Chapter IV of the upcoming book on Physical Fitness/Education for women (as it stood in the early part of the 20th century) centers around embracing women’s natural beautiful esthetic. It does stress the importance of establishing a solid balance with solid roots for strength training, which leads to a healthy, harmonious development of the body and increased self-confidence.
CHAPTER IV. Shapely beauty or muscular beauty.
- Shapes. Outline or silhouette. Curves. Contoured curves.
- Various aspects of muscular curves according to the degree of development or the training condition. Muscular covering and separation.
- Alteration of shapes caused by adipose tissue.
- Distinctions to establish between muscular curves. Thin muscles and ropy muscles. Lean or natural type. Massive type and intermediary type.
- Antique shapes.
- Harmony of muscular development. Measurement of the limbs and the trunk.
Interestingly, Georges Hébert addresses deformities in following chapters (which I will post in subsequent blogs) caused not only by lack of activity and atrophy of muscles, but also by trends/fashions that lead to an unhealthy development (or lack thereof) of women’s bodies (corsets being main offenders).
What I also found interesting is how trends have developed and still do, especially with the “advancement” of celebrities on reality TV or in popular culture (although if you ask me, and I know I am not alone, we as a culture have regressed rather than advanced), whose “assets” are the talk of every tabloid or social media outlet, constantly promoting poor role modeling for our young generation of women, or their immature men (whose age varies greatly beyond what’s acceptable for immaturity).