Before you ask: no, barbells are not strange alien devices which will turn you into The Hulk just by being in the same building. But more on that later.

Weights are a fundamental component of fitness training. Whether you want to get stronger or just shape up, exercising with weights regularly will get you there. While the barbells and dumbbells are relatively recent developments, the idea of getting stronger by lifting heavy stuff has been with us for time immemorial. There are artefacts from ancient Greece describing progressive weight training, and it likely that they weren’t the first people to figure it out. Continue reading Bring on the weights! →