Standing Abdominal Exercise Equipment

Abstract

An exercise device is disclosed for training abdominal muscles from a standing position. The device comprises a frame supported on the ground and a platform which provides a support for a person to stand on during use. The person grips handles which are coupled to a bar that is pivotally coupled to the frame. The person then flexes their muscles (including the abdominal muscles) to rotate the handles with respect to the platform, and by relaxing their muscles, returns the handles to the original position. The exercise may be made more challenging by engaging weights from a weight stack. The device further comprises a bolster for a user to optionally use for support during exercise.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates to exercise devices, and more particularly an exercise device for training abdominal muscles from a standing position.

SUMMARY

An exercise device is disclosed for training abdominal muscles from a standing position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description makes reference to the accompanying figures wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exercise machine in accordance with the principles disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of the exercise machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the exercise machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of the exercise machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exercise machine in accordance with the principles disclosed herein.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exercise machine in accordance with the principles disclosed herein.

The figures are only intended to facilitate the description of the principles disclosed herein. The figures do not illustrate every aspect of the principles disclosed herein and do not limit the scope of the principles disclosed herein. Other objects, features, and characteristics will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A detailed illustration is disclosed herein. However, techniques, methods, processes, systems and operating structures in accordance with the principles disclosed herein may be embodied in a wide variety of forms and modes, some of which may be quite different from those disclosed herein. Consequently, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative.

None of the terms used herein, including “bar,” “frame,” “bolster,” and “enclosure” are meant to limit the application of the principles disclosed herein. The foregoing terms are used to illustrate the principles disclosed herein and are not intended to be limiting. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

FIG. 1 shows an exercise apparatus 100. Handles 102 are coupled to bar 104, which is coupled to bar 106, which is pivotally coupled to bar 108 and frame 116. Frame 116 comprises a plurality of bars configured to provide structural support to exercise apparatus 100. Bolster 110 (which may comprise one or more pads) is coupled to bar 108, and can be raised or lowered and locked in place through the use of selector pin 112. Platform 114 is coupled to frame 116 and provides a support for a person to stand on during use. Enclosure 118 is coupled to frame 116 and houses weight stack 120.

During use, a person stands on platform 114 and optionally engages their legs with bolster 110 for support. As described above, bolster 110 may be raised or lowered to allow a user to comfortably engage with bolster 110 or comfortably avoid engaging with bolster 110 as desired. Engaging with bolster 110 provides additional support during exercise. Not engaging with bolster 110 requires additional control of the person's muscles to provide stability during exercise. The person holds one or both of handles 102 and flexes their muscles (including the abdominal muscles) to rotate the handles 102, bar 104, and bar 106 with respect to bar 108 and platform 114. By relaxing their muscles under control, the person rotates the handles 102, bar 104, and bar 106 back to the original starting position to finish the exercise movement.

The exercise may be made more challenging by engaging one or more weights from weight stack 120. A conventional pin may be used to select an appropriate weight for use during exercise.

As shown in FIG. 1, handles 102, bar 104, and bar 106 are configured for a person to work the muscles primarily on one side of their body. Pulling on selector pin 122 allows bar 104 and bar 106 to rotate substantially freely with respect to bar 108 and without engaging the weight(s) in weight stack 120. Thus, pulling on selector pin 122 allows the user to move bar 104 around to the opposite side of platform 114 or to an intermediation position somewhere in front of platform 114. Positioning bar 104 on the opposite side of platform 114, then releasing selector pin 122, allows the user to then perform an exercise that works the muscles primarily on the opposite side of their body. Positioning bar 104 in the center with respect to platform 114 (through use of the selector pin 122) allows a person to exercise by moving handles 102 to either the left or the right, each time engaging weight(s) in weight stack 120 as bar 104 moves away from the center position.

In some embodiments, alternative or additional forms of resistance may be used without departing from the principles disclosed herein. For example, weight stack 120 may be replaced or supplemented with a mount for free weights and/or one or more resistance bands.

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of the exercise machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the exercise machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of the exercise machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exercise machine in accordance with the principles disclosed herein.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exercise machine in accordance with the principles disclosed herein. The machine illustrated in FIG. 6 comprises a frame with horizontal side bars 602 and without vertical side bars as shown in the machine illustrated in FIG. 1.

The detailed description is not intended to be limiting or represent an exhaustive enumeration of the principles disclosed herein. It will be apparent to those of skill in the art that numerous changes may be made in such details without departing from the spirit of the principles disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An exercise apparatus comprising: a frame;a rotationally stationary platform coupled to the frame;at least one handle coupled to a bar which is rotatably coupled to the frame, wherein the point of rotation is beneath the platform;wherein the at least one handle is selectively coupled to a source of resistance.

2. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, comprising a selector pin configured so that, when the selector pin is disengaged, the bar can be repositioned substantially freely with respect to the frame.

3. The exercise apparatus of claim 2, wherein when the selector pin is engaged, the bar requires substantial effort to rotate with respect to the frame.

4. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, comprising: a bolster bar extending upward from the platform; andat least one bolster pad coupled to the bolster bar.

5. The exercise apparatus of claim 2, wherein a height of the at least one bolster pad is adjustable.

6. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one handle is vertically positioned so that a user standing on the platform grips the at least one handle.

7. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein the source of resistance comprises a stack of one or more selectable weights.

8. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein the source of resistance comprises a mount for one or more free weights.

9. The exercise apparatus of claim 1, wherein the source of resistance comprises one or more resistance bands.

10. An exercise apparatus comprising: a frame;a rotationally stationary platform coupled to the frame;at least one handle coupled to a bar which is rotatably coupled to the frame, wherein the point of rotation is beneath the platform;a selector pin coupled to the bar and releasably coupled to the framewherein the bar, the selector pin, and the frame are configured so that when the selector pin is disengaged, the bar can be repositioned substantially freely with respect to the frame;wherein the bar, the selector pin, and the frame are configured so that when the selector pin is engaged, the bar requires substantial effort to rotate with respect to the frame; andwherein the at least one handle is selectively coupled to a source of resistance.

11. The exercise apparatus of claim 10, comprising: a bolster bar extending upward from the platform; andat least one bolster pad coupled to the bolster bar.

12. The exercise apparatus of claim 10, wherein a height of the at least one bolster pad is adjustable.

13. The exercise apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one handle is vertically positioned so that a user standing on the platform grips the at least one handle.

14. The exercise apparatus of claim 10, wherein the source of resistance comprises a stack of one or more selectable weights.

15. The exercise apparatus of claim 10, wherein the source of resistance comprises a mount for one or more free weights.

16. The exercise apparatus of claim 10, wherein the source of resistance comprises one or more resistance bands.