it? , 9 |