ABDOMINAL EXERCISE APPARATUS AND METHOD

Abstract: An abdominal muscle exercise apparatus which provides for using hamstring pressure to oppose an anterior tilting of the pelvis while working the abdominal muscles. There is disclosed adjustable support means for both the back of the heel of a user (8) and the hips (13) and back (15) on an inclined stem (4) supported by a T-shaped base (1). In use, the stop pad (14) is located relative to the back of the heel locator (8) so that the knee (19) is located such that the lower part of the leg is aligned at approximately 90 degrees to the upper part of the leg.

Description: ABDOMINAL EXERCISE APPARATUS AND METHOD This invention relates to an exercise apparatus and to a method of exercising. 5. The value of exercising specific muscles and the value of ensuring that each muscle is extended to its fully useful extent is well known. Many machines have been developed to provide for such specialised exercises for individual muscles of the human body 10. but I have discovered that hitherto there does not appear to be any device, or indeed an arrangement, by which the abdominal muscles of a human can be selectively isolated for exercise purposes and effectively extended. Many machines and exercise devices have been proposed hitherto 15. for this purpose and have however provided exercise for hip flexors. The problem to which this invention is specifically directed is therefore to provide both apparatus and a method of exercise where exercising of the abdominal muscles either in isolation or 20. substantially can be effected in contradiction to adjacent muscles. In a further form of this invention there is proposed abdominal muscle exercise apparatus by which there is provided support for the hip of a user and support for the feet of a user such that upon abdominal muscle action against a resisting pressure, there can be 25. effected a resistance to a tilting of the pelvis and therefore lumbar extension whereby to inhibit the action of the hip flexors and maintain isolated action of the abdominal muscles. ^ This is achieved by providing that the user can exert hamstring muscle pressure along the back of the thigh (knee flexors) whereby to oppose the anterior tilt of the pelvis. Such hamstring pressure is achievable by providing a locator for 5. the back of the heel of each foot of a user and then locating such back location relative to a stop pad which is adapted to be located at the back of the thigh so that the user can exert and maintain such hamstring pressure between the relative parts, and hence while exerting abdominal muscle pressure maintain su ch 10. hamstring pressure to resist such anterior tilt of the pelvis. In a further form the invention can be said to reside in an exercise apparatus comprising a hip support, a stop pad and a back of the heel locator for each of a user's feet, the locator being positioned to support the feet such that the feet are above the hip 15. support and stop pad, and distal to the extent that a user's knees will be bent at approximately 90 degrees when the feet are located within the locator, and with a user keeping the ischial tuberosities of the pelvic girdle against the stop pad. The advantage of locating the relative parts with the feet to be 20. located above the hip or pelvic support is that in this way the trunk and head of the user can be used as the resisting weight against which the abdominal muscles must be caused to work. In preference, there is provided a back pad which falls further away so that with the abdominal muscles generally fully 25. retracted, the trunk of the person is aligned with the spine from the trunk to the pelvis generally straight. In preference, there can be provided an apparatus including a base, and a stem supported by the base, back of the heel locators supported for adjustable movement along the stem, and a hip 30. support and stop pad held together and adjustably supported for movement along the stem, the stem being aligned so as to extend in an inclined direction from the base, and the back of the heel locators being located with respect to the hip support and stop pad, so as to be above these relative to the base. 5. In a further form, the invention can be said to reside in a method of exercising which comprises locating a hip relative to heels such r that hamstring pressure can be maintained so as to oppose an anterior tilting of the pelvis, and then to maintain such tilting during working of the abdominal muscles. 10. For a better understanding of this invention it will now be described with reference to drawings in which - FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing apparatus according to the embodiment and incorporating a user in a position in which the abdominal muscles are being worked while maintaining 15. resistance to anterior pelvic tilt; FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus as in Fig. 1 with the user removed; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the machine without a user; and FIG. 4 is also a perspective view of the machine without a user 20. viewed from the opposite direction from that of Fig. 3. Referring in detail to the drawings, there is shown a base 1 which includes a cross-piece 2 and a longitudinal extension 3 upon which an inclined stem 4 is secured by bracket S and bolts 6 and 7. The stem 4 is positioned so as to rise at approximately 45 degrees 25. to a ground plane and there is located in an adjustable position relative thereto, a back of the heel locator 8 which is adapted to provide for location of both of the feet 9 of a user 10. o The relative alignment of the back of the back of the heel locator 8 is as is shown in the drawing so that it is inclined to rise approximately 20 degrees to a ground plane. The inclination is chosen so as to ensure there can be sufficient 5. reaction resistance for the feet of a user when applying hamstring tension. There is a base plate for each of the feet shown at 11 and a strap 12 which has the advantage of providing stability support when necessary but which in fact provides very little in the way of 10. support for the actual exercise itself. Located further down the stem 4 but also positioned so as to be adjustably slidable along the stem 4, is a hip support 13 and a stop pad 14, the two pads 13 and 14 being located so as to provide a right-angle between the support surfaces, the stop pad 15. being located to provide a vertical support plane, and the hip support 13 providing a horizontal support. Supported at an outer end of the hip support 13 is a back support 15 which is pivotally supported to be rotatable about axis 16. In this way, the back of the user 10 can be located so as to 20. provide for sufficient extension of the abdominal muscles located in area 17. In the normal exercise position, however, the back support is located as shown at 15 as compared to that at 18 although this is achieved by a general lowering of the hip support 13 down the 25. stem 4. In use, the stop pad 14 is located relative to the back of the heel locator 8 so that the knee 19 is located so that the lower part of the leg is aligned at approximately 90 degrees to the upper part of the leg, or in other words, the knee joint is located so as to have a 90 degree included angle therein with the upper part of the leg substantially vertical. 5. By locating the respective parts as shown in Fig. 1, the user 10 can cause the hamstring muscles 20 to tighten by reaction of the back of the heels against the back of the heel locator 8 and ischial tuberosities 21 which are kept hard against the front side of the stop pad 14. 10. Such tensioning and positioning maintains the hip and especially the pelvic joint 22, so that it can be effectively held against tilt whereby the hip flexors at 23 can thereby be kept from acting in place of the abdominal muscles 17. Accordingly, with the exercise of lifting the trunk 24 as shown, it 15. is found that this causes the isolated action of the abdominal muscle 17 hence providing the significant advantage of this invention. Obviously repeated lifting actions will provide the necessary strengthening of the abdominal muscles specifically as they are 20. acting in isolation and by appropriate location of the height of the hip support 13, the amount of extension of the abdominal muscles and action against such trunk lifting can be controlled whereby to provide the excellent exercise function described. As will now be seen by reference particularly to Fig. 1, the point 25. of pivot using this apparatus will be reverted to the location at 25 which is conventionally the iliac crest which conventionally will be only three to five centimetres away from a lumbar vertebrae location at 26. c The traditional pivot location is at the ischial tuberosities shown at 27 which can be up to 15 to 20 cms. away from the lumbar vertebrae 26. The total height of the hip support 13 can be adjusted which in 5. turn will adjust the angle of the back support 15 which at its outer end will lie on the base 1. Self -evidently, the back of the heel locator 8 will have to be lowered also appropriately so as to maintain the relative 90 degree relationship between upper and lower parts of the leg. 10. In use, the apparatus and method have shown to be of substantial effect in isolating the abdominal muscles and providing for safe flexure and working of these over a selected range.

Claims: THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS :- 1. Abdominal muscle exercise apparatus including a base (1), hip support means (13) supported with respect to the base (1) adapted to provide support for the hip of a user, back of a heel support means (8) supported on the base (1) by which the back of 5. the heels of the user can be engaged, the hip support means (13) and the back of the heel support means (8) being relatively adjustable in position so that with a user's hips being supported on the hip support means (13) the legs of a user can be located to define approximately 90 degrees when the heels are in the heel 10. support means (13). 2. Abdominal muscle exercise apparatus as in claim 1 further characterised in that the hip support means (13) are supported to be adjustably slidable along an inclined stem (4) and the back of the heel support means (8) are slidably supported on the inclined 5. stem 4. 3. Abdominal muscle exercise apparatus as in either of the two preceding claims further characterised in that there is a back support (15) which is pivotally supported relative to an outer end of the hip support means (13). 4. Abdominal muscle exercise apparatus as in any one of the preceding claims further characterised in that there is a stop pad (14) which provides a substantially vertical surface above and at an inner side of the grip support means (13). 5. Abdominal muscle exercise apparatus as in any one of the preceding claim 2, or claims 3 or 4 when read through claim 2, further characterised in that the stem (4) is located and shaped to provide adjustment relative to the base (1) at approximately 45 5. degrees to an horizontal support plane. 6. Abdominal muscle exercise apparatus as in any one of the preceding claims in which the base (1) comprises a cross-piece (2) and a longitudinal extension (3) to which the stem (4) is secured. 7. Abdominal muscle exercise apparatus as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the back of the heel support means (8) has an engaging shape which is upwardly inclined relative to the horizontal when the base (1) is on a horizontal supporting plane. 8. Abdominal muscle exercise apparatus by which there is provided support for the hip of a user and support for the feet of a user such that upon abdominal muscle action against a resisting pressure, there can be effected a resistance to an anterior tilting 5. of the pelvis whereby to inhibit the action of the hip flexors and maintain isolated action of the abdominal muscles. 9. Abdominal muscle exercise apparatus comprising a- hip support means, a stop pad and a back of the heel locator for each of a user's feet, the locator being positioned to support the feet of a user such that the feet are above the hip support means and 5. stop pad, and distal to the extent that a user's knees will be bent to approximately 90 degrees when the feet of the user are located within the locator, and with a user keeping the ischial tuberosities of the pelvic girdle against the stop pad. 10. A method of exercising abdominal muscles which comprises the steps of locating the hip of an exercisor relative to the heels of the user such that hamstring pressure through the legs can be maintained so as to oppose an anterior tilting of the pelvis, and 5. then to maintain such a position during working of the abdominal muscles. 11. Abdominal muscle exercise apparatus substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

Inventors: VAINSAAR DOUGLAS EMIL, VAINSAAR, DOUGLAS, EMIL
Applicants: VAINSAAR DOUGLAS EMIL, VAINSAAR, DOUGLAS, EMIL
Application year: 1987
Main classification: A63B23
IPC codes: A63B23