The planet Arrakis, better known as Dune, is habitat to the Fremen, the Zensunnis who wandered from planet to planet aimlessly. The Fremen had to deal with many hardships on the planet Dune, from the scorching heat to the great sandworms to the nonstop stream of custodians, including the brutal Harkonnens. The Fremen were already in prime shape, their bodies lean and battle-ready. But what nobody suspected was how they made use of a modified version of kettlebell exercises to help attain this conditioning.

When Pardot Kynes first made contact with the Fremen, it was after interfering in a knife competition between three Fremen youths and six Harkonnen soldiers. The youths were armed with crysknives and rocks, while the Harkonnens had complete battle gear, armor, and lasguns. The fight was grossly unfair, until Kynes stepped in and assisted the Fremen to win, and then saving the life of one injured youth.

The Fremen brought Kynes back to their sietch, or shelter in the desert. The sietch was a gigantic cave complex, home to many occupants. The Fremen, long suffering under the Harkonnens, kept themselves in outstanding physical shape by hiring themselves out as spice workers and in the towns as common laborers. What they did with the body armor of the Harkonnens was what fascinated Kynes the most and brought about a new form of exercise.

With the helmet of one of the deceased soldiers put to use, one of the youths placed great amounts of sand into it. Once it was packed heavily yet firmly, one of the youths placed a good amount of clearplaz over it for good measure. With the chinstrip of the helmet as a handle of sorts, he picked up the loaded helmet and swung it as if it were a dead weight. This can be seen as a primitive form of kettlebell exercises at that time. Fitness authorities like Lorna would endorse it, though, since the weight can prove to be a fantastic way to get fit.

Ever enterprising, the Fremen managed to fashion themselves rough versions of kettlebells. One of the primary laws of the Fremen was that nothing would go to waste. With this mindset, the primitive weight equivalent served two purposes. One, the youth who vanquished the Harkonnen in battle had a memento of his victory. Two, the tribe now had a useful tool by which to work out. A successful venture all around. Except, of course, for the Harkonnen.