Patent Application
20250032884
The present inventions relate to the field of physical exercise equipment and techniques, and more specifically, to a squat invention/device that provides a gauge to measure the optimal depth of a user to perform a squat exercise and alert the user that the optimal depth has been obtained/achieved. Among other things, the disclosed inventions provide a squat depth apparatus and method of performing a squat utilizing a guidepost having a plurality of guide gauge indicators, depth indicator and attachment mechanisms to gauge the optimal, or desired, depth of the squat without interfering with the performance of the exercise. The depth indicator operates to alert the user that the optimal depth of the squat has been reached.
The barbell squat has been considered “the King of all Exercises.” The barbell squat is an exercise that helps build leg muscles, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, the gluteus muscle group and the calves. The squat also isometrically uses the erector spinae and the abdominal muscles. The squat exercise creates an anabolic environment which promotes body-wide muscle building. The Squat exercise may be performed at such intensity that the exercise triggers the release of testosterone and human growth hormones within the body, which are vital for muscle growth and will improve muscle mass in other muscle groups within the body besides the leg muscles.
A squat is a strength exercise in which the trainee lowers their hips from a standing position and then stands back up. The trainee will bend their knees to lower the buttocks to a position where the quadricep muscles of the user are positioned parallel to the ground or at a 90-degree angle with a wall. During the descent, the hip and knee joints flex while the ankle joint dorsiflexes; conversely the hip and knee joints extend and the ankle joint plantarflexes when standing up. Squats also help strengthen the hip muscles. Squats are considered a vital exercise for increasing the strength and size of the lower body muscles, as well as developing core strength. The exercise may be performed with or without a barbell. When the squat is performed using the barbell, the barbell is positioned on the upper back, near the shoulders of the user. The barbell may be loaded with weights to increase the difficulty and/or offer a greater challenge to performing the squat exercise.
The squat is one of the three lifts in the strength sport of powerlifting, together with the deadlift and the bench press. It is also considered a staple exercise in many popular recreational exercise programs, as well as, the very popular Cross Fit Games.
The squat exercise begins from a standing position. Weight is often added and is typically in the form of a loaded barbell. Dumbbells and kettlebells may also be used. When a barbell is used, it may be braced across the upper trapezius muscle, which is termed a high bar squat, or held lower across the back and rear deltoids, termed a low bar squat. The squatting movement is initiated by moving the hips back and bending the knees and hips to lower the torso and accompanying weight, then returning to the upright position.
Squats can be performed to varying depths. The competition standard is for the crease of the hip (top surface of the leg at the hip joint) to fall below the top of the knee; this is colloquially known as “parallel” depth or a ninety-degree. It is understood that for the participant in the squat exercise to truly benefit from the squat, he or she must reach a position where the upper thigh (top of the quadricep muscle) is at least parallel to the floor.
In the past, users would measure the depth of a squat through an on-looker (workout partner) or a spotter who would indicate when an individual conducting the exercise reached the desired depth of the squat. Additionally, individuals may use a bench that is placed behind the individual conducting the squat exercise such that the buttocks of the individual would touch the top of the bench at the lowermost point of the squat. It is further understood that trainers have used objects such as yoga blocks that are held under an individual's buttocks to measure the lowermost height of the squat. These methods do not always provide for much adjustability in the measurement of the squat. Additionally, it is difficult for the person performing the squat exercise to know precisely when their quad muscles have reached the “parallel to the floor position” while performing the exercise to protect the neck vertebrae and the spine. Even with the benefit of using a mirror, it is difficult to determine the exact moment that the top of the quadricep muscles become parallel to the floor, especially since the chin should be held up when performing a squat to protect the neck vertebrae and the spine.
There is a risk while performing the squat exercise that a participant will look downward to see if he or she has achieved the lowermost point of the exercise. It is important to look upward in order to keep the back straight during the squat exercise. If the back is rounded, often as a result of the participant looking downward, the back becomes extremely susceptible to injury. There is a need to prevent injury caused by the participant looking downward and injuring his or her back.
There is a need in the industry to assist individuals who are interested in measuring the optimal depth of the squat (which also equals the maximum benefit from the squat) that is adjustable for the height of the individual and also is adjustable based on the preferred height an individual desires to conduct the squat. It is also desirable to have the squat depth indicator that does not interfere with the individual's ability to properly conduct the squat exercise.
Embodiments of the inventions improve upon the prior art by providing squat gauge apparatus that is adjustable in height to measure and alert the individual conducting the squat that his or her quadricep muscles have obtained a parallel position to the floor during the exercise.
Embodiments of the inventions are directed to a product that is easily moveable, as well as adjustable, and does not interfere with an individual conducting the squat exercise.
In some embodiments, the squat height measurement device can be made of a durable plastic or poly-carbonate material, having a base, two posts removably attached to the base, wherein the posts have a plurality of holes configures to accommodate a flexible cord at various predetermined height increments.
The present invention provides the user of the squat height measurement apparatus of the present invention with the benefit of a depth indicator to alert the participant of the desired height of the lower movement in the squat exercise such the participant does not need to lower his or her head during the exercise to see if the desired height of the movement has been achieved.
The present invention provides a height measurement apparatus and method of performing a squat utilizing a guidepost having a plurality of guide gauge indicators, depth indicator and attachment mechanisms to gauge the optimal, or desired, depth of the squat without interfering with the performance of the exercise. The depth indicator operates to alert the user that the optimal depth of the squat has been reached when the glutes contact the flexible cord.
Additionally, embodiments of the present invention, the base may be configured such that the posts of the squat height measurement device and the flexible cord may be stored in the base.
Some embodiments may include a handle attached to the base for the easy transport of the apparatus.
Furthermore, a benefit of the invention is that a trainer can assist multiple clients in the squat exercise without having to attend to each individual client to ensure that they have reached the “parallel to floor” position during the squat exercise.
Embodiment of the present invention may include laser sensor apparatus that alert the user of when the optimal position (parallel to the floor) has been obtained/achieved by a participant during the squat exercise.
It is important to note that biomechanically, it is much safer and more natural for an individual performing the squat to achieve “quadriceps parallel to the floor” than to attempt to stop the decent of the weighted squat prior to becoming parallel to the floor and attempt to ascend to an upright position, which can lead to strain of the lower back.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the inventions are not limited in their application to the details of construction and/or arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments, and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it should be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the inventions unless explicitly stated.
The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the inventions. Various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. The following detailed description is to be read with reference to the figures, in which the elements in different figures have life reference numerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of embodiments of the inventions. A person having ordinary skill in the art will recognize the examples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall within the scope of embodiments of the invention.
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of measuring the proper depth of a squat to ensure that the person participating in the exercise lowers his or her body in such a manner that the top of the participants quadricep muscles become parallel to the floor or at a 90-degree angle to the squat rack or vertical wall. It is understood that to obtain the optimal benefit from the squat exercise, he or she must lower the body (whether performing a weightless squat, a barbell squat, or a dumbbell squat) by using the leg muscles and bending at the knees and waste to reach a position where the top of the quadricep muscles are positioned parallel to the floor. If the participant wishes to optimize the effect of the squat exercise on the hamstrings, quadriceps and gluteus muscle groups, the participant must know where the “quadriceps parallel to the floor” mark is during the exercise. Without knowing that position, the participant will not realize or achieve the true benefit if the squat exercise.
The present invention relates to a gauge mechanism that is placed behind the participant during the exercise. The gauge mechanism is comprised of a base and two guideposts and an “adjustable” depth indicator. The guideposts may be affixed to the base. The guideposts include a plurality of attachment mechanisms on each guidepost that correlate to the position/depth of a squat. The depth indicator is affixed to the guideposts at the desired height of the squat such that the participant's thighs (quadriceps) become parallel to the floor at the lower-most (proper depth) movement of the squat exercise. The participant knows when the desired depth of the squat is reached when the depth indicator signals that the depth has been reached. The squat rack gauge mechanism of the present invention has the benefit of having a depth indicator that alerts the user that the;
Turning now to
The base 20 may have dimensions of 14 to 20 inches by 36 inches to comfortably accommodate the feet 101 of the participant. While those are the preferred dimensions the base could have any dimensions or shape so long as it is configured to accommodate the feet of a user. The base 20 may be circular, square, U-shaped or even triangular in shape. The base 20 is configured in a manner such that it does not interfere with the feet 101 of the participant 100 during the exercise. As shown in
The present invention includes a guidepost 30 and preferably at least a pair of guideposts 30. The guidepost 30 may be made of a durable plastic material such as polycarbonate, high density polyethylene or heavy-duty acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. The guidepost 30 could also be made of other material such as metal or fiberglass. The guideposts 30 are affixed to the base 20 through the pockets 24. The guideposts 30 include a plurality of guide gauges 32. The guide gauges 32 may be holes in the guideposts 30. Alternatively, the guide gauge 32 could be a fastener or bracket.
The guidepost 32 may include an indicator mark such as a number placed on the guidepost 30 at predetermined interval. For example, the guide gages 32 may consist of marks that could be placed could be at 3-inch increments starting with #1 at the top-most hole down to the lowest guide gage 32. The opposing guidepost 30 could have the same marks to correspond with the heights of the guide gage 32 on the first guidepost 30. The numeric system on the guideposts 32 will represent progress by getting lower over the course of performing the exercise.
The guide gauges 32 of the guidepost 30 function to provide the proper measurement to position the depth indicator 40 on the guideposts 30. The guide gauges 32 are preferably positioned at 3-inch increments along the guideposts 30. This allows for the adjustment of the depth indicator 40 at and 3″ positions along the guideposts 30. While the preferred increments of the guide gauges 32 may be 3 inches, it should be understood that any increment may be used. For example, the increment of the guide gauges 32 may be the increment may be 2 inches, 6 inches or up 12 inches. The guide gauges 32 of the guideposts 30 may also function to provide the proper a means to attach the depth indicator 40 on the guideposts 30.
The guide gauges 32 of the guidepost 30 may be implemented along the entire length of the guidepost 30 to maximize the number of height adjustments that can be accommodated by the apparatus. It is also important to recognize that the squat rack gauge mechanism 10 may be used to gauge the proper depth of a pushup exercise. That is why the guide gages 32 be implemented along the entire length of the guidepost 32. The depth indicator 40 could be used to contact the chest of a participant chest at a desired lowermost portion of a pushup.
The preferred embodiment depicts the guide gauges 32 as holes in the guidepost 30 to accommodate the attachment mechanism 45, which are hooks, sliding clamps with spring loaded pins or similar. It should be understood that other types of guide gauges 32 and attachment mechanisms 45 could be implemented without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the guide gauges 32 could comprise a visual height indicator and the attachment mechanisms 45 could comprise either a movable lock or a removeable clamp that would align with the visual guide gages 32. The important feature of the guide gauges 32 is that the guide indicators may be positioned in such a manner to gauge the depth of the squat performed by a participant. The height of the attachment mechanism 45 is determined by the height at which a participant 100 would contact the depth indicator 40 at the desired depth of the squat exercise. As such, the height of the participant 100 typically determines the desired height to place the attachment mechanism 45 on the guide gages 32.
The depth indicator 40 can be affixed to the guideposts 30 by means of an attachment mechanism 50. The attachment mechanism 45 is configured such that the depth indicator 40 may be attached to the guideposts 30 at the guide gauges 32 at various heights along the guideposts 32. The guide gauge 32 positions correspond to the desired height of the squat which will be explained in more detail with respect to
The attachment mechanism 45 may be as simple as a hook which would be inserted into guide gauge 32 of the guideposts 30. In that embodiment the guide gauges 32 would comprise a hole in the guidepost 30 into which the attachment mechanism 45, a hook, would be inserted into the hole. The attachment mechanism 45 could also be a clamp mechanism, a pin insert, a sliding bracket or the like. The important feature of the attachment mechanism 45 is that it secures the depth indicator 40 to the guidepost at a height indicated by the guide gauge 32.1 The depth indicator 40 could consist of a flexible cord, such as a bungee cord, or a piece of flexible plastic. There are other embodiments of the depth indicator 40 and attachment mechanism 45 which are contemplated by the invention. For example, the attachment mechanism 45 could comprise a moveable clamp mounted to the guidepost 30 in such a manner that the moveable clamp can be positioned at the various guide gauges 32 along the guidepost 30. The depth indicator 40 could be attached to the moveable clamp in such a manner that the depth indicator 40 could be positioned along the guideposts 30 at the various guide gauge 32 positions along the guideposts 30. The attachment mechanism 45 may comprise an electronic depth indicator 40 which would include a laser light generated between the depth indicator 40 on each of the guideposts 30. The depth indicator could emit either a visible or an audio signal when the participant has reached the proper depth of the squat.
The squat rack gauge apparatus 30 is positioned in relation to the participant 100. Prior to beginning the exercise, the participant 100 may adjust the height of the depth indicator 40 on the guideposts 30. The depth indicator 40 is adjusted to one of the guide gauge indicators 32 that somewhat correlate to the height of the participant 100 along the quadricep muscle of the participant 100 when the participant 100 is in the 90-degree position 46 of the squat. When the participant is at the lowermost position in which the quadricep muscle 46 is parallel to the floor, the Gluteus muscle (or other part) of the participant 100 contacts the depth indicator 40 to alert the participant 100 that he or she has reached ta position in which the gluteus muscle is parallel to the floor position 46 of the lift, or at a desired maximum depth of the exercise, and should initiate the upward movement.
The squat rack gauge mechanism 10 is shown positioned behind the participant 100 and the participant 100 positions himself between the squat rack 60 and the squat rack gauge apparatus 10. The squat rack gauge apparatus 10 includes a base 20, guideposts 30, the attachment mechanism 45 and a depth indicator 40. The depth indicator 40 should be positioned on the guideposts 30 at a height corresponding to when the indicator contacts the glutes, which also corresponds to when the “quads becoming parallel to the floor” height of the participant 100 when the participant 100 is in the 90-degree position of the exercise as shown in
The quads of the participant 100 start in the fully extended position where the knee joint is substantially extended as shown in
The participant 100 removes the barbell from the rail 62 of the squat rack 60. The squat rack has plurality rails 62 to accommodate different sized participants 100. The barbell 70 is supposed to be positioned along the shoulders of the participant 100 the rails 62 of the squat rack 60 allows the barbell 70 to be positioned at the shoulder height of the participant 100. Once the participant 100 removes the barbell 70 from the squat rack 60 and steps backwards a few steps, the exercise begins. The participant 100 begins to bend his or her knees to lower the weight 72 and the barbell 70 positioned on the participant 100. The participant continues to lower the weight 72 by bending at the knees until the participant's glutes contact the depth indicator 40. Contacting the depth indicator 40 indicates to the participant 100 that he or she has reached the “quads parallel to the floor position” 46 of the exercise as shown in
An alternative embodiment of the squat depth gauge apparatus 150 is shown in
It should be understood that there are many components to the inventions of the proper squat depth gauge apparatus. While specific combinations of elements are disclosed in specific embodiments, it should be understood that any combination of the different features may be utilized in the squat rack gauge apparatus.
The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrating and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape and materials as well as in the details of illustrated construction may be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.
It is understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
