Abstract:
An open hand gripped exercise device includes an internal frame having an H-shape formed by a center bar assembly and end bar assemblies. The center bar assembly is adjustable in length, with outer sections secured perpendicularly to the end bar assemblies. The end bars have threaded ends to receive additional weight plates and retaining collars to adjust the overall weight of the device. The center bar and end bars have resilient cylindrical pads sleeved thereon to provide such a diameter as to require an open handed grip of the device for use in exercises.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Physical vitality and fitness are improved and maintained by exertion of the body. Various exercises and activities have been devised to enhance overall fitness and to condition specific muscles and muscle groups. Resistance exercise, also called strength training, increases muscle strength and mass and bone strength and improves metabolism. Resistance training can employ free weights, weight machines, and calisthenics. With free weights, such as dumbbells or barbells, the exerciser determines the ranges of motions of the weights as they are lifted. On the other hand, weight machines use the structure of the machine to control the type of movements which can be applied to lifting captive weights. In calisthenics, such as chin-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, “jumping jacks”, and the like, the weight of the exerciser&#39;s own body is used as a resistence force to be worked against. 
     Exercises can be classified by their effects on muscles and according to the character of motion involved. In isometric exercises, muscles contract, but there is no decrease in length. Some muscles may work against other muscles or against a fixed, or relatively fixed, object. Isokinetic exercise refers to exercises which permit maximum muscle contraction throughout the full range of movement of a joint associated with the muscle. Pliometric exercises refer generally to types of exercise in which movement of an object is halted, then reversed in direction of movement. An example of a pliometric exercise is catching and then throwing back a “medicine” ball. 
     There are a large number of devices, apparatus, and equipment for use in performing various types of exercises, such as the weight machines and free weights mentioned above. Weight machines and barbells tend to be large, heavy, and expensive, as do various type of treadmill machines, weight and exercise benches, and spring based exercise machines. There are also a large number of small, inexpensive devices for use in specific types of strength training and exercises. A large proportion of exercise devices are designed for use by manual grasping and manipulation. In most cases, such grasped devices are sized to be gripped with closed, or mostly closed, hands. 
     Although there are benefits to be realized using such closed hand gripped devices, it has been found that there are also benefits to exercise devices which cannot be gripped with a closed hand, but which must be supported with open hands. The benefits of such an open handed device involve the necessity of combining isometric muscle contractions with otherwise isokinetic or pliometric types of exercises. The isometric contractions result from the need to clamp or compress such a device between the open palms of the hands to support the device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an open hand gripped exercise device to provide muscle exercising benefits resulting from performing exercises with a weighted device which is supported by the user&#39;s hands in an open configuration. The preferred device includes an H-shaped inner frame formed by a center bar and end bars connected perpendicularly to ends of the center bar. The end bars, and preferably the center bar, have cylindrical cushions sleeved thereon to increase their gripped diameter. The cushions have limited resilience so that the device must be gripped with the hands substantially opened. 
     The center bar is preferably adjustable in length and includes a center section with end sections telescopically engaged thereto. Removable fasteners secure the end sections to the center section. The end bars are connected in T-shaped joints to the end sections of the center bar. Opposite ends of the end bars are adapted to receive additional weights. The ends of the end bars may be threaded to receive retainer collars to hold combinations of conventional dumbbell type plates on the end bars. 
     The exercise device can be used in a number of types of exercise devices, such as free weight types of lifting exercises like presses and curls and other lifting exercises, such as those in which one arm opposes movement of the other. The exercise device can also be used to enhance the effect of calisthenic type exercises, such as sit-ups, jumps of various kinds, abdominal twists, lunges, and even running. In most of the preferred exercises with the device, it is gripped in an open handed manner. This requires isometric contraction of muscles used for effecting a grip on the device. 
     The center bar can be extended to increase the separation of the end bars for exercises which make use of rotational momentum. The extended configuration can also enable a more secure grip of the device, such as if additional weights are placed on the end bars. The separability of the end bars from the center bar facilitates packing and storing the components of the exercise device. 
     Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in relation to the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. 
    
    
     The drawings constitute a part of this specification, include exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an open hand gripped exercise device which embodies the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view at a reduced scale and illustrates gripping of the exercise device by a user in a substantially open handed manner, with movement of the device by the user shown in phantom lines. 
     FIG. 3 is a partially exploded, side elevational view of frame members and weighted collars of the exercise device, with grip cushions, and an alternative position of an end bar shown in phantom lines. 
     FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged sectional view taken on line  4 — 4  of FIG.  3  and illustrates a series of apertures to enable extension of a center bar of the exercise device of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. 
     Referring to the drawings in more detail, the reference numeral  1  generally designates an open hand gripped exercise device which embodies the present invention. The device  1  generally includes an inner frame  2  and external cushions  3  and  4  sized to conform to a substantially open handed grip of a user of the device  1  when used for exercises. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, the preferred frame  2  is H-shaped and includes a center bar assembly  6  and opposite end bar assemblies  7 . The center bar assembly  6  includes a center section  9  and a pair of end stub sections  10  telescoped into the center section  9 . The illustrated center bar sections  9  and  10  are tubular and of square cross section, although other cross sectional shapes could alternatively be employed. As shown in FIG. 4, the center section  9  is provided with apertures  14  at its opposite ends and the end stub sections  10  with apertures  15 . The apertures  15  are selectively aligned with the apertures  14  to receive a fastener  16 , such as a “cotterless” pin, to secure the end sections  10  to the center section  9 , by snapping the fastener  16  into the aligned holes  14  and  15 . The apertures  14  and  15  and fastener  16  enable the length of the center bar assembly  6  to be adjusted through a range of about two feet to three feet. 
     The preferred end bar assemblies  7  are solid rods  18 , each having a center rod section  19  and a pair of end rod sections  20 . The end section  10  the each center bar assemblies  6  are connected to the center rod sections  19 , as by welding, to form perpendicular or T-shaped joints. The end rod sections  20  are threaded to receive internally threaded collars or nuts  22 . The collars  22  provide a means of securing external weight plates  24  to the rod assemblies  7 . The collars  22  add weight to the device  1  and may be placed on the rods  18 , or not, as desired by the user. The rods  18  may include stop shoulders  26  to restrict the position of a weight plate  24  on the rods  18  to the end sections  20  of the rods  18  and to prevent threading a collar  22  onto a center section  19  of a rod  18 . 
     The illustrated center bar cushion  3  and end bar cushions  4  are cylindrical in shape and centrally bored to be received on the center bar  6  and the end bars  7  respectively. The cushions  3  and  4  may be formed of foam plastic of medium density and resilience. The cushions  3  and  4  have an outer diameter which requires a substantially open handed grip by a user to grasp the cushions  3  and/or  4  to support the device during exercising and, preferably, have a diameter in a range of about four to six inches. Although not illustrated, the cushions  3  and  4  may include an outer covering, such as leather or a plastic sheeting material, to protect the cushions. The illustrated end bar cushions  4  have a cross bore  28  and an end slit  30  (FIG. 1) to facilitate placement of the cushions  4  on the end bar rods  18  and to provide clearance around the end stubs  10  of the center bar assembly  6 . Although it is desirable for the diameter of the cushions  3  and  4  to be of such a diameter as to require an open handed grip, it is recognized that, for safety, a secure grip on the device  1  is also necessary. In the illustrated device  1 , there is a gap  32  between the ends of the center cushion  3  and the end cushions  4  in the region of the joint between the center section  9  and end sections  10  of the center bar assembly  6 . 
     The gap  32  provides access to the fasteners  16  to adjust the length of the center bar assembly  6  and also allows secure gripping of the device  1 . When the center bar assembly  6  is extended, the gap  32  is correspondingly increased, providing an expanded length of center bar  6  for gripping. 
     The illustrated exercise device  1  weighs from eight to ten pounds, without the collars  22 . The collars  22  weigh about one pound apiece. The end rods  18  are similar to conventional dumbbell bars and are adapted to receive conventional weight plates, such as the plates  24 . Common weight increments for the plates  24  are 1.25, 2.5, and 5 pounds. It is foreseen that other weight increments could be employed, such as metric increments. The total weight of the device  1  is limited by the length of the rods  18  and the ability of the user to safely lift and manipulate such weight. It should be noted that significant training benefits can be realized using only the device  1  with the collars  22 . It is generally recommended that only minimal amounts of weight be added to the basic device  1 , for most exercises. 
     The device  1  has utility in a wide variety of exercises. A particular feature of the device  1  is the sizing of the center cushion  3  and end cushions  4  to encourage an open-handed grip of the device during exercises. An open-handed grip requires constant contraction of certain muscles to support and control the device  1 . As a result, a clamping or compressing approach to supporting the device  1  is required, thus providing isometric or quasi-isometric exercise of the arms and upper body, in addition to muscles used for other aspects of the exercises, such as manipulation of the device. As used herein, an open handed grip generally refers to a grip in which the curvature of the hand from the tips of the fingers to the tip of the thumb is generally C-shaped and forms approximately half a circle or less. 
     It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown. For example, it is foreseen that the center bar assembly  6  could be a single bar or rod of fixed length with the end bar assemblies  7  welded to opposite ends thereof (not shown). It is also foreseen that the center bar assembly  6  could comprise an outer telescoping member connected to one of the end bar assemblies  7  and an inner telescoping member connected to the other end bar assembly  7 . The inner telescoping member would then be telescopingly received within the outer telescoping member. It is also foreseen that the center bar assembly  6  could be made adjustable without the use of fasteners as such. For example, a detent mechanism (not shown) could be engaged between telescoping members of the center bar assembly  6 .