Torso rotation/core trainer

Abstract

A torso rotation total core trainer in the form of a handle attachment is designed to cause the user to perform a shoulder movement during resistance training, as opposed to pulling with the hands and arms. The handle has a center shaft with a pair of hand grips and a pair of cuffs positioned on opposite sides of the center shaft. The cuffs are preferably held by the user's elbows when he or she grips the hand grips. The distance between the cuffs and the hand grips is preferably adjustable to accommodate different sized people (e.g., men, women and children). A connector, such as an eye loop, is positioned at or near the end of the center shaft, and is connectable with a resistance element such as a weight stack, bungie cord, elastic tubing, etc. By gripping the hand grips and holding the handle in position using the elbows, the person is effectively prevented from pulling the resistance using only his or her hands and arms. Rather, he or she must move his or her shoulders when performing the exercise, thus causing proper torso rotation and training of the core muscle groups. The handle also allows the user to correctly isolate trunk extension, trunk flexion, and trunk lateral flexion.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 565,873, the complete contents of which is herein incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention generally relates to handle devices used in resistance based exercise training and, more particularly, to a handle device which permits the proper training of muscle groups utilized in core conditioning-torso rotation. [0004] 2. Background Description [0005] Only recently has it been recognized that training a person's core muscle groups would be of significant benefit to performing complex movements in sports such as the golf swing, tennis serves and ground strokes, the bat swing, etc. While exercises such as stationary twisting, or executing wood chop high-to-low and low-to-high motions, with, for example, a medicine ball or a handle connected to a weight stack assembly or a source of resistance ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] According to the invention, a suitable handle device includes a center shaft with a connector at or near one end for connection to the resistance mechanism. The handle device will have a pair of hand grips on opposite sides of the center shaft, and a pair of cuffs on opposite sides of the center shaft. Preferably, the distance between the hand grips and the cuffs can be varied in order to accommodate different sized users. In operation, the user holds the hand grips of the handle device and uses his or her elbows to hold the cuffs by maintaining constant pinching pressure. In this way, the user forms a triangle (two shoulders where and the apex is where the hands come together at the end near the connection point) with his or her hands effectively “still” in front of the chest, thereby requiring the user to turn the shoulders against the resistance. When the person turns the shoulders only, leaving the hands still in front of the body or fixed against the body or “staying connected with the body as one unit”, this causes all of the core group rotation muscles to be used, which are the muscles called upon to rotate the body around the spine (torque and core group).

[0008] If the user is twisting from right to left or left to right, or if they are twisting in an angular motion from high to low or low to high, the handle device of this invention causes the shoulder and torso to be what turns (i.e., pulling of the hands and arms is effectively prevented since the user's elbows are to be held firm against the cuffs while the hand grips are held). The handle device is secured to any form of resistance, and allows the user to perform shoulder rotation and torso rotation, without “cheating” or performing the movement using the non-intended muscle groups (caused by pulling the arms across the chest or up and down if doing angular rotation). The handle device of this invention not only exercises the intended core muscle group in a rotation fashion, but it also allows the user to correctly isolate trunk extension (bending back), trunk flexion (crunch movement when shoulders are moved correctly towards the hips with the hips contracting the abs), and it also isolates trunk lateral flexion (e.g., side bends holding hands over head, with bending from straight up then left and then right).

Problems solved by technology

Such “cheating”, whether intentional or unintentional, does not provide much benefit to the person, and may result injury (or simply frustration due to poor results).

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