Exercise bar

Details Exercise bar Exercise bar

1999-04-21

2001-04-24

Donnelly, Jerome W. (Department: 3764)

Exercise devices

Gymnastic

Horizontal bar

C482S039000, C482S108000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06220988

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
(Not Applicable)
STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT
(Not Applicable)
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The exercises of chin-ups and pull-ups have been known for decades as an excellent means for conditioning the upper body. In this regard, the individual performing such exercises grabs an elevated bar, which typically comprises an elongate, tubular structure, with both hands and repetitiously pulls himself or herself upwardly such that the head and chin extend over the bar. Thereafter, the individual descends such that he or she loosely hangs from the elevated bar. To perform chin-ups, the individual grasps the elevated bar such that the palms of each respective hand face inwardly toward the individual as the individual performs the exercise. Pull-ups, in contrast, require the individual to grasp the elevated bar such that the individual's palms face outwardly during the performance of such exercises.
Both chin-ups and pull-ups are known to be particularly effective in strengthening and toning the muscles of the upper body. Specifically, each respective exercise is ideal in developing the bicep, tricep, deltoid, trapezius, pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi muscle groups. In this regard, the chin-up and pull-up motion provides controlled movement of the limbs and relies upon coordinated relaxation and contraction of opposing muscles. For example, to raise the body during chin-up exercises, the biceps contract and shorten while the triceps relax. The reverse scenario occurs when the body is lowered.
Notwithstanding the effective and efficient conditioning that is provided by chin-up and pull-up exercises, such exercises suffer from significant drawbacks. The most significant of these drawbacks is the fact that most individuals lack the upper body strength to perform so much as even one chin-up or pull-up. In this regard, it is recognized that both chin-ups and pull-ups require a requisite degree of upper body strength to perform the same. Such requisite strength level, however, is lacking in most individuals insofar as most individuals either never have or fail to regularly exercise.
The other significant drawback of such exercises is due to the fact that to perform such exercises, the entire weight of the individual must necessarily be supported by the hands of the individual, and in particular the flexor muscles thereof. In this respect, the individual must tightly clench the elevated bar which causes the flexor muscles of the hand, and in particular the adductor muscles of the thumb and fingers, as well as the interosseous muscles of the palm, to quickly become sore due to a rapid development of lactic acid that builds up therewithin as caused by the stress and strain of having to pull and lift the weight of the individual against the force of gravity. As such, even to the extent the individual possesses upper body strength to perform multiple repetitions of either chin-ups or pull-ups, such inability to continuously hold onto the elevated bar and support the body's weight for a sufficiently long duration prevents the individual from maximizing the benefit to be derived from such exercise.
In an attempt to address such shortcomings posed by the inability of many to perform chin-up and pull-up exercises, at least one manufacturer, namely, Stairmaster Exercise Systems, Inc. of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has devised an exercise device sold as the Gravitron® (a registered trademark of Stairmaster) which enables individuals to perform chin-up and pull-up exercises at a controlled rate that minimizes hand muscle fatigue. Such device comprises a network of support bars for performing, inter alia, pull-ups and chin-ups, in combination with a programmable pneumatic platform device that provides selective degrees of support to the legs of the user to thus enable the user to do multiple repetitions of chin-ups, pull-ups, and the like that the individual would not otherwise be able to perform. Such system, however, is known to be extremely expensive and is typically only utilized in sophisticated workout facilities. Additionally, due to the sophisticated equipment utilized in the operation of such exercise system, such system is known to require substantial routine maintenance and must necessarily be kept indoors at all times, which thwarts the ability of chin-up and pull-up exercises to be easily performed per conventional methods, insofar as such exercises typically require nothing more than a simple elevated bar.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an exercise bar that can be utilized for chin-up and pull-up exercises that more evenly distributes the stress and strain imparted to the bones, muscles and ligaments of the hands than prior art tubular exercise bars. There is additionally a need in the art for an improved exercise bar that facilitates the ability of individuals to perform multiple repetitions of chin-up and pull-up exercises by minimizing the degree of fatigue experienced by the individual's hands during the performance of such exercises that is of simple construction, may be readily fabricated from a wide variety of commercially available materials, and may be deployed as per conventional tubular exercise bars, whether it be indoors or outdoors.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention specifically addresses and alleviates the above-identified deficiencies in the art. In this regard, the present invention is directed to an exercise bar that distributes the stress and strain of the hands of an individual performing chin-up or pull-up type exercises and thus reduces hand muscle fatigue during the performance of such exercises to enable the individual to maximize the number of repetitions of such exercises he or she can perform. In this respect, the exercise bar of the present invention is specifically adapted to enable an individual to perform chin-up and pull-up exercises to a much greater degree and maximize upper body conditioning by substantially reducing, if not eliminating, the hand fatigue normally associated with such exercises.
According to a preferred embodiment, the exercise bar comprises an elongate member, formed from molded material or sheet material, having a first arcuate portion defining a semi-cylindrical proximal end that, in use, is designed to be positioned in a generally upward orientation. Depending from an opposed side of the first arcuate or semi-cylindrical portion is a second angled portion, from which depends a third downwardly extending portion. The arcuate portion is specifically designed and configured to define three support surface areas for the fingers of each hand, namely, a first support surface area for supporting the distal phalanx bones of each finger, a second support zone for supporting the middle phalanx bones, and a third zone for supporting the proximal phalanx bones. The second angled portion is specifically sized and adapted to provide support to the metacarpal bones of the hand, the distal and proximal phalanx of the thumb, and the lower portion of the palm of the individual's hands, as defined by the hamate, pisiform, capitate, triquetral, lunate, trapezium, trapezoid, and scaphoid bones. The third downwardly extending portion is designed to support the wrists of the individual's hands, and in particular the distal-most portions of the ulna and radius bones.
By distributing the weight of the individual about the bones, tendons and muscles of the hand, substantial stress and tension is minimized in the hand during the performance of pull-up and chin-up type exercises. In this respect, the exercise bar of the present invention eliminates the need for the individual to tightly grip the exercise bar, as occurs with typical tubular bars, which place tremendous stress on the flexor muscles of the hand to support the weight of the individual during the performance of such exercises.
In alternative embodiments, such exercise bar may be modified such that the same has a generally arcuate shape defining curved end portions to facilitate the pe

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