Patent Application
20250001236
The present invention generally relates to the field of assistance and spotting devices for bench press exercise and other similar exercises. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel bench press self-spotting device. The device is comprised of a spotting device that spots a user while bench pressing. The device is comprised of at least one arm on each side of a bench, wherein a user can press down onto a foot member to raise the spring-loaded spotting arms if they fail a bench press repetition (i.e., rep). In another embodiment, the device is comprised of a dumbbell shelf that allows a user to easily un-rack dumbbells above their body. In this embodiment, the spring-loaded spotting arms also provide weight-loaded negative resistance during the downward motion of a dumbbell press on each dumbbell. In another embodiment, the device aids a user in the “lift off” (i.e., beginning portion) of a barbell or dumbbell pressing movement. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices, and methods of manufacture.
By way of background, bench press is a fundamental compound exercise practiced by all weightlifters and exercise participants. The bench press exercise targets multiple muscle groups in the upper body, primarily engaging the pectoralis major (chest), anterior deltoids (shoulders), and triceps brachii (triceps). Conventionally, the bench press is performed with an exercising user lying supine on a flat bench, with feet placed on the floor. A barbell or a dumbbell is typically gripped with an overhand grip by the exercising user. The exercise is then performed by lowering the barbell to the chest and subsequently pushing the barbell upward until the arms of the exercising user are extended.
In the bench press exercise, muscular failure or other complications are common especially when an exercising user is lifting a heavy amount of weight. In the event of a muscular failure or other complications, there is a significant risk of dropping the barbell onto the lifter, potentially leading to severe injury or even fatality. To mitigate the risks of falling barbell, lifters commonly take the assistance of a second individual known as a “spotter.” The spotter's primary responsibility is to assist the lifter in lifting the barbell and re-racking the barbell in case the lifter or exercising user fails to complete a repetition or rep of the bench press movement. The spotter's presence adds an additional layer of security and allows the lifter to exercise to the point of muscle failure. However, the availability of a second individual to act as a spotter is not always possible. In many instances, lifters engage in bench press exercises independently, without the benefit of a spotter. This not only limits the lifter's ability to push themselves to their maximum capacity but also presents the risk of potential injury due to the absence of a safety net. Lifters and exercising users desire a safety device that allows them to lift maximum weights and exercise to the point of muscle failure alone or independently without requiring a spotter for assistance.
Therefore, there exists a long felt need in the art for a bench press exercise support device that provides spotting to an exercising user performing bench press exercise. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a bench press self-spotting device that allows a user to bench press safely. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a novel bench press self-spotting device that allows a user to bench press safely without the need for a secondary spotter. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for a bench press self-spotting device that enhances the safety and efficacy of bench press exercises by enabling a lifter to lift maximum weight to failure without fear of falling or dropping of the bar thereon. Furthermore, there is a long felt need in the art for a bench press self-spotting device that allows a user to perform bench press exercise alone or independently without compromising efficiency and safety. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a bench press self-spotting device that offers assistance and negative resistance to improve muscle training and help users safely complete their sets without requiring assistance from spotters.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a self-spotting bench press device. The device includes a pair of spring-loaded upright arms designed to support a barbell or the arms of a lifter during the bench press exercise. The spring-loaded upright arms are positioned on each side of a bench and are aligned with the barbell when used for performing bench press exercise movements. Each spring-loaded arm includes a spring to vertically raise the spring-loaded upright arms to support the barbell. A foot member is included for supporting the feet of an exercising user while lying on the bench. When the foot member is pressed by the lifter, the springs release tension to provide support to the exercising user to raise the barbell away from the chest without requiring any additional assistance. When the barbell is brought to the chest by the lifter, the springs provide negative resistance to improve efficiency of the bench press exercise. In some embodiments, the spring-loaded upright arms do not contain springs and the self-spotting device is used for initial movement or lift-off of the barbell.
In this manner, the bench press self-spotting device of the present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives and provides users with a safety and self-spotting device to maximize safety during weightlifting exercises, particularly the bench press and its variations. The device offers assistance and negative resistance to improve muscle training and help users safely complete their sets without requiring spotters. The spotting is controlled by the exercising user and can be easily activated by pressing a foot member to prevent falling or dropping of the barbell during exercise movements.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a self-spotting bench press device. The device is used for providing self-spotting to an exercising user while doing muscle exercises such as the bench press. The device comprising a pair of spring-loaded upright arms designed to support a barbell during the bench press exercise. The arms are positioned on opposite sides of a bench and are aligned with the barbell when used for performing bench press exercise movements. Each spring-loaded arm includes a spring to provide support to vertically raise the arms to support the barbell. A foot member is included for supporting the feet of an exercising user while lying on the bench. The foot member is pivotable and adjustable and connected to the spring-loaded arms via connecting members. When the foot member is pressed by the exercising user, the springs release tension to provide support to the exercising user to raise the barbell away from the chest.
In yet another embodiment, when the foot member is pressed, the spring-loaded arms are raised to assist the exercising user by supporting the barbell and guiding the barbell back to a rack.
In still a further embodiment, the spring-loaded upright arms include hydraulic cylinders for supporting the barbell.
In another embodiment, the foot member activates the device to provide negative resistance and improved support to the lifter or exercising user.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, an exercise bench press self-spotting device for enhancing user safety during bench press exercises is disclosed. The self-spotting device includes a bench on which an exercising user assumes a supine-like position with legs resting on the floor, while performing bench press exercises with a barbell. A pair of torsional spring-loaded arms aligned with the barbell are used for bench press exercises, the arms capable of vertical adjustment. A foot member is designed to be pressed by the exercising user's feet for actuating the torsional springs, causing the spring-loaded arms to vertically raise and support the exercising user in lifting the bar. The spring-loaded arms are also configured to facilitate forced negative repetitions when the springs are pressed during downward movement of the barbell, wherein when the foot member is pressed by the exercising user, the spring-loaded arms assist in lifting the weight bar back up to the starting position.
In yet another embodiment, a bench press movement lift-off self-spotting device designed to provide essential support for the initial lift-off during bench press exercise movements is disclosed. The self-spotting device includes a pair of upright and extendable arms, each arm is positioned on opposite sides of the bench, a foot member adapted to be pushed by feet by an exercising user, a pivoting connecting member connecting the foot member and the upright and extendable arms using connecting arms, wherein when the exercising user presses the foot member, the connecting arms raise the upright and extendable arms, providing support for the initial lift-off of a barbell or dumbbell-based bench press exercise movement.
In another aspect, a self-spotting device configured for facilitating dumbbell presses and providing weight-loaded negative resistance is disclosed. The device includes a dumbbell shelf equipped with a pair of dumbbells for securely storing and removing the dumbbells during bench press exercises. A spring adjuster is designed for adjusting the height of the dumbbell shelf, ensuring convenient racking and un-racking of the dumbbells for the user. A pair of adjustable arms that are spring-loaded using springs, capable of vertical movement are used for providing support to the dumbbell press movement.
Numerous benefits and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains upon reading and understanding of the following detailed specification.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.
As noted above, there is a long felt need in the art for a bench press exercise support device that provides spotting to an exercising user performing bench press exercise. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a bench press self-spotting device that allows a user to bench press safely. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a novel bench press self-spotting device that allows a user to bench press safely without the need for a secondary spotter. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for a bench press self-spotting device that enhances the safety and efficacy of bench press exercises by enabling a lifter to lift maximum weight to failure without fear of falling or dropping of the bar thereon. Furthermore, there is a long felt need in the art for a bench press self-spotting device that allows a user to perform bench press exercise alone or independently without compromising efficiency and safety. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a bench press self-spotting device that offers assistance and negative resistance to improve muscle training and help users safely complete their sets without requiring assistance from spotters.
The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is a bench press movement lift-off self-spotting device designed to provide essential support for the initial lift-off during bench press exercise movements. The self-spotting device includes a pair of upright and extendable arms, each arm is positioned on opposite sides of the bench, a foot member adapted to be pushed by feet by an exercising user, a pivoting connecting member connecting the foot member and the upright and extendable arms using connecting arms, wherein when the exercising user presses the foot member, the connecting arms raise the upright and extendable arms, providing support for the initial lift-off of a barbell or dumbbell-based bench press exercise movement. In some embodiments, the upright arms may include hydraulic cylinders or springs.
Referring initially to the drawings,
A foot member 112 is included in the self-spotting device 100 for providing support to feet of an exercising user when the user is lying on the bench 106. When spotting is required by an exercising user, the foot member 112 can be pressed with the legs by the exercising user for releasing tension in the springs 108 of the spring-loaded arms 102, 104 to extend or vertically raise the spring-loaded arms 102, 104. The foot member 112 is pivotable and can be adjusted enabling the exercising user to stably place feet on the foot member 112.
The foot member 112 is coupled to the spring-loaded arm 102 using a connecting member 114. The connecting member 114 includes a plurality of connecting bars 116, 118 for enabling the spring 108 to release tension when the foot member 112 is pressed by the exercising user. Similarly, the foot member 112 is also connected to the other arm 104 using a similar connecting member 124 in the current side view. A stopper 120 is attached to C-shaped connecting bar 116 for preventing the proximal end 122 of the connecting member 114 to press the spring 108 beyond a threshold.
When the foot member 112 is pressed, the spring-loaded arms 102, 104 are raised to assist the exercising user by supporting the arms or the bar and guiding the barbell or weights back to the rack, thereby preventing potential injuries. The size of the connecting member 114 can depend on size of the bench 106 and further, the raised position of the arms 102, 104 can be designed to meet heights of different racks. In some embodiments, the spring-loaded upright arms include hydraulic cylinders for supporting the barbell instead of the springs or torsional springs.
The spring-loaded arms 102, 104 are used for performing forced negative reps where the spring-loaded arms 102, 104 also helps in lifting the weight bar 204 back up to the starting position (shown by Arrow B) from the near the chest (Arrow C) when the foot member 112 is pressed by the exercising user 202.
The bench press movement lift-off self-spotting device 300 does not contain spring tension in the upright and extendable arms 308 and provides an exercising user necessary support for the initial lift-off during a bench press exercise movement. For using the self-spotting device 300, the foot member 310 is adjusted using the pivoting point 302 and is pressed as illustrated and described in
The adjustable arms 408 are spring loaded using springs 410 and the springs 410 can be used for vertically raising and lowering the adjustable arms 408. Extensions 412 are provided for extending and providing support to the device 400. Additional supporting springs 414 are also provided for providing support to the adjustable arms 408. The springs 410, 414 help in providing negative resistance during dumbbell press exercises.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “self-spotting bench press device”, “self-spotting device”, “dumbbell press self-spotting device”, “barbell lift-off bench press self-spotting device”, and “device” are interchangeable and refer to the bench press self-spotting device 100, 300, 400 of the present invention.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, the bench press self-spotting device 100, 300, 400 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the bench press self-spotting device 100, 300, 400 as shown in the FIGS. is for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the bench press self-spotting device 100, 300, 400 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the bench press self-spotting device 100, 300, 400 are important design parameters for user convenience, the bench press self-spotting device 100, 300, 400 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/523,460, which was filed on Jun. 27, 2023 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63523460 | Jun 2023 | US |
