Workout scheduling device

A device for recording a series of exercises to be followed over a period of days and for indicating the order in which the exercises are to be performed on a given day. When the exercises are recorded in pencil, they may be erased and rewritten when the exercise regimen is changed by the exerciser. The device includes three flat, circular plates that are rotatable independently of one another about a common pivot point. A plurality of radially extending lines are disposed on a base plate and one exercise is written on each line. Exercises to be performed in one day are grouped together on contiguous radial lines. An intermediate plate has a window formed in it that exposes to view a group of the radial lines when the window is in registration with the group, and a pointer plate includes a pointer that points at an exercise written on a particular line of the group that is exposed to view. The pointer is indexed to the next contiguous line after the performance of each exercise and the intermediate plate is indexed to expose the next group of exercises at a time selected by the exerciser.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates, generally, to devices having utility in connection 
with a physical exercise program. More particularly, it relates to a 
device that frees a person following such a program from the need to 
remember details such as specific exercises, the order thereof, the number 
of repetitions, the time duration of the exercise, and the like. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Most people who try to follow an exercise regimen carry the details of the 
regimen in their heads. For example, an exerciser might decide to jog 
three miles every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and to do a certain 
number of differing calisthenics in a preselected order on Tuesdays, 
Thursdays, and Saturdays. 
This approach to following an exercise regimen has numerous shortcomings. 
First of all, it is very easy to forget the details of a regimen of twenty 
pushups, forty situps, bench pressing one hundred pounds ten times, ten 
pullups, forty squat thrusts, pressing one hundred pounds ten times, 
curling one hundred fifty pounds ten times, one hundred side straddle 
hops/jumping jacks, and so on. This is especially true because the 
exerciser will want to increase the number of reps as his or her muscles 
become better developed. The exerciser will also want to vary the routine 
by doing pullups last, a weight-lifting exercise first, and so on. When 
scrambling the order of the exercises, it is very easy to omit at least 
one. Moreover, the exerciser will want to perform different exercises from 
time to time, substituting a new exercise for an old one; this makes it 
even more difficult to remember the regimen. 
One solution to the problem that is used by some exercisers is to simply 
write down their routines on sheets of paper. However, papers are easy to 
lose, especially if one sheet is used for Monday's routine, another for 
the next exercise day, and so on. Moreover, a sheet of paper is not easy 
to post on an exercise device, such as a Nautilus.RTM. exercise machine, 
for easy reference. The exerciser therefore resorts to folding the paper 
and keeping it in a pocket. The paper must be removed from the pocket, 
unfolded, read, re-folded and reintroduced into the pocket at the 
completion of each exercise. This becomes burdensom and leads to 
exercisers returning to keeping the program in their heads again. 
A small percentage of highly disciplined exercisers will carry their 
exercise schedule with them in a booklet. Although perhaps more convenient 
than a sheet of paper, a booklet cannot easily be detachably secured to an 
exercise machine so it must still be stored in a pocket, removed therefrom 
for consultation, returned to the pocket, etc., just like a sheet of 
paper. 
Moreover, most exercisers wear sweatpants or similar garments when 
exercising, and such garments typically have no pockets. Thus, for most 
people, the option of carrying a loose sheet of paper or a booklet with 
them is simply not available. 
What is needed, then, is a convenient, easy-to-use device that remembers 
exercise routines so that the exerciser need not. The ideal device would 
be portable, would be releasably attachable to exercise equipment, and 
would enable the exerciser to change the exercise regimen at will. 
Moreover, it would store enough data to cover an extended period of 
exercise, not just for a single day. The device should also be 
light-in-weight, compact in size, and substantially unbendable so that it 
can be carried in a carrying case with exercise clothing and the like. 
However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present 
invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in this 
art how the needed improvements could be provided. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The longstanding but heretofore unfulfilled need for an apparatus that 
overcomes the limitations of the prior art is now met by a new, useful, 
and nonobvious device for recording exercise regimens that includes a base 
plate having a flat construction and a round configuration, an 
intermediate plate having a flat construction and a round configuration, 
and a pointer plate having a flat construction and a generally round 
configuration. 
The intermediate plate is disposed in sandwiched relation to the base plate 
and the pointer plate. A pivot means, such as a grommet, independently and 
rotatably connects the base plate, intermediate plate, and pointer plate 
in concentric relation to one another. A plurality of circumferentially 
spaced apart radial lines is disposed upon a first side of the base plate. 
Indicia means are provided for identifying preselected groups of the 
radial lines, and each radial line in a preselected group is contiguous to 
at least one other radial line in the preselected group. 
A window means is formed in the intermediate plate, said window means being 
an opening formed in the intermediate plate which opening is bordered by 
first and second radially disposed edges that define a predetermined angle 
therebetween so that a preselected group of the radial lines are exposed 
to view when the window means is in registration therewith. 
The pointer plate includes a radially extending protrusion that points at a 
preselected space between the radial lines when the pointer plate is 
rotated about the pivot means. 
The base plate shares a common diameter with the intermediate plate, and 
the pointer plate has a predetermined diameter less than the common 
diameter of the base and intermediate plates. The predetermined diameter 
of the pointer plate is sufficiently small to maintain exposure to view of 
all radial lines framed by the window means. 
Each group of radial lines is also color coded for convenience, and the 
beginning and ending of each group is denoted by small 
circumferentially-extending double-headed arrows. The color code is 
preferably provided on the radially outermost circumference of the base 
plate. 
A circular line is disposed upon the base plate, radially inwardly of the 
color-coded area on the outermost perimeter of the base plate, so that 
information may be written in a space defined by a contiguous pair of 
radial lines, a segment of the circular line, and said color-coded area. 
The novel device further includes a magnet means secured to a second side 
of the base plate to facilitate releasable attachment of the device to a 
ferrous support surface such as commonly found on exercise machines. 
The exerciser uses the novel device by writing a series of exercises on the 
radial lines, one exercise per radial line, rotating the intermediate 
plate until the window means is aligned with a first preselected group of 
radial lines, then rotating the pointer plate until the pointer means 
indicates a preselected exercise written on a preselected radial line 
adjacent a first edge of the edges defined by the window means, performing 
the exercise written thereon, indexing the pointer plate until the pointer 
means indicates a next exercise written on a contiguous radial line in the 
preselected group, performing an exercise written on said contiguous 
radial line, and repeating those steps until the pointer means indicates a 
final exercise written on a radial line adjacent a second edge of the 
edges defined by the window means. 
On the next exercise day (most exercisers do their workouts on every other 
day), the exerciser rotates the intermediate plate so that the window 
means enters into registration with a second preselected group of radial 
lines, and performs the exercises written thereon at a preselected time, 
in sequential fashion; the pointer means helps the exerciser keep track of 
the order of exercises within a group. This process is continuously 
repeated for as long as an exercise program is followed. 
It is a primary object of this invention to free exercisers from having to 
remember long exercise schedules. 
Another object is to provide a convenient device that records lengthy 
exercise schedules to accomplish the preceding object. 
Another object is to provide such a device in a portable, easy-to-use 
structure that is releasably attachable to exercise machines yet which may 
be carried easily in an exercise bag. 
Still another object is to provide a device that enables an exerciser to 
easily change the schedule of exercises for any given day. 
These and other important objects, features, and advantages of the 
invention will become apparent as this description proceeds. 
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, 
combination of elements and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified 
in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention 
will be indicated in the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to FIG. 1, it will there be seen that an exemplary embodiment 
of the invention is denoted as a whole by the reference numeral 10. 
Embodiment 10, to be known commercially under the trademark "A Weel 
Workout," includes a circular base plate 12, an intermediate 
window-defining plate 14, and a pointer plate 16; plate 14 is sandwiched 
between plates 12 and 16. The three plates are independently rotatably 
mounted with respect to one another about a pivot means which preferably 
takes the form of a grommet 18 having a base 18a and a cap 18b. Grommet 18 
extends through apertures formed in each plate 12, 14, and 16 at their 
respective centers so that all three of said parts are mounted 
concentrically with respect to one another and so that all three of said 
parts are rotatable about a common axis of rotation (depicted in FIG. 1 as 
a center line) independently of each other. 
A plurality of radial lines, collectively denoted 20, are imprinted upon a 
first side of base plate 12. A circular line 22 is also imprinted 
thereupon, radially inwardly of the outermost periphery 24 of said base 
plate; note that a thin color-coded area is provided at the outermost edge 
of said base plate, radially outwardly of said circular line 22. 
In the depicted embodiment, radial lines 20 are grouped into three groups, 
denoted 1, 2, and 3; it should be understood, however, that different 
groupings are within the scope of this invention. The groups may be 
identified or differentiated from one another by any physical means, 
including the above-mentioned color-coding which is depicted in FIGS. 1-4. 
Moreover, the radial lines at the boundaries, i.e, at the beginning and 
end of each group of radial lines, are printed on said base plate in a 
thicker line than are standard radial lines 20 to further delineate the 
groups from one another; said thicker lines are denoted 21. A plurality of 
pairs of small arrows, unnumbered to avoid cluttering the drawing, are 
provided at the opposite ends of each circular line 22 segment passing 
through a group to further indicate the boundaries of each group, i.e., 
each pair of arrows point in opposite directions with respect to each 
other and each arrow abuts a thickened radial line 21. 
Intermediate plate 14 has a diameter common to that of base plate 12 and 
overlies said base plate. A window 26 is formed in said intermediate 
plate, said window being an opening formed in said intermediate plate that 
is bordered by first and second radially disposed edges 28, 30 that define 
a predetermined angle therebetween that is equal to the respective 
circumferential extents of the groupings 1, 2, and 3. For example, if 
there were four groupings 1, 2, 3, and 4, the predetermined angle between 
edges 28 and 30 would be ninety degrees. In the depicted embodiment, 
having three groupings, the angle between window edges 28, 30 is one 
hundred twenty degrees. 
Third plate 16 is smaller in diameter than the base and intermediate 
plates; significantly, it includes a pointer means 32. 
A flat, centrally apertured magnet means 34 is mounted in underlying 
relation to base plate 12 and is secured thereto by grommet 18, it being 
understood that said grommet holds said magnet means together with said 
base plate, intermediate plate, and pointer plate. Magnet means 34 
facilitates releasable attachment of device 10 to a ferrous surface such 
as found on many exercise machines. Advantageously, device 10 may also be 
releasably mounted on a refrigerator door as well, to serve as a constant 
reminder to the exerciser. 
To use novel device 10, the exerciser writes down each exercise to be 
performed on a given day, in a preferred order, on the radial lines 20 
(including radial line 21 as well) within the group of lines denoted 1. 
Additional information about each exercise may be placed on the circular 
line 22, i.e., in the space radially outwardly of said circular line and 
radially inwardly of the color-coded area. For example, where the first 
exercise of the day is "power walk," the entry "30 minutes" may be entered 
on the associated circular line or anywhere in said space between said 
circular line and the color-coded area. All of the exercises to be 
performed during the next exercise session are then entered in the same 
fashion for the radial lines grouped under the numbers 2 and 3. The 
numbers 2 and 3 might represent the second and third days following the 
first day, or they may represent the third and fifth days, and so on, at 
the option of the exerciser. Since most people who follow an exercise 
regimen prefer to exercise every other day, the depicted example would 
represent a three day cycle that would be repeated every six days. 
More particularly, after all of the exercises to be performed during the 
cycle of this example have been written down on the appropriate radial 
lines, the exerciser releasably secures device 10 to a suitable magnetic 
surface and rotates the window formed in intermediate plate 14 until said 
window frames all of the radial lines of group one (see FIG. 2). Pointer 
plate 16 is then rotated about pivot means 18 until pointer means 32 is 
directed toward the first exercise in group one, and the exerciser 
performs the exercise. In this example, the first exercise is a thirty 
minute power walk. (The pointer means, however, is pointing at the sixth 
exercise of day one, just for illustration purposes). The pointer means is 
then rotated so that it points to the next exercise of the sequence, and 
the exerciser follows that exercise. This process continues until all 
exercises in group one have been performed. 
If desired, the exerciser can initially rotate pointer means 32 to the last 
item of exercise and work through the regimen in a backwards order. 
At the completion of the day's exercise program, or at the beginning of the 
next exercise day, intermediate plate 14 is rotated about pivot means 18 
until window 26 frames the radial lines grouped together as group 2, as 
depicted in FIG. 3, and the above-described process is followed during the 
next exercise session. The same procedure is followed on the day of the 
third exercise regimen, as depicted in FIG. 4, and the cycle then returns 
to the exercises of group 1. 
Instructions as to the use of the novel scheduler 10 may be written on the 
reverse side of base plate 12, as depicted in FIG. 5. 
Significantly, the exercises may be written in pencil so that the order of 
exercises, or the number of repetitions, or the time duration of an 
exercise, or the like, may be changed to meet the needs of the exerciser. 
The changes may relate only to the information written on the outer 
circular line 22, or to both said line and radial lines 20, 21 as well. 
Device 10 is not a preprinted, unchangeable scheduler; it provides, 
instead, a scheduler that may be changed easily by its user. Importantly, 
it is the only known device having the structural features disclosed 
herein and the only known device that performs the functions described 
herein. 
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made 
apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained and 
since certain changes may be made in the foregoing construction without 
departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters 
contained in the foregoing construction or shown in the accompanying 
drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover 
all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein 
described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a 
matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. Now that the 
invention has been described,