manual exercise

plural manual exercises

1. historicalgovernmentThe military exercise by which soldiers are taught the use of their muskets and other arms.

   A little clump of soldiers stood upon the poop going through the manual exercise, and it was from them that the call had come which had sounded so unexpectedly in the ears of the castaways.

   1893, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, chapter XXVII, in The Refugees: A Tale of Two Continents, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC

   1 more example

   The officers of the Voulnteers will do their utmost to assist the naval officers to preserve discipline. They may, if they think fit, set an example to their men by taking an active part in all the duties and manual exercises. They may fall in at quarters, and take any number at the gun. In short, they may become, as much as they please, active working seamen and efficient practical gunners.

   1874, Thomas Brassey, The organisation of the Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers explained

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: manual exercise.