Ancient Conditioning Tools Used Today

Warriors and athletes in the ancient world had access to only the most basic equipment to get into shape. Their training tools were made from materials including wood, stone, leather and metal. Modern fitness equipment, such as Nautilus and Hammer Strength machines, are specialized and expensive pieces of equipment. In recent years some of the simple, but effective, equipment passed down through the centuries have attracted new attention.

  1. Dumbbells

    • The ancient Greeks were using a piece of equipment called a "haltere" to get fit about 2000 years ago. The father of the modern dumbbell was little more than a curved stone with a handle attached. Athletes used them to perform a number of lifts, such as overhead presses. This most basic of fitness tools was given its name in 16th century England by trainees who exercised with small church bells. They removed the clappers and started calling these quiet versions "dumb" bells.

    Medicine Balls

    • Medicine balls are often associated with boxers today, but 3,000 years ago Persian warriors trained with animal bladders filled with sand to prepare for war. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates recommended a similar item to his patients to use for rehabilitation exercises after injury and illness. Even though the connection to Hippocrates gave medicine balls their name, they are commonly found in gyms instead of doctors' offices.

    Indian Clubs

    • More than 1,000 years ago, warriors in India trained with a wooden club similar to a short baseball bat called a "nal." A series of swinging motions with a club in each hand works the shoulders and arms and improves balance. British soldiers stationed in India in the 18th century became familiar with the clubs and brought them back to the West. The clubs have been rediscovered as effective conditioning tools by martial artists looking for a dynamic workout.

    Kettlebells

    • Kettlebells have been a basic Russian conditioning tool for more than 350 years. These small cast iron balls with a handle attached were originally used as counterweights on market scales. The first athletic use for kettlebells was throwing them, but later people saw the potential for various lifting movements similar to those done with dumbbells. You can find them in exercise classes and police academies because kettlebells are effective tools for conditioning the shoulders and arms as well as the important abdominal and back muscles that make up the body's core.