Exercise apparatuses for leg strengthening

Abstract

An exercise apparatus for leg strengthening has a frame, a knee support for supporting a knee of a user relative to the frame, a leg brace for bracing a lower leg of the user relative to the frame, and a linkage assembly facilitating performance of a hamstring curl exercise motion wherein a chest of the user is lowered and then raised relative to the frame. The linkage assembly has a driver arm pivotably coupled to the frame and supporting the chest of the user, a loaded arm pivotably coupled to the frame above the driver arm and providing or supporting a load, and a connecting arm pivotably coupling the driver arm to the loaded arm so that lowering of the chest during the hamstring curl exercise motion is resisted by the load and so that raising of the chest during the hamstring curl exercise motion is assisted by the load.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An exercise apparatus comprising:
 a frame longitudinally extending from a front to a rear, vertically extending from a top to a bottom, and laterally extending from a first side to a second side; and   a linkage assembly pivotably coupled to the frame, the linkage assembly supporting a load and being configured to support performance of a hamstring curl exercise motion in which a chest of a user is lowered and raised relative to the frame about a first pivot axis, wherein the linkage assembly is configured so that said performance of the hamstring curl exercise motion causes the load to pivot about a second pivot axis that is located higher than the first pivot axis, and so that that lowering of the chest during the hamstring curl exercise motion is resisted by the load and raising of the chest during the hamstring curl exercise motion is assisted by the load.   
     
     
         2 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second pivot axis is located rearwardly of the first pivot axis relative to the frame. 
     
     
         3 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the linkage assembly includes a driver arm that is pivotable about the first pivot axis and a loaded arm that supports and/or provides the load and is pivotable about the second pivot axis upon said performance of the hamstring curl exercise motion. 
     
     
         4 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the linkage assembly includes a connecting arm that pivotably couples the driver arm to the loaded arm so that pivoting of the driver arm about the first pivot axis causes pivoting of the loaded arm about the second pivot axis. 
     
     
         5 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the connecting arm is located rearwardly of the first pivot axis relative to the frame. 
     
     
         6 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the loaded arm includes a forward portion pivotably coupled to the frame and a rearward portion providing and/or supporting the load, and wherein the connecting arm is pivotably coupled to the loaded arm between the forward portion and the rearward portion of the loaded arm. 
     
     
         7 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the connecting arm is pivotably coupled to the driver arm at a third pivot axis located rearwardly of the first pivot axis and the connecting arm is pivotably coupled to the loaded arm along a fourth pivot axis located rearwardly of the second pivot axis. 
     
     
         8 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the fourth pivot axis is offset from an imaginary straight line extending through the second pivot axis and the load. 
     
     
         9 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the connection arm is pivotably coupled to the loaded arm via a standoff extending upwardly from the loaded arm. 
     
     
         10 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a knee support configured to support a knee of a user relative to the frame, wherein the first pivot axis is located longitudinally in line with the knee support relative to the frame. 
     
     
         11 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a knee support configured support a knee of a user relative to the frame, wherein the knee support is configured to register a knee of the user in a position that is generally coaxial with the first pivot axis. 
     
     
         12 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a knee support configured support a knee of a user relative to the frame, the knee support having a groove configured to register a knee of the user generally coaxially with the first pivot axis. 
     
     
         13 . An exercise apparatus comprising:
 a frame that longitudinally extends from a front to a rear, vertically extends from a top to a bottom, and laterally extends from a first side to a second side; and   a linkage assembly configured to facilitate performance of a hamstring curl exercise motion in which a chest of a user is lowered and then raised relative to the frame, the linkage assembly including a driver arm that is caused to pivot relative to the frame during said hamstring curl exercise motion and a loaded arm that is caused to pivot relative to the frame about a location above the driver arm during said hamstring curl exercise motion,   wherein the driver arm is operably coupled to the loaded arm such that lowering of the chest during the hamstring curl exercise motion is resisted by the loaded arm and raising of the chest during the hamstring curl exercise motion is assisted by the loaded arm.   
     
     
         14 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the driver arm is coupled to the frame along a driver arm pivot axis and the loaded arm is coupled to the frame along a loaded arm pivot axis that is located above the driver arm pivot axis. 
     
     
         15 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the loaded arm pivot axis is located rearwardly of the driver arm pivot axis. 
     
     
         16 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 14 , further comprising a connecting arm that pivotably couples the driver arm to the loaded arm. 
     
     
         17 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the connecting arm is coupled to the driver arm along a lower connecting arm pivot axis located rearwardly of the driver arm pivot axis and the connecting arm is coupled to the loaded arm along an upper connecting arm pivot axis located rearwardly of the loaded arm pivot axis. 
     
     
         18 . An exercise apparatus comprising:
 a frame longitudinally extending from a front to a rear, vertically extending from a top to a bottom, and laterally extending from a first side to a second side; and   a linkage assembly configured to facilitate performance of a hamstring curl exercise motion in which a chest of a user is lowered and then raised relative to the frame, the linkage assembly including a driver arm pivotably coupled to the frame and configured to support the chest of the user, and a loaded arm pivotably coupled to the frame above the driver arm, the loaded arm providing and/or supporting a load and being coupled to the driver arm so that lowering of the chest during the hamstring curl exercise motion is resisted by the load and so that raising of the chest during the hamstring curl exercise motion is assisted by the load.   
     
     
         19 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the driver arm is coupled to the frame along a driver arm pivot axis and the loaded arm is coupled to the frame along a loaded arm pivot axis located above the driver arm pivot axis. 
     
     
         20 . The exercise apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the loaded arm pivot axis is located rearwardly of the driver arm pivot axis.