Vibrationary exercise equipment

Abstract

A muscle training apparatus arranged for cyclic concentric and eccentric loading phases including load imposition means arranged for a user to exercise against load variation means arranged for varying the load as between concentric and eccentric loading phases, a vibrator operational to apply vibration between the user and the load, a controller operational to control the vibrator and to vary the extent of vibration as between concentric and eccentric phases.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11 / 733,271 filed Apr. 10, 2007, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 507,150 filed Mar. 12, 2003, which are both incorporated in their entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to exercise equipment and is particularly concerned with such sports, exercise, wellbeing and medical training and therapeutic equipment having the facility to combine vibration with mechanical loading on the muscles and bone structure of users.[0003]The use of vibration in the context of strength training (where the expression strength training is being used herein to describe any exercise facility in which a load is applied to muscles of a user) induces a non-voluntary muscular contraction called the “tonic vibration reflex”. Weight training with additional vibration has been shown to augment strength and power over and above that achieved with str...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0029]It may in fact be advantageous, not least from the point of view of simplicity of retrofit or upgrade assembly, when employing a foam having good vibration transmission characteristics, to locate a vibration generating device within the operating arm of an exercise machine, including within the foam itself.

[0030]There is some evidence to suggest that random direction vibration may be counter-productive to the efficacy of vibrated training and that applying the vibration in the direction of muscle stress yields the better r

Problems solved by technology

These devices apply no vibrational loading at all, or fail to apply directly specific frequencies to targeted muscle groups.

Some such full-body vibration systems can also quickly lead to discomfort and other negative physical side effects.

A particular disadvantage associated with the use of vibration which is directly electrically generated is the difficulty of applying

Images