All Topics  
Dumbbell

 
Dumbbell

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Dumbbell
 
 
  Topics Dumbbell Topic Home

A dumbbell is a piece of equipment used in weight training
Weight training

Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the physical strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through Muscle contraction#Concentric contraction or Muscle contraction#Eccentric contraction....
, and is a type of free weight
Weight

In the physical sciences, weight is a measurement of the gravitational force acting on an object. Near the surface of the Earth, the Earth's gravity is approximately constant; this means that an object's weight is roughly proportional to its mass....
. They can be used individually or in pairs (one for each hand).

forerunner of the dumbbell was used in India for more than a millennium, shaped like a club
Club

A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth....
 – so named Indian club.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Dumbbell'
Start a new discussion about 'Dumbbell'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Twodumbbells
A dumbbell is a piece of equipment used in weight training
Weight training

Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the physical strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through Muscle contraction#Concentric contraction or Muscle contraction#Eccentric contraction....
, and is a type of free weight
Weight

In the physical sciences, weight is a measurement of the gravitational force acting on an object. Near the surface of the Earth, the Earth's gravity is approximately constant; this means that an object's weight is roughly proportional to its mass....
. They can be used individually or in pairs (one for each hand).

History

The forerunner of the dumbbell was used in India for more than a millennium, shaped like a club
Club

A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth....
 – so named Indian club. The design of the "Nal", as the equipment was referred to, can be seen as a halfway point between a barbell
Barbell

A barbell is a piece of exercise equipment used in weight training, weightlifting and powerlifting. It consists of a metal bar that is 5 to long....
 and a dumbbell. It was generally used in pairs, in workouts by wrestlers, bodybuilders, sports players, and others wishing to increase strength and muscle size.

Etymology

"Dumbbells" as a word originated in Tudor
Tudor period

The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII of England ....
 England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 – athletes used hand-held church bells to develop the upper body and arms. These bells ranged in weight from a few ounces to many pounds. The bells were flourished in various ways. This would have made a great deal of noise, so the athletes would take out the clappers so they could practice quietly; hence the name "dumb", as in "no sound", and "bell" – dumbbell. When strongmen started to make their own equipment, they kept the name, even though the shape changed. Kettles were also available in various sizes, ranging up to those holding several gallons. Filled with sand or water, these too could be used for training. When athletes started making purpose-built equipment, they also kept the name.

Types

By the early 17th century, the familiar shape of the dumbbell, with two equal weights attached to a handle, had appeared. There are currently two main types of dumbbell:
  • Adjustable dumbbells consist of a metal bar whose centre portion is often engraved with a crosshatch pattern
    Pattern

    A pattern, from the French language patron, is a type of theme of recurring events of or objects, sometimes referred to as elements of a set....
     (knurling) to improve grip. Weight disks (plates) are slid onto the outer portions of the dumbbell and secured with clips or collars. Shown to the right is a "spinlock" dumbbell, whose ends are threaded to accept large nut
    Nut (hardware)

    A nut is a type of hardware fastener with a screw thread hole. Nuts are almost always used opposite a mating screw#Bolt to fasten a stack of parts together....
    s as collars. Alternatively, a dumbbell may have smooth ends with plates being secured by a sprung collar.


  • Fixed-weight dumbbells are weights
    Weights

    Weights are Sports equipment used for strength training. The term is typically used as a shortened form of the term free weights, but it can also refer to any exercise machine that uses weighted plates to generate the major opposing force....
     created in a dumbbell shape. Expensive varieties consist of cast iron coated with rubber
    Rubber

    Natural rubber is an elastomer?an Elasticity_ hydrocarbon polymer?that was originally derived from a milky colloidal suspension, or latex , found in the sap of some plants....
     for safety. Cheaper versions consist of a rigid plastic
    Plastic

    Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic chemistry solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products....
     shell that is filled with concrete
    Concrete

    Concrete is a construction material composed of cement as well as other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, construction aggregate , water , and Chemistry admixtures....
    .


See also

  • Barbell
    Barbell

    A barbell is a piece of exercise equipment used in weight training, weightlifting and powerlifting. It consists of a metal bar that is 5 to long....
  • Kettlebell
    Kettlebell

    The kettlebell or girya is a traditional Russian cast iron weight looking somewhat like a round shot with a handle. The kettlebell has become a popular exercise tool in the United States due largely to the efforts of strength and flexibility coach Pavel Tsatsouline and also by World Champion and world record holder Valery Fedorenko....
  • Weights
    Weights

    Weights are Sports equipment used for strength training. The term is typically used as a shortened form of the term free weights, but it can also refer to any exercise machine that uses weighted plates to generate the major opposing force....