Machines and Methods for Combined and Isolated Upper and Lower Body Workouts

Abstract

An elliptical exercise machine allowing a user to move between a first position (standing on a stationary platform and using the machine's exercise arms), a second position (using the machine's footskates and holding a stationary handlebar), and a third position (using the machine's footskates and exercise arms), or any variation thereon. The machine may include a computer that directs the user's movements between those positions and others.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)[0001]This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 825,797 filed Sep. 15, 2006, the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]This disclosure relates to the field of cardiovascular exercise machines. In particular, to elliptical exercise machines which permit and direct focused exercise by the upper and lower body both in combination and independently of each other.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]The benefits of regular aerobic exercise on individuals of any age are well documented in fitness science. Aerobic exercise can dramatically improve cardiac stamina and function, as well as lead to weight loss, increased metabolism, and other benefits. At the same time, aerobic exercise has often been linked to damaging effects, particularly to joints or similar structures, where the impact from many aerobic exercise activities can c...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016]The following is a summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention or

Problems solved by technology

At the same time, aerobic exercise has often been linked to damaging effects, particularly to joints or similar structures, where the impact from many aerobic exercise activities can cause injury.

Most low-impact aerobic exercises have traditionally been difficult to perform.

Cold weather, other undesirable conditions, and cost can make these types of aerobic exercise unobtainable at some times and to some people.

Many of these machines, however, are either too physically demanding on the user or too complicated to use.

In either case, the machine falls into disuse.

Users benefit from these directed workouts due to their variety, which decreases the likelihood of user boredom and disuse of the machine as compared to a user interacting with the machine in the same undirected way each time.

Currently, elliptical machines and the directed workouts they provide are problematically limited to combined arm and leg movements that are monotonously and continuously repeated for the duration of each workout.

Many users of current elliptical machines become bored of the repetitive motion the machines mandate.

Current elliptical machines exacerbate this issue of user boredom, by forcing users to repeat the same motion and stand in the same stance throughout every workout.

Secondly, users who wish to tone or target particular parts of their bodies are stymied by current elliptical machines.

Some fitness machine users with goals more specific than general cardiovascular activity are not satisfied with current elliptical machines, which by their very structure require full body movement.

For example, users who are substantially weaker in their upper body than their lower body cannot improve this disparity by using current elliptical machines, because the machine's movement by design is driven by the user's arms and legs in cooperation.

These users are unable to reap the benefit of portability and home use that elliptical machines provide, as they must have access to equipment in addition to a traditional elliptical machine to achieve their fitness goals.

As the users themselves cannot achieve workout or stance variety on current elliptical machines, nor a workout focused on a particular part of the body, clearly the machine's directed workouts cannot accommodate such user preferences.

These limitations are all sourced in the user's lack of options for foot placement on current elliptical machines.

Users may not comfortably operate the machine's arms while standing on the floor, given the height of the handgrips and the bulk of the machine.

While many current machines provide a stationary handhold in addition to the handgrips on the mobile arms, which users may grasp if they wish to exercise their legs in isolation, no current machine permits users to exercise their arms in isolation.

The presence of only one footskate also limits directed workouts on current elliptical machines to synchronous upper and lower body exercise.

Elliptical machine users who have come to rely on the variety, set nature, and focused approach of directed workouts are currently lacking a directed workout on a single machine that targets upper or lower body exercise independently, and one that can serve to break the monotony of repeating the same full-body motion for the entire workout period and across different workouts.

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