Patent Application
20230330490
The present disclosure is generally related to fitness equipment, and more particularly, to level apparatuses for promoting balanced lifting of objects.
Individuals can utilize fitness equipment to increase muscle mass, improve cardiovascular fitness, and/or aid with muscle rehabilitation. Free weight exercise equipment, referred to as “free weights,” can include barbells, dumbbells, etc. Free weight exercises performed using free weights, also referred to as movements or lifts, allow for more natural movement as compared to non-free-weight exercises performed using exercise machines. As such, in addition to the primary or target muscle groups, free weight exercises generally recruit stabilizer muscles for stability and balance during multi-plane movement. Therefore, free weights can be used to reduce muscle imbalances over time. Accordingly, in addition to increasing strength, muscle mass and overall fitness, free weight movements can also improve balance and posture by developing stabilizer muscle groups.
The following is a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure. It is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of the disclosure, nor delineate any scope of the particular implementations of the disclosure or any scope of the claims. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
In accordance with an embodiment, a level apparatus for promoting balanced lifting of an object is provided. The level apparatus includes a first material portion, a second material portion, a fastening mechanism formed on at least one of the first material portion or the second material portion for providing a temporary bond between the first material portion and the second material portion, and a level component disposed through an opening within the first material portion. The level component includes a level disposed within a level housing structure. The first material portion and second material portion are configured to wrap around the object such that the level is exposed to a user lifting the object.
In accordance with another embodiment, a weight lifting apparatus is provided. The weight lifting apparatus includes a bar, and a level apparatus attached to the bar for promoting balanced lifting of the bar. The level apparatus includes a first material portion, a second material portion, a fastening mechanism formed on at least one of the first material portion or the second material portion for providing a temporary bond between the first material portion and the second material portion, and a level component disposed through an opening within the first material portion. The level component includes a level disposed within a level housing structure. The first material portion and second material portion are configured to wrap around the bar such that the level is exposed to a user lifting the bar.
The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, and can be more fully understood with reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the figures in which:
A barbell is a piece of fitness equipment that is generally used for weight training (e.g., bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting). A barbell is generally formed of a metal bar having a central portion that includes grip regions, and an outer portion at each end of the central portion for receiving weighted plates. A barbell can have a length ranging from about 1.2 meters (m) (4 feet (ft)) to about 2.4 m (8 ft). For example, a standard barbell has a length of about 2.13 m (7 ft) and a mass of about 20.41 kilograms (kg) (about 45 pounds). The diameter of the central portion can range from about 25 millimeters (mm) (0.98 inches (in)) to about 50 mm (1.96 in). Cross-hatch patterns can be knurled within the grip region to assist with grip. Knurling generally refers to a process of forming lines (e.g., straight lines, angled lines, or crossed lines) into a material. Weighted plates can be added or removed based on the desired total weight for the particular barbell exercise. Examples of barbell exercises include bench press, overhead press, squats, deadlifts, bent-over rows, etc.
Barbell exercises typically recruit multiple muscle groups in a symmetric fashion on both left and right sides of the body with respect to the centerline of the body. For example, the traditional flat bench press recruits, inter alia, the left pectoralis major, the right pectoralis major, the left triceps and the right triceps. It is generally advised to perform lifts with proper form to enable even or balanced lifting across both sides of the body. Uneven lifting can lead to muscle imbalances, in which one side of the body becomes stronger than another, and the stronger side begins to overcompensate for the weaker side. Moreover, muscle imbalances can contribute to progress plateaus that limit the ability to lift heavier weights as the weaker side cannot keep up with the stronger side. Therefore, uneven lifting can lead to increased risk of injury and reduced overall fitness. However, it can be challenging for an individual to determine whether he or she is lifting evenly without a spotter in real-time. This is particularly true for heavier lifts in which the individual may be more focused on lifting the weight than maintaining proper lifting form throughout.
Aspects of the present disclosure address the above noted and other deficiencies by providing an apparatus for promoting balanced lifting of objects. In some embodiments, the apparatus can promote balanced lifting of bar-shaped objects (“bars”). One example of a bar is a barbell, although embodiments described herein can be implemented with respect to any suitable object. For example, the apparatus can include a specially-designed level embedded within a material having a first material portion and a second material portion, and the fitness level apparatus can be wrapped around a bar (e.g., barbell) designed to be lifted by an individual. In some embodiments, the material includes a synthetic rubber material. For example, the material can include a neoprene material. In some embodiments, the material includes leather. The material can be fastened around the bar using any suitable fastening mechanism.
To allow for removal of the apparatus, the fastening mechanism can provide a temporary bond that can allow for simple unfastening after use. More specifically, the fastening mechanism can be formed on at least one of the first material portion or the second material portion for providing a temporary bond between the first material portion and the second material portion. For example, the fastening mechanism can be embodied as a hook-and-loop or touch fastening mechanism, where a first portion of the hook-and-loop fastening mechanism (e.g., the hook portion or the loop portion) can be attached to a first end of the first material portion, and a second portion of the hook-and-loop fastening mechanism (e.g., the loop portion or the hook portion) can be attached to a second end of the second material portion. As another example, the fastening mechanism can be embodied as a magnetic fastening mechanism, where a first portion of the magnetic fastening mechanism (e.g., a first magnetic strip) is attached to a first end of the first material portion, and a second portion of the magnetic fastening mechanism (e.g., a second magnetic strip) is attached to a second end of the second material portion.
The level can be positioned to be visible to an individual during a lift, thereby providing the individual with a real-time indication with respect to whether the lift is uneven. More specifically, the level can include a bubble that will stay in the center of the level only if the bar is being evenly lifted on both sides. If the individual notices that the lift is uneven (e.g., the bubble of the level is off-center), the individual can adjust the lift in real-time to correct the imbalance. The level can also promote a more controlled lift by incentivizing the individual to smoothly lift the bar in order to keep the bubble toward the center of the level. Therefore, embodiments described herein can be used to reduce injury and improve lifting efficiency.
As further shown, the second material portion 200 further includes an opening 220. In some embodiments, and as shown, the opening 220 is a rectangular shaped opening defined by long sides including side 222 having a length “B” and short sides including side 224 having a length “C”. However, the opening 220 can have any suitable shape in accordance with embodiments described herein.
The distance between the side 210-1 and the side 222 is defined by a length “D” and the distance between the side 210-2 and the side 224 is defined by a length “E”. In some embodiments, the length B ranges from about 37 millimeters (mm) to about 47 mm. For example, length B can be about 42 mm. In some embodiments, the length C ranges from about 9 mm to about 15 mm. For example, length C can be about 12 mm. Length D is approximately half the difference between length A and length C. For example, if length A is about 5.5 inches and length C is about 12 mm (about 0.47 inch), then length D can be about 2.5 inches. Length E is approximately half the difference between length A and length B. For example, if length A is about 5.5 inches (139.7 mm) and length B is about 42 mm, then length E can be about 48.85 mm.
The level 500 further includes a bubble 530 having an oblong or oval shape. The bubble 530 is configured to move within a liquid housed in the level 500. More specifically, the bubble is configured to move between the bases of the level 500. The position of the bubble 530 indicates whether the level 500 (and thus the object to which the level 500 is attached) is aligned with respect to a particular plane (e.g., horizontal plane). For example, the bubble 530 will be located substantially toward the center if the level 500 is substantially aligned with the plane, while the bubble 530 will move toward the ends of the level 500 based on an amount of deviation from alignment (e.g., the level 500 is tilted at an angle relative to the plane).
As further shown, the level 500 can include marker regions 540-1 and 540-2 defining a central region 550 indicative of a range of acceptable positions for the bubble 530. The marker regions 540-1 and 540-2 can be customized to be narrower or wider, depending on the amount of deviation tolerance desired for a particular application. In some embodiments, the marker regions 540-1 and 540-2 have a length ranging from about 1 mm to about 4 mm. For example, the marker regions 540-1 and 540-2 can have a length of about 2 mm. In some embodiments, the central region 550 has a length ranging from about 10 mm to about 20 mm.
The hook portion 600 includes a number of tiny hooks that catch into a number of tiny loops of a corresponding loop portion of the hook-and-loop fastening mechanism. As shown, the hook portion 600 has a rectangular shape having long sides including side 610 defining a length “A” of the hook portion 600 (similar to the length A of the material portions 100 and 200 of
In one embodiment, the loop portion 700 includes a number of tiny loops that receive a number of tiny hooks of a corresponding hook portion of the hook-and-loop fastening mechanism (e.g., the hook portion 600 of
Embodiments described herein have described a level apparatus that is inserted into a material configured to be wrapped around an object. However, in alternative embodiments, the level apparatus can include a magnetic level housing configured to be magnetically secured to the bar. In alternative embodiments, the level apparatus can include a level housing configured to be secured to the bar using an elastic material (e.g., elastic string). In alternative embodiments, the level apparatus can be a hinged level apparatus including level housing components secured via a hinge-and-latch mechanism.
Although the operations of the methods herein are shown and described in a particular order, the order of the operations of each method may be altered so that certain operations may be performed in an inverse order or so that certain operation may be performed, at least in part, concurrently with other operations. In certain implementations, instructions or sub-operations of distinct operations may be in an intermittent and/or alternating manner.
It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other implementations will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading and understanding the above description. The scope of the disclosure should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
In the above description, numerous details are set forth. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that aspects of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form, rather than in detail, in order to avoid obscuring the present disclosure.
The words “example” or “exemplary” are used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “example” or “exemplary” is not to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the words “example” or “exemplary” is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion. As used in this application, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X includes A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X includes A; X includes B; or X includes both A and B, then “X includes A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form. Moreover, use of the term “an embodiment” or “one embodiment” or “an implementation” or “one implementation” throughout is not intended to mean the same embodiment or implementation unless described as such. Furthermore, the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc., as used herein, are meant as labels to distinguish among different elements and may not have an ordinal meaning according to their numerical designation.
