Halteres (/hælˈtəriːz/; Greek: ἁλτῆρες,[1] from "ἅλλομαι" - hallomai, "leap, spring";[2] cf. "ἅλμα" - halma, "leaping"[3]) were a type of dumbbells used in Ancient Greece. In Ancient Greek sports, halteres were used as lifting weights,[4][5] and also as weights in their version of the long jump.[6] Halteres were held in both hands to allow an athlete to jump a greater distance; they may have been dropped after the first or second jump.
The athlete would swing the weights backwards and forwards just before take-off, thrust them forwards during take-off, and swing them backwards just before releasing them and landing. Halteres were made of stone or metal, and weighed between 2 and 9 kg (4 and 20 lb). They added about 17 cm (7 in) to a 3 m (10 ft) long jump.[7]