Multi-function exercising apparatus

Abstract

Exercising apparatus capable of enabling a user to select any one of a plurality of different exercises to be performed by the user for exercising different muscles or muscle groups of the user's body. The apparatus includes a body supporting member for supporting the body of the user in a predetermined position according to the exercise selected to be performed; a body-engageable member engageable by a selected part of the user's body, when supported on the body supporting member, and displaceable in a predetermined direction by a force applied by the selected body part to the body-engageable member, according to the exercise selected to be performed; and a resistance member coupled to the body-engageable member for imposing a resistance to the displacement of the body-engageable member when the selected part of the user's body applies the force to the body-engageable member. The body-engageable member is presettable with respect to the body supporting member to enable selection of the body part to engage the body-displaceable member, and the direction of application of the force applied by the body part to the body-engageable member, according to the exercise selected to be performed.

Description

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001] The present invention relates to multi-function exercising apparatus, and particularly to exercising apparatus capable of enabling a user to select any one of a plurality of different exercises to be performed by the user for exercising different muscles or muscle groups in the user's body.[0002] The need to exercise various muscles and muscle groups of the human body is well recognized, and many exercising devices have been developed for this purpose. Most of the exercising devices that have been developed are dedicated devices, i.e., designed to exercise a particular muscle or muscle group, or a limited number of muscle groups. This requires the user to use many different exercising devices for exercising different muscles and muscle groups.[0003] Multi-function exercising devices have also been developed enabling a user to selectively exercise any one of a number of muscles or muscle groups. Such multi-function exercising devices genera...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005] According to the present invention, there is provided exercising apparatus capable of enabling a user to select any one of a plurality of different exercises to be performed by the user for exercising different muscle groups of the user's body, the apparatus comprising: a body-engageable member engageable by a selected part of the user's body, when supported on a body supporting member, and displaceable in a predetermined direction by a force applied by the selected body part to the body-engageable member, according to the exercise selected to be performed; and a resistance member coupled to the body-engageable member for imposing a resistance to the displacement of the body-engageable member when the selected part of the user's body applies the force to the body-engageable member; the body-engageable member being presettable with respect to the user's body, when supported on the body supporting member, to enable selection of the body part to engage the body-engageable member, and the direction of application of the force applied by the body part to the body-engageable member, according to the exercise selected to be performed.

[0006] It will thus be seen that, whereas the above-cited prior art of known multi-function exercising devices provides a plurality of selectable body-engageable member (such as handle bars to gripped by the user's hands or leg bars to be engaged by the user's legs) selected by the user according to the exercise to be performed, the present invention provides a presettable body-engageable member which is presettable with respect to the body supporting member according to the exercise selected to be performed. As will be described more particularly below, such apparatus is therefore capable of being constructed more compactly than the above-cited prior art devices, thereby enabling the apparatus to be more suitable for smaller-space locations such as private homes, as well as for larger-space locations such as health clubs.

[0008] According to further features in the preferred embodiments of the invention described below, the body supporting member is a bench capable of supporting the user's body in a sitting position or in a reclining position, according to the exercise selected to be performed. In addition, the body-engageable member is preferably a limb-engageable member capable of being gripped by a user's hand or engaged by a user's leg, according to the preset position of the limb engageable member, and displaceable thereby in the predetermined direction, according to the exercise selected to be performed. However, variations are described wherein the body-engageable members may be pusher plates to be pushed by the user's hands, or roller members to be engaged by a selected part of the user's body, such the user's abdomen or back, to thereby increase the variety of exercise capable of being performed with the apparatus.

[0012] As will be described more particularly below, the foregoing features of the invention enable simple and compact multi-function exercising apparatus to be constructed capable of enabling a user to select any one of a wide variety of different exercises for exercising different muscles and muscle groups of the user's body. Such apparatus also enables adjustment of the body-engageable members for the specific physical dimension of the individual users.

[0032] FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrate alternative body-engageable members that may be provided in any of the above-described constructions for increasing the variety of exercises capable of being performed on the respective apparatus.

Problems solved by technology

Such known multi-function exercising devices are generally complicated, expensive and bulky, since they usually include complicated arrangements of cables and pulleys to enable a selected one of the different body-engageable members to be selectively coupled to the resistance member.

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