The humble dumbbell has a storied history.
A dumbbell-like device known as “halteres” first popped up in ancient Greece – both as tools to build muscle and strength like the modern iteration and, more interestingly, as aids to the long jump during the Olympics. (Momentum generated by swinging the halteres would carry the athlete further than they’d otherwise manage unaided).
It wasn’t until a couple of thousand years later – during the early 17th century – that something approximating what we have today appeared.
Specifically, an identical pair of weights attached to a handle – eventually named “dumb bell” by the poet Joseph Addison in 1711 in an essay published in “The Spectator”. (Not the same “The Spectator” we have today which was first published in July 1828).
What we would recognise as modern dumbbell training emerged in the 1800s, mainly employed by gymnasts and strongmen before eventually finding their way into the public gyms which exploded in popularity during the physical culture movement. (A trend that emerged in response to the so-called “diseases of affluence” that arose with the increasingly sedentary lifestyles brought about by the industrial revolution. Oh, how history repeats).
Dumbbells continued to play a prominent part in the training of the bodybuilders of the bronze and silver eras, albeit second-fiddle to the barbell – in many cases.
Nowadays, the balance has flipped – with most men doing mostly dumbbell work with very little barbell work, if they touch a barbell at all.
A big mistake, in my opinion.
Because while the dumbbell is a powerful tool for building muscle, it’s a very inefficient one – unless it’s used properly, in which case it can result in significant and rapid gains in size with very little risk of injury or overtraining.
For instance, my shoulders pretty much doubled in size in nary a few months using a quick and, I daresay, fun protocol that I reveal in June’s issue of “The Phil Tyreman Letter”.
The deadline to subscribe in time to get this issue cometh over the hill and will be upon us soon.
Go here to get in before then:
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Thank you,
Phil Tyreman