For the first time in more than 200 years, we recreate and demonstrate the earliest known dumbbell exercises from the 18th century, used by the likes of Benjamin Franklin. This includes five civilian and military exercises.

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This video was made as part of the ongoing "Getting Back in Shape with 19th Century Historical Exercises" series, all of which can be viewed here:

   • Getting Back in Shape with 19th Centu...  

The Victorian era posture exercise video referenced and briefly shown towards the end, can be watched in full here:

   • Six Victorian Era Exercises that Won'...  

For more mini historical documentaries on physical culture such as this one, check out the following playlist:

   • Mini Historical Documentaries  

DISLAIMER:

This series is for historical interest only. It is not a replacement for a qualified instructor or therapist who can guide, observe and correct you in person. The original historical directions for these exercises, which are not fully quoted and explored in the video, are very precise—the positioning, alignment of the joints, feet, hands, etc.. And if you get that wrong, it’s definitely possible to injure yourself.

This video series is an EXPERIMENT, and many of these historical methods are as of yet untested in modern times. I don’t even know if I’m going to recommend them myself after practicing them for weeks or months. It is possible they could lead to injury.

For all of these reasons I caution you not to try to follow along and do these exercises at home alone, but to perform such exercises only under the supervision of a qualified and experienced instructor or master.