Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 277, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 December 1917 — NEGLECT OF STOMACH [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

NEGLECT OF STOMACH

Many Candidates for Crews Are Rejected orrThis Account ~ Hundreds of Otherwise Promising. Looking Men Thrown Out Because of Weakness In This Respect, Says Coach Rice. * - “From my long experience in handling men I have come to the conclusion that the weakest part of the average man’s anatomy is the muscles of his abdomen,” says Jim Rice, the rowing coach. . “Hundreds of otherwise promisinglooking men I have had to throw out of the crew because of their weakness In this respect. I suppose most men have neglected this part of their bodies because it doesn’t show. 1 “A man likes to have a good leg, a Ine pair of biceps and a broad chest, •but he doesn’t worry much about the muscles of his tummy. But he should. Strength there is very Important. It helps a man to carry himself well and does a great deal toward giving tone to the stomach and the other vital organs under his belt. “One of the best exercises I know of to strengthen the horizontal bands

or layers of muscles across the abdomen is to lie flat on the back on the floor and raise the legs to an upright position. If the effort be found too much at first raise one leg at a time, when strength has been developed brace the feet under something and practice raising the body instead of the feet. “After some weeks of this try sitting on a pillow or hassock some six Inches from the floor and practice raising the body to an upright position, using the legs as leverage. When you can do this 50 times without getting tired you will know that there is nothing much wrong with your stomach muscles.”

Coach Jim Rice.