The present disclosure generally relates to exercise devices, and more particularly, to upper body exercise apparatus. Some examples of upper body exercise apparatuses according to the present disclosure may be pull-up bars, push-up bars, shoulder presses.
Pull-up bars with adjustable grips and/or mounts are generally disclosed. Some example embodiments may include methods, apparatus, and/or systems associated with such pull-up bars.
In some embodiments, the exercise device is a longitudinal bar, each half of the bar having a slot cut along a portion of its length. The slots are generally situated along one longitudinal side of the bar. One handle protrudes from each slot, and the handle is able to travel along the length of the slot. Rollers engage the handles onto the bar, and enable the handles to slide within the slot.
Each slot section may include one or more pin-receiving holes extending laterally through the bar for blocking some movement of the handle within the slot. When a selector pin is inserted through the hole, it prevents the handle from moving to a section beyond the selector pin. By blocking the movement of the handle within the slot, the handle is restricted to a portion of the slot to travel within. The selector pins may be retained to the apparatus by elastic cords attached to each of the distal ends of the track bar.
The exercise device may include one or more laterally extending connection bars attached laterally to one or more points along the bar for mounting to a stationary object, such as a wall, or modified to be placed over a door frame for pull-ups, or mounted on a floor, for push-ups. The connection bar(s) may also be coupled to a pulley system on an exercise apparatus to exercise alternate muscle groups, such as the deltoids in a shoulder press routine.
In some embodiments, the handles stay fixed within the same plane. In another embodiment, the first and second handle can rotate, or swivel, so the two handles may also lie in different planes. In a swiveling embodiment, a user may change his grip on the bar from overhand grip to hammer grip without taking his hands off the handles.
In some embodiments, the bar is generally rectangular. The bar may also be cylindrical, triangular, or another cross-sectional shape. In some embodiments, the bar is hollow. The bar may also be a solid bar with a track for the wheeled handle grips on the outside of the bar.
In some embodiments, the track bar contains slots. The track bar may be devoid of slots, and the handles may slide run on a track for example, in which case, a stopper such as a pin may be inserted laterally through the bar at the midpoint so each handle stays on its designated side of the track bar.
The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only several embodiments in accordance with the disclosure and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope. The disclosure will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings.
In the drawings:
The present disclosure contemplates that some conventional pull-up bars do not allow the hands to move apart from or toward each other, or turn in any direction when performing a pull-up. When the hands grab a static bar during a pull-up exercise, a strictly vertical exercise must be performed, restricting motion and preventing the arm and back muscles from undergoing a full range of motion. The main focus of the latissimus dorsi, the largest muscle of the back, is to pull arms over the head and to the sides, or in front of the body. By performing pull-ups on a static bar, the latissimus dorsi cannot be fully exercised. By using the apparatus of the present disclosure, a wide range of motion is performed, and large muscle groups, including the latissimus dorsi, can be effectively exercised.
The frame of the apparatus including bar 12 is made of a rigid material, such as a metal or metal alloy. The rollers 50 may alternately be ball bearings. The handles 20 and 22 may be made from a rigid, semi-rigid, or flexible material. The connection bars 24 may be made from a rigid material for some embodiments, or a flexible material such as rope, for mounting apparatus 10 to a ceiling.
To use this apparatus to engage in pull-up exercises, a user holds one handle in each fist, keeping both arms straight. The two handles should be relatively close together. As the user performs a pull-up by bending both arms at the elbow at the same rate, the distance between the handles should increase. Once the user reaches a maximum bent arm position, the user begins to straighten both arms at the same rate, at the same time decreasing the distance between the handles until the arms are straight and hands are in the starting position. This completes one cycle of a pull-up performed on the apparatus.
As a push-up or shoulder press apparatus, the initial position is bent arms and in a maximum separation distance between the handles. The user pushes up straightening the arms, at the same time decreasing the distance between the handles, until both arms are generally straight. From a straight arm position, the user bends the arms at the same rate and increases the distance between the handles, returning to the initial bent arm position. This completes one push up, or shoulder press cycle.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/411,344, filed Nov. 8, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61411344 | Nov 2010 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 13291351 | Nov 2011 | US |
Child | 14337975 | US |