PHYSICAL CULTURE

Otago Witness, Issue 2501, 19 February 1902, Page 50

PHYSICAL CULTURE

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Physical culture has now become quite a prominent feature of modern everyday life, and it is no longer thought a wise thing to train the mhid and neglect the proper care of the body. It is generally recognised, both by business men and profecsors of learning, verified by the entire medical faculty, that in order to have " a sound mind in a sound body" some sort of exercise or physical culture must be indulged in. The cares and worries of business, which tend to shorten life, must be locked inside tb<* wallß of the office or the workshop. The business man, the artisan, and the clerl^ must sally forth and devote some of lm spare time to the needs of a too-easily-neglected body. This body of ours is partially composed of a muscular system wonderfully intricate, possessing elements of surprising strength, but withal *o fine and delicate that a jar or strain with almost irretrievably spoil the usefulness of any given set of muscles, and as a natural consequence spoil the usefulness of the man himself. When a young man makes up his mind to enter on a course of physical culture the first thing to make sure of is the choice of a good school. Two fcchools of physical culture have been opened recently in Dunedi«, and an impetus has thus been given to this particular branch of sport. Lex M'Lean, who comes here with a Scottish reputatiqn as a strong man of no mean ability, has been kept going with a large class for some considerable time back, and in order to show what progress his piipils have .made, a public exhibition will be given in the Agricultural Hall on Monday and Tuesday next Many novelties will be intioduced. and Lex M'Lean himself will thow his prowess by lifting a horse and rider bodily from the floor. A photo of a few of the adduced pupils of the class is produced in this week's issue of the Witneoi, and it fpeaks for itself. On visiting Lex M'LeanV rooms, at thecorner of Stafford street, one is struck by the simplicity of the arrangements, and the conclusion is drawn that physical culture is not a system of difficult exercises, but a natural outcome of the simplest methods combined with the exercise of the will and a dose attention to instructions. Dumb-bells ranging from 41b and 51b to bar-bells weighing 1601b and 2001b are to be seen, but niily tried men, after a long course of careful training, are allowed to touch the excessively heavy weights. Mr M'Lean knows at. once by the look of a new man what he is capable of doing, but every novice commences at the bottom rung of the ladder, and during the mount upwards he is under thf> ner'-onnl «upc-r\ i<=ion of the instructor. "If r DTjuil." *a-"a Mi M'Lean, "after be-

: * ■-■'%> coming sufficiently strong, has a dejiT!. - for heavy-weight-lifting, and I am- satisfied" . with his ability, I teach him alj I know. I did not, however, come to Ne?^ Zealand to teach heavy-weight-lifting. I came to teach physical culture, and my ambition is to show a permanent gain from a health standpoint.'' A very simple and effective apparatus is employed by Mr M'Lean for developing the muscles of the forearm. A roller is supported by brackets fixed to an upright pillar, and a thin wire rope to which dif-ferent-sized weights cao be attached is fixe.d *■ to .the centre of the roller. The rolling and unrolling have the effect of developing the extensor and the flexor muscles to a remarkable degree. Mr M'Lean is himself a marvel o£ physical development, the Tesult- of his <i\fr»,- ;, system, and Sis exhibition of weighfcliftmg^*": and other feats of strength leave~ no doubt.^; as to the extraordinary powers of whicb.'hc . is possesr?d. ; . -