As early as more than 2,500 years ago, there were records of weightlifting in ancient Greece, such as Miron, a legendary Hercules who could lift cows, and Hera Keres, a Hercules in ancient Greek mythology. There is a round iron ball on the playground in Athens, Greece. Only those who can lift the iron ball are eligible to participate in sports competitions.

The ancient Greeks worshipped Lux very much. In some buildings and sculptures in ancient Greece and Egypt, there are statues of Lux, holding thick round sticks or other objects, strong and muscular. The ancient Greeks also first advocated the use of dumb bell exercises to exercise, and the gladiators and soldiers in ancient Rome also used dumbbells to develop their strength. Galieni, a famous doctor, and Angelohe, a great doctor, both talked about the fitness function and practice methods of dumbbells in their works.

A famous British fitness researcher (1740- 1802) wrote in the book Sports and Recreation in Britain that lifting heavy objects and stones with hands was very popular in ancient times. This sport needs a lot of strength and developed muscles, and it is a good method for military training. Weightlifting to show strength was also popular in ancient Scotland. It requires that stones weighing more than 100 kg be lifted from the ground and placed at a height of more than 1.2 meters. Young people who can do this have the right to wear high hats. This is a unique custom in Scotland, because they wear hats when they are adults. At the end of 16, john knoll Brooke of Britain also suggested that young people use metal weights to do weightlifting exercises to enhance their arm strength.