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Dumbbells are a popular and effective tool for strength training and exercise. They’re versatile, easy to use, and come in various weights and sizes, making them suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels.<\/span><\/p>\n You can get a full-body workout with a set of dumbbells<\/a> or use them as I do: as an accessory to the main barbell lifts. I love doing Arnold shoulder presses<\/a> and bicep curls<\/a> with dumbbells.<\/span><\/p>\n But while doing some of those curls the other day, I got to wondering: “Why are dumbbells called dumbbells?”<\/span><\/p>\n I mean, it’s kind of a weird name when you think about it.<\/span><\/p>\n I decided to investigate. <\/span><\/p>\n Not only did the ancient Greeks give us democracy and virtue ethics, but they also bequeathed us the forerunner of what would become the modern dumbbell. Soldiers and athletes would train with various weighted implements to get stronger. One of these strength-training tools was the <\/span>haltere. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n The haltere<\/p><\/div>\n The haltere<\/span> varied in shape throughout antiquity but most commonly took the form of a semicircle with a hole in it; users would place their fingers through the hole to grip this piece of handheld exercise equipment. Halteres<\/span> were typically constructed from stone and metal but were also made with wood and wax; athletes would add lead to these wooden and waxen halteres<\/span> to increase their weight.<\/span><\/p>\n Halteres<\/span> were used similarly to how we use modern dumbbells. Athletes would hold the weights while performing curls, lunges, and deadlifts. They’d also swing them around<\/span> the way you would an Indian club<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n An ancient Greek athlete holding halteres while doing the long jump.<\/p><\/div>\n Halteres<\/span> were used for training in the long jump as well. Athletes would hold the weights<\/span> in their hands and jump with them to build up power and strength in their legs. They’d also use halteres<\/span> to jump further. As they jumped, they’d swing the halteres forward to help propel their momentum and then swing the weights backward, letting them go just before landing.<\/span><\/p>\n The Romans copied the Greeks and used halteres to train their athletes and warriors. The Greek physician Galen recommended soldiers utilize halteres to get stronger. <\/span><\/p>\n Image from De Arte Gymnastica Aput Ancientes<\/em> showing modern dumbbell-looking halteres.<\/p><\/div>\n During the Renaissance, ancient Greek and Roman training methods saw a revitalization. Health books of the period forwarded Galen’s recommendations for using weighted implements for exercise, and the haltere found its way back into Western culture. The most important Renaissance book that promoted strength training with halteres was Mercurialis’ <\/span>De Arte Gymnastica Aput Ancientes. <\/span><\/i>Along with training regimens inspired by Hellenistic culture, the book contains elaborate illustrations of jacked Greeks and Romans hoisting things, including halteres<\/span>,<\/span><\/i> to get stronger. But the halteres that Mercurialis depicted looked different from the oblong semicircles that actual Greeks and Romans used. Instead, they looked like two cones stuck together at their heads, forming a rod in the middle you could grasp. <\/span><\/p>\n They looked like modern-day dumbbells.<\/span><\/p>\n Thanks to Mercurialis’ <\/span>De Arte Gymnastica, <\/span><\/i>by the 18th century, training with handheld weights became a common and accepted form of physical exercise. But when did the haltere start being called a dumbbell, and why was it called that?<\/span><\/p>\nThe Ur-Dumbbell: The Ancient Greek Haltere<\/h2>\n
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Dumbbells Become Dumbbells<\/h2>\n
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