MY “GRIP” DUMB-BELL.
This appliance is very simple and may be described in a few words. It
consists of a dumb-bell made in two halves separated about an inch
and a half from one another, the intervening space being occupied by
a small steel spring. When exercising, the spring is compressed by
gripping the bells and bringing the two halves close together, in which
position they are kept until the exercise is over. The springs can be
of any strength, and consequently the power necessary to keep the two
halves together can be varied to any extent.
The advantages of this arrangement are obvious. Whether he will or
no, the pupil _must grip_ the bells hard, and as the strength of the
springs are known he can regulate his progress to a nicety as he grows
stronger. There is also another point in connection with the new
device to which I want to draw particular attention. It will often
happen that a pupil who is exercising will feel “a bit off-colour” one
day, and consequently less inclined to exercise, or he may be worried
and perplexed by his business affairs to a degree which lenders it
almost impossible for him to concentrate his mind solely upon the
work. The natural consequence of either of these two conditions is
that unless he possess very uncommon will power, if he is exercising
with ordinary bells, he only does so in a desultory and half-hearted
manner, and benefits little thereby. Now this is impossible with the
“grip” bell--however preoccupied and worried the pupil may be he
has a definite point upon which to concentrate his mind; he _must_
exert a certain amount of force in gripping the bells to keep the two
halves together, and consequently _must_ put out a certain amount of
will-power.
Of course there is no reason why in using the “grip” dumb-bells, only
the grip necessary to keep the two halves together should be exerted.
On the contrary, as with ordinary bells, a man may, and should put “all
he knows” into the work; the special point and the great merit about
the former is that with them the amount of power exerted can never fall
below a known and easily regulated _minimum_.
The pupil who possesses these bells will find that instead of having
to be continually buying heavier dumb-bells, one pair will suffice him
for all time. All that it will be necessary for him to do will be to
purchase, at a small expense, new springs from time to time. All pupils
are advised to use the dumb-bell, upon the merits of which I need not
further enlarge. As will have been seen, this is not a mechanical
device which will render unnecessary the employment of will-power; that
would be opposed to all my theories and teaching. On the contrary it
will aid in developing will-power, as it will stimulate the pupil to
put it forth, and guide him how to use it in the proper direction.