Identifier: physicalculture201908macf (find matches)
Title: Physical culture
Year: 1899 (1890s)
Authors: MacFadden, Bernarr Aldolphus, 1858-
Subjects: Physical education and training
Publisher: New York : Physical Culture Publishing Co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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e back. The difficulty that somepeople find in holding an erect position iscaused by the weakness of the backmuscles, though of course, the muscles ofthe abdominal region help to maintainbalance and pull the body forward andat the sides whenever such a movementis required. Now a properly formedbody is made up almost entirely cfcurves. You might almost say thatthere are no straight lines. The body ismade up of curves from head to foot,and wherever you find sharp angles orstraight lines, there you.will also findproportions that are not at all pleasingin appearance. With this view in mind, it will then bevery clearly seen that it is necessary inorder to give the back the slight inwardcurve that is noticed in nearly all well-formed persons, that the shoulders mustbe held well backward and downward.This gives the chest an arch that ispleasing in appearance and the positionis inclined to gradually increase the lungcapacity and really gives more room forthe functional processes of the entire
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Olmstead, the Physical Culture Hercules, in an attempt to hold his spine straight. Hisnormal position is shown on the right with shoulders far back and spine curving inward. Theattempt to straighten spine is shown on the left. 446 PROPER POSITION OF THE BODY 447 vital organism. In practically everycase, if the shoulders are held back asthey should be, head erect, all other partsof the body will naturally assume aproper position. There will then be anarch in the back and a careful survey ofthe entire figure will show nothing butcurves, as previously stated. The neckwill gradually, with a slight curve slopeinto the shoulders, the shoulders mergewith a curve into the chest and back, thechest and back curve inward slightly tothe waist, and throughout all parts of thebody, when perfectly proportioned, thereis this curved outline. I am fully aware that some writers onthis subject maintain that the spinalcolumn should be almost straight, butthroughout my entire experience in thiswork, I have

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