Patent Application
20250153000
The present disclosure relates to exercise equipment, and more particularly to systems for training grip strength.
Various systems and equipment have been developed for improving grip strength for various activities, and athletes of various sports often desire a stronger grip for better performance in their chosen activity. There are numerous devices on the market to help achieve a stronger grip. For example, there are the conventional spring-hinged hand gripper, spring-loaded devices that slide over your fingertips that work the grip, rubber balls, and similar devises. These conventional spring hinged grips, for example, focus the load on the forearms and hands. This type of training may be useful in some aspects, but falls short when attempting to train grip strength for grappling sports.
As another example, some martial arts athletes have been known to place a gi jacket over a pullup bar longitudinally and do pullups gripping the gi lapels. This method falls short because most people cannot do that many pullups. The weight involved with the training cannot be controlled as it is always the athlete's bodyweight. In addition, a pullup motion is not an accurate re-creation of the training environment. Similarly, other conventional workout attachments for resistance-based workout equipment are rigid and fail to mimic the grips used in grappling sports. For example, traditional lat pulldown or row attachments are made of metal. As users apply work to these attachments through a range of motion, the relative positioning of the users hands remains constant.
In light of these deficiencies, there remains a need for systems to more accurately recreate the environment of martial arts sports in order to train and improve the grip strength and techniques used in these activities.
Presently disclosed is a grip training system. In an embodiment, the grip training system includes a lapel section having a collar section and an attachment section with at least one attachment point for connecting to exercise equipment, and a sleeve section having a closed end and an open end. In some embodiments, the closed end of the sleeve section includes at least one attachment point for connecting to exercise equipment, and the sleeve section further has an insert disposed between the closed end and the open end configured to maintain the open end in an open configuration to be gripped by a user.
In some embodiments, the sleeve section is a pant leg. In some embodiments, the closed end of the sleeve section includes reinforced stitching, which may support a weight of at least 150 pounds connected to the at least one attachment point. In some embodiments, the insert of the sleeve section is a foam insert. In some embodiments, each of the at least one attachment points is one of an eyelet, a grommet, or a strap loop, configured to attach to a connection point of exercise equipment. In some embodiments, the lapel section and the sleeve section each comprise a portion of a gi jacket.
Also disclosed is a method for exercising that includes the steps of providing a grip training system as described herein; and attaching at least the lapel section to exercise equipment by the at least one attachment point, gripping the collar of the lapel section and pulling with at least one arm in an arm path, wherein the arm path activates at least one muscle group.
The following figures are included to illustrate certain aspects of the embodiments, and should not be viewed as exclusive embodiments. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modifications, alterations, combinations, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those skilled in the art and having the benefit of this disclosure.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying Figures. Like elements in the various figures may be denoted by like reference numerals for consistency. Further, in the following detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the claimed subject matter. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the description. Additionally, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the scale of the elements presented in the accompanying Figures may vary without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
The present disclosure generally relates to grip training systems, and more particularly to grip training systems with application for martial arts sports. The grip training system may be used to train both grip strength, as well as, more general functional strength associated with various martial arts grip techniques. As described below, in various embodiments, the grip training system may more accurately recreate the environment of martial arts sports in order to train and improve the grip strength and techniques used in these activities.
Referring generally to
Moreover, the fabric used for a martial arts gi has a high coefficient of friction; and, therefore, is well suited to use in the grip training system. Moreover, the textured nature of the gi fabric provides a familiar feel to the user, and promotes use of a variety of different grips for a variety of different movements and ranges of motion. Because the relative position of the hands is not fixed when using the disclosed grip training system, the relative position of the hands may be adjusted when the system is loaded with weight. This freedom of motion may improve the user's mind-muscle connection, thereby improving hypertrophy and strength building capabilities.
In various embodiments, the attachment points 116 may include eyelets, such as shown in
Referring again to
In one example of grip training, a user may grip the open end 124 of sleeve section 120 in the same manner as a marital artist would grip the cuff of an arm sleeve or pant leg, both of which are common grappling points in sports like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or Judo. In other examples, the user may grip the side of the sleeve section 120, or any portion of the sleeve section 120 to perform a grip training exercise. In each case, the sleeve section 120 functions as a handle for the grip training exercise providing a more accurate recreation of the environment of martial arts sports for grip training.
In various embodiments, the sleeve section 120 may be an arm sleeve or a pant leg as discussed above, and multiple sleeve sections 120 may be used at the same time, with or without a lapel section 110. In some embodiments, two sleeve sections, representing a pair of pant legs, may be attached to a double cable machine to train grips for the Toreando pass used in Jiu Jitsu. In another embodiment, one sleeve section may be attached to a cable rowing machine for repetitive grip training. In yet another embodiment, two sleeve sections may be attached to each end of an exercise band. The user may then place his feet in the band and grip each sleeve section with one hand to train grips for the spider guard.
With the insert 128 inside the sleeve section, a user is able to engage with the sleeve section in the same or a similar manner as they would during an actual grappling experience with another user. By maintaining an open configuration of the sleeve section 120, the insert 128 offers users a choice between grabbing onto the peripheral fabric of the sleeve section 120 and grabbing onto the whole portion, as one might grab onto an arm or leg covered by a sleeve. The insert 128 therefore offers increased variability in training that more accurately simulates an authentic grappling experience.
Also disclosed is a method of grip training. In various embodiments, a method of grip training includes attaching at least one of a lapel section or a sleeve section of a grip training system to exercise equipment using attachment points of the grip training system. The attachment points may be connected to the exercise equipment with clips, straps, carabineers, or other connectors based upon the type of equipment selected. The method further includes gripping the grip training system, such as by the collar of the lapel section or the open end of the sleeve section, and pulling to activate the user's muscles thereby training and strengthening the user's grip.
In some embodiments, users may attach the lapel section 110 and/or the sleeve section 120 to cable operated strength training equipment, such as a cable pulldown machine, a cable row machine, or other functional trainer. Then the user can select a weight or resistance, against which they can grip lapel section 110 or sleeve section 120, in the same manner as they would if sparring in a martial art. The user may then perform multiple repetitions of the movement to improve the grip strength and technique, and may increase the weight or resistance as the user improves.
In other embodiments, lapel section 110 and sleeve section 120 be attached to dumbbells or heavy objects. The section 110, 120 can also be used with exercise bands attached to a pole or anchored in some other way known in the art.
The presently disclosed grip training system may provide benefits including more accurately recreating the environment of martial arts sports in order to train and improve the grip strength and techniques. The conventional grip training devices fail to simulate the specific grips required in martial arts, focusing instead on repetitive use of the muscles in the hands and particularly the forearms. The presently disclosed grip training system however allows a user to build functional strength using the grips consistent with their chosen activity. These aspects of the system may help users to build muscle memory with different grips that mimic functional gi grips in a manner not possible with convention grip training devices. Therefore, users who train by applying force to workout equipment through the hands and grips using the disclosed grip training system may gain an advantage in grappling settings.
One or more illustrative embodiments incorporating aspects of the invention are disclosed herein. Not all features of a physical implementation are described or shown in this application for the sake of clarity. It is understood that in the development of a physical embodiment incorporating the embodiments of the present invention, numerous implementation-specific decisions are to be made to achieve the developer's goals, such as compliance with system-related, business-related, government-related and other constraints, which vary by implementation and from time to time. While a developer's efforts might be time-consuming, such efforts would be, nevertheless, a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill the art and having benefit of this disclosure.
