DUMBBELL

Ever Wonder Where the Term Comes From?

Ever wonder where the term “dumbbell” comes from?

(and yes, you’ve been spelling it wrong your whole life you muscle head:)

In the late Stuart era in England, people began to notice that the men who rang church bells for a living were considerably stronger and more muscular than those who had sedentary jobs. In the past, being bulkier and strong was an indication that you must do labor for a living and thus were poor. So there wasn’t much demand for more muscles before this time.

But as body image standards started to change, Brits saw that ringing these bells was one way to become more brawny. Contraptions of ropes and bullies with a heavy weight rather than an actual bell were created so that people could work out at home.

The bell was called dumbbells not because they were stupid but because the word “dumb” at the time referred to silence, and the machines did not make noise like a normal bell would.^[9

Now you can show off your brain AND your six pack at your next workout! Enjoy