Exercise apparatus

Abstract

An exercise apparatus for performing a variety of exercises, including chest and incline shoulder press exercises during which the user sits on a seat with a backrest which is adjustably secured in upright and forwardly inclined positions for supporting the user's upper body in the proper positions for these exercises. The exercises all utilize the same weight stack or other device for resisting the exercise motions of the user. The apparatus has a plurality of exercise members mounted on a frame for different prescribed exercise movements by the user, a resisting force producing arrangement, and a cable for selectively connecting the resisting force to the different exercise members. The cable is guided and supported by pulleys, one of which is adjustable from one position to another to accommodate the different exercises.

The inventor claims: .[. 
     
       1.  In an exercise apparatus for performing a variety of exercises, the combination comprising: a frame,   a seat member mounted on said frame having front and rear ends,   a backrest at the rear end of said seat member,   means mounting said backrest on said frame for adjustment between a generally upright position and a forwardly inclined position relative to said seat member, and wherein   said frame includes a frame member behind said backrest, and   said backrest mounting means comprises means pivotally mounting said backrest on said frame member for adjustment between said upright and inclined positions, and support means for releasably retaining said backrest in said positions..]. .[.   
     
     
       2.  In an exercise apparatus for performing a variety of exercises, the combination comprising: a frame,   a seat member mounted on said frame having front and rear ends,   a backrest at the rear end of said seat member,   means mounting said backrest on said frame for adjustment between a generally upright position and a forwardly inclined position relative to said seat member, and wherein   said frame includes a generally upright frame member behind said backrest,   said backrest has upper and lower ends, and   said backrest mounting means comprises means pivotally mounting the lower end of said backrest on said frame member for rotation to said backrest positions, a support member fixed to and extending rearwardly from said backrest toward said frame member, and means on said support member selectively engagable with said frame member for retaining said backrest in said positions, respectively..]. .[.3. The subject matter of claim 2, wherein:   said support member comprises a yoke having arms straddling said frame member, and   said means engagable with said frame member comprises a pin insertable   
     
     
        through holes in said arms for abutting said frame member..]. 4. Exercise apparatus for performing chest and shoulder press exercises comprising: a frame,   a seat member mounted on said frame having front and rear ends,   a backrest at the rear end of said seat member,   means mounted said backrest on said frame for adjustment between a generally upright position and a forwardly inclined position relative to said seat member,   a press arm having a lower end situated forwardly of said backrest, an upper end pivotally mounted on said frame above said seat member for swinging of said lower arm end in the fore and aft direction of said seat member, and means on said lower arm end engagable by a user positioned on said seat member and against said backrest for moving said press arm back and forth,   .Iadd.an exercise member different from said press arm, .Iaddend.   means for resisting .[.said press arm.]. movement, .Iadd.of said press arm and said exercise member,   cable means for selectively connecting said press arm and said exercise member to said resisting means, said cable means including a pulley selectively mounted on said frame in a first position offset to one side of said seat member to support said cable means in a position for attachment to said press arm, and a second position displaced laterally from said first position to support said cable means in a position for attachment to said exercise member, .Iaddend.and wherein:   said backrest is adjustable to said upright position to perform a chest pressure exercise and to said inclined position to perform a shoulder   
     
     
        press exercise. 5. Exercise apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: said frame includes a frame member behind said backrest, and   said backrest mounting means comprises means pivotally mounted said backrest on said frame member for adjustment between said upright and inclined positions, and support means for releasably retaining said   
     
     
        backrest in said positions. 6. Exercise apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: said frame includes a generally upright frame member behind said backrest,   said backrest has upper and lower ends, and   said backrest mounting means comprises means pivotally mounting the lower end of said backrest on said frame member for rotation to said backrest positions, a support member fixed to and extending rearwardly from said backrest toward said frame member, and means on said support member selectively engagable with said frame member for retaining said backrest   
     
     
        in said positions, respectively. 7. Exercise apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: said support member comprises a yoke having arms straddling said frame member, and   said means engagable with said frame member comprises a pin insertable   
     
     
        through holes in said arms for abutting said frame member. 8. Exercise apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: said means for resisting movement .[.of said press arm.]. comprises a   
     
     
        weight stack. .[.9.  Exercise apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: said means for resisting movement of said press arm comprises a weight stack, means on said frame supporting said weight stack for vertical movement relative to said frame, and means including a cable connecting said weight stack at the lower end of said press arm, whereby said weight stack is elevated by movement of said press arm in one direction to resist said latter arm movement..]. .[.10. Exercise apparatus according to claim 9, including:   an upper pulley on said frame above said weight stack,   a lower pulley on said frame adjacent the bottom of the frame, and wherein:   said cable extends from said press arm around the under side of said lower pulley and then around the upper side of said upper pulley and downwardly to said weight stack..]. .[.11. Exercise apparatus according to claim 10, including:   a releasable coupled between said cable and press arm, and   means for adjusting the position of said lower pulley between a position to one side of said seat member wherein said cable does not obstruct chest and shoulder press exercises performed on the apparatus and a position behind said seat member to permit the use of said cable and weight stack   
     
     
        for other exercises..]. 12. Exercise apparatus for use in performing a variety of exercises, comprising: a frame,   a plurality of exercise members mounted on said frame for different prescribed exercises relative to said frame, said exercises members including (a) a press exercise arm having an upper end hinged to said frame on a generally horizontal axis and a lower end engagable by a user for swinging the arm back and forth to perform chest and shoulder press exercises,   (b) a pair of upright pectoral fly exercise arms hinged to said frame on generally vertical axes and engagable by a user's forearms and hands for oscillating the pectoral fly exercise arms to perform a pectoral fly exercise,   (c) a leg extension exercise arm having an upper end hinged on said frame adjacent the bottom of said frame and means on the lower end of said leg extension exercise arm engagable by a user's legs for swinging the latter back and forth to perform a leg extension exercise,     means for resisting said exercise movements,   seat means on said frame for a user when performing each exercise of the apparatus, said seat means comprising a seat on said frame below the lower end of said press exercise arm for a user performing said chest and shoulder press exercises, and a backrest for said seat adjustable between a generally upright position for said chest press exercise and a forwardly inclined position for said shoulder press exercise,   means for selectively connecting said exercise members to said resisting means comprising cable means for selectively connecting each exercise arm to said resisting means, pulleys for guiding and supporting said cable means including a lower pulley adjacent the bottom of said frame and an upper pulley above said resisting means, .[.whereby.]. .Iadd.such that .Iaddend.for each exercise performed on the apparatus, said cable means .[.can extend.]. .Iadd.extends .Iaddend.from the respective exercise arm(s), around said lower pulley, then upwardly and over said upper pulley, and then downwardly to said resisting means, and means for .Iadd.selectively .Iaddend.mounting said lower pulley on said frame in a first position offset to one side of said seat when performing said chest and press exercises, whereby said cable means does not obstruct the chest and press exercise movements of the user, and a second position .Iadd.displaced laterally from said first position .Iaddend.to support said cable means in a position for attachment to the remaining exercise   
     
     
        arm(s). 13. Exercise apparatus for use in performing a variety of exercises, comprising: a frame,   a plurality of exercise members mounted on said frame for different prescribed exercises relative to said frame, said exercise members including (a) a press exercise arm having an upper end hinged to said frame on a generally horizontal axis and a lower end engagable by a user for swinging the arm back and forth to perform chest and shoulder press exercises,   (b) a pair of upright pectoral fly exercise arms hinged to said frame on generally vertical axes and engagable by a user's forearms and hands for oscillating the pectoral fly exercise arms to perform a pectoral fly exercise,   (c) a leg extension exercise arm having an upper end hinged on said frame adjacent the bottom of said frame and means on the lower end of said leg extension exercise arm engagable by a user's legs for swinging the latter back and forth to perform a leg extension exercise,     means for resisting said exercise movements,   seat means on said frame for a user when performing each exercise of the apparatus comprising a seat on said frame below said press exercise arm for a user performing said chest and shoulder press exercises, a backrest for said seat adjustable between a generally upright position for said chest press exercise and a forwardly inclined position for said shoulder press exercise, and   means for selectively connecting said exercise members to said resisting means comprising cable means for selectively connecting each exercise arm to said resisting means.Iadd., said cable means including a pulley selectively mounted on said frame in a first position offset to one side of said seat when performing said chest and shoulder press exercises, whereby said cable means does not obstruct the chest and shoulder press exercise movements of the user, and a second position displaced laterally from said first position to support said cable means in a position for attachment to the remaining exercise arm(s).Iaddend..