Abstract:
An exercise vest for upper body development is disclosed. The vest has a series of horizontal straps, adjustable in length, that encircle the vest and fasten in front to secure the vest on the person and provide upper body support. There are three elastic band assemblies to provide a complete range of upper body movements which involve all upper body muscle groups. Body development is achieved using the resistance of the elastic bands. A rear band is grasped by a handlebar and raised straight over the head. When not in use the handlebar is fixedly held above the shoulders by means of clips attached on each side of the vest. There are upper and lower side elastic band pairs which have hand grips for each hand. These elastic bands can be stretched up and down and forward and back as desired for a complete workout. The elastic bands are linearly adjustable by means of specially designed canisters containing winding spools that enable the lengths of the elastic bands to be altered in discrete increments. Each alteration of the length of an elastic band alters its resistance. The canisters also serve as the means to affix the bands to the vest.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The instant invention relates to a vest equipped with a series of stretchable bands with which to perform upper body exercises and the method of use of same. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various forms of exercise and exercise apparatus have been known from the time of the ancient civilizations. In recent years exercise has become a lucrative as well as beneficial endeavor. Though there is a great proliferation of gyms and studios dedicated to a wide variety of exercises, many people still prefer to exercise at home at their own convenience and on their own schedule. As a result, there have been a number of exercise devices and aids to assist in enabling an individual to maintain his or her own regimen. Since some exercise equipment can be quite expensive as well as requiring considerable space in the home, exercise enthusiasts have endeavored to construct devices to work various parts of the body using simple means that require minimal storage space. This is especially true of an exercise apparatus to work the muscles of the upper torso. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 1,402,179, Piscitelli describes a shoulder harness having a rigid back member with a guide through which a series of elastic bands are slidably passed. The bands extend forward on each side and terminate with hand grips. The user can have one grip in each hand and stretch the bands evenly with both arms extended or with one arm close to the body and the other arm extended. A waist band helps to keep the harness in place. This exercise harness provides limited range of movement and the bands can rub against the back of the arms which can make any benefit problematic. 
     Raabe, in U.S. Pat. No. 650,656, teaches the use of long straps that are attached to a waist band at the back, extend over the shoulders and are attached to the waist band in the front. There is a cross strap at the upper back with pads inside where the cross strap attaches to the long straps. Upper rings are attached over the pads and lower rings at the waist in back. Elastic bands with hand grips are affixed to the upper rings and the user can stretch his or her arms forward or to the side against the resistance of the elastic. Elastic bands with foot straps are attached to the lower rings. The user can use both sets of elastic bands when walking or running. The elastic bands can rub against the backs of the arms and against the legs to limit the range of movement. 
     A similar set of straps is taught by Vernon in U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,921. This exercise device has a rigid shoulder piece or yoke, a waist band, and adjustable vertical straps. There are upper attachment points at each side of the shoulder piece and lower attachment points on each side of the waist band for the attachment of one end of each of a series of elastic bands. There are hand grips on the other ends of the elastic bands. The user selects the upper or lower points and each provides resistance exercises for different muscles groups. An alternative embodiment uses crossed elastic bands threaded through tubes so that the user can select the upper or lower sets or use one upper and the opposite lower to pull the same elastic band from both ends. Panels attached at the shoulder and waist can provide compartments for other possessions or to hold a water bottle. Weinstein discloses another strap arrangement, with the straps crossed in back and attached to a waistband. There are attachment points in the front on the upper part of the straps for short elastics with hand grips and on the waist band for long elastics with foot straps. There are also elastic bands attached at the back of the waist band to be stretched over the shoulders and pulled forward. This device provides no body support and attaching the leg bands in front could cause tripping. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0282689) 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,034, Kozlovsky describes a vest-like flexible shell made up of an upper shoulder section and lower torso section that adheres closely to the body. Adjustable vertical straps in front and a wide waist band keep the shell in place. There is a housing at the center back through which elastic bands are passed. The upper bands are a set of three that pass through the housing and extend over each shoulder terminating with a hand grip. The bands also pass over rollers and through guides for smooth movement and minimal abrasion. The upper bands move freely through the housing and can be extended at the same distance by having both hands pull at the same time or at longer distances by having one hand pulling at a time. There are two distinct sets of lower bands which both extend from the housing, over rollers, through the guides, downward terminating with foot straps. All of the lower elastic bands have end stops which are retained within slots in the housing. Each set of bands is comprised of three strands of different resistances. Each band may be used with one, two or three strands at a time allowing for five different resistances. A second embodiment permits the vest to be extended or contracted in length according to the height of the user. The vest is removed to change the resistance. The user must remove the cover from the housing and remove or reinsert one or more of the strands. The upper bands can only be used by passing them over the shoulders so the range of movements is considerably limited. 
     An exercise vest is taught by Davis in U.S. Pat. No. 6,691,318. This vest is closed by two clasps at the front. There is one ring attached at the top of each shoulder and one ring on each side at waist level. Elastic bands extend through the shoulder ring and through the side ring along each side of the vest. Hand grips prevent the bands from sliding back through the rings. The bands are guided by sewn channels along each side of the back of the vest. If the user selects to use the upper grips, the bands are pulled until the hand grips at the lower ends are stopped by the waist rings and vice versa. Other than the use from the shoulder or the waist, the bands are not adjustable and the resistance is always the same. The fabric guides at the back of the vest are curved and will pucker when the bands are pulled tight during use causing stress on the fabric. 
     There is a need for an exercise vest that enables the user to perform upper body exercises over a wide range of movements. There is a need for an exercise vest that is flexible yet supports the upper body during exercise and can be adjusted to the size of the user. There is a need for an exercise vest in which the resistance can be altered according to preference without having to add or remove any parts. There is a need for an exercise vest that enables the user to exercise one arm at a time if desired and which can be used when standing or seated. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an exercise vest that is flexible and adjustable yet provides considerable upper body support. The vest has three band assemblies emanating from three different locations for maximum variations in arm movements and to fully condition all upper body muscle groups. The resistance of the elastic bands can be adjusted without having to add or remove parts. The wide variety of arm movements is made possible by the location, angle and grips provided to the elastic bands. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an exercise vest that is light weight, portable and requires minimal storage space. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an exercise vest that has three individual elastic band assemblies for maximum work-out possibilities. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide an exercise vest having fully adjustable support straps for a proper fit on a range of user sizes and for maximum upper body support during use. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide an exercise vest wherein each of the elastic band assemblies can be adjusted to the desired resistance from within the vest and without having to add or remove parts. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide adjustment means that are simple to use and enable a smooth range of desired band resistances. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide adjustment means that permit subtle as well as substantial changes to the band resistance. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an exercise vest that can be utilized by persons that are standing or seated and by persons with disabilities such as persons in wheelchairs. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide an exercise vest that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and which will last through extensive use. 
     The invention is an exercise device which comprises a vest having a back panel, and two front panels. There are at least two horizontal straps that encircle the vest, are attached to it, and are closable in the front of the vest and includes means to close the straps in front of the vest. A rear elastic band has a first end and a second end, the first end being affixed to the inside of the back panel and the second end passing though an opening in the back panel above the point of fixation of the first end and being affixed to a handle. At least one upper side elastic band has a first end and a second end, the first end being affixed to the inside of the back panel below the point of fixation of the rear elastic band and the second end passing through an opening in one of the front panels and being affixed to a hand grip, and at least one lower side elastic band has a first end and a second end, the first end being affixed to the inside of the back panel below the point of fixation of the at least one upper side elastic band and the second end passing through an opening in one of the front panels situated below the opening for the at least one upper side elastic band and being affixed to a hand grip. Included are the means to affix the elastic bands to the inside of the back panel. A user can select at least one of the elastic bands, grasp the handle or hand grip and perform exercises by stretching the at least one elastic band according to his or her abilities. 
     The invention is also an exercise device which comprises a vest having a back panel, a right front panel and a left front panel. The vest has at least three horizontal straps that encircle the vest, are attached to it, and are closable in the front of the vest with means to close the straps in front of the vest. There is a rear band having a first end and a second end, the first end being affixed to the inside of the back panel and the second end passing though an exit opening in the back panel above the point of fixation of the first end and being affixed to a handle. Also present are two upper side bands each having a first end and a second end, the first ends being affixed to the inside of the back panel below the point of fixation of the rear band, the second end of one band passing through an exit opening in the right front panel, the second end of the other band passing through an exit opening in the left front panel and the second ends of both bands being affixed to hand grips and two lower side bands each having a first end and a second end, the first ends being affixed to the inside of the back panel below the points of fixation of the upper side bands, the second end of one band passing through an exit opening in the right front panel, the second end of the other band passing through an exit opening in the left front panel, both exit openings being below the exit openings for the upper side bands and the second ends of both bands being affixed to hand grips. There are also means to impart stretchability to the bands and means to affix the bands to the inside of the back panel. A user can select at least one of the bands, grasp the handle or hand grip and perform exercises by stretching the band according to his or her abilities. 
     The invention can also be described as an exercise device which comprises a vest having a back panel, a right front panel and a left front panel with four horizontal straps that encircle the vest, are attached thereto, are closable in the front of the vest, and means to close the straps in front of the vest. There is a rear elastic band having a first end and a second end, the first end being affixed to the inside of the back panel and the second end passing though an exit opening in the back panel above the point of fixation of the first end and being affixed to a handle, two upper side elastic bands each having a first end and a second end, the first ends being affixed to the inside of the back panel below the point of fixation of the rear elastic band, the second end of one elastic band passing through an exit opening in the right front panel, the second end of the other elastic band passing through an exit opening in the left front panel and the second ends of both elastic bands being affixed to hand grips, two lower side elastic bands each having a first end and a second end, the first ends being affixed to the inside of the back panel below the points of fixation of the upper side elastic bands, the second end of one elastic band passing through an exit opening in the right front panel, the second end of the other elastic band passing through an exit opening in the left front panel, both exit openings being below the exit openings for the upper side elastic bands and the second ends of both elastic bands being affixed to hand grips, and means to affix the elastic bands to the inside of the back panel. A user can select at least one of the elastic bands, grasp the handle or hand grip and perform exercises by stretching the at least one elastic band according to his or her abilities. 
     A method of exercising the upper body is disclosed and comprises the steps of first obtaining an exercise vest which comprises a back panel, a right front panel and a left front panel, four horizontal straps that encircle the vest, are attached thereto, and are closable in the front of the vest, means to close the straps in front of the vest, a rear elastic band having a first end and a second end, the first end being affixed to the inside of the back panel and the second end passing though an exit opening in the back panel above the point of fixation of the first end and being affixed to a handlebar, reversible holding means to securely hold the handlebar when not in use, two upper side elastic bands each having a first end and a second end, the first ends being affixed to the inside of the back panel below the point of fixation of the rear elastic band, the second end of one elastic band passing through an exit opening in the right front panel, the second end of the other elastic band passing through an exit opening in the left front panel and the second ends of both elastic bands being affixed to hand grips, two lower side elastic bands each having a first end and a second end, the first ends being affixed to the inside of the back panel below the point of fixation of the upper side elastic bands, the second end of one elastic band passing through an exit opening in the right front panel, the second end of the other elastic band passing through an exit opening in the left front panel, both exit openings being below the exit openings for the upper side elastic bands and the second ends of both elastic bands being affixed to hand grips and means to affix the elastic bands to the back panel and to alter the resistance of the elastic bands. Further steps include donning the exercise vest, securing the straps in the front of the exercise vest, selecting the rear elastic band, grasping the handlebar and releasing it from the reversible holding means, and holding the handlebar with both hands and raising the handlebar above the head and lowering the handlebar to shoulder level. The raising and lowering of the handlebar are repeated until a desired number of repetitions have been accomplished and the handlebar is returned to the reversible holding means. The next steps include selecting one of the pairs of side elastic bands, grasping the hand grip on the end of each elastic band and stretching the elastic bands by pulling on the hand grips in any desired direction and permitting the elastic bands to contract, repeating these movements until the desired number of repetitions have be accomplished, selecting the remaining pair of side elastic bands, grasping the hand grip on the end of each elastic band and stretching the elastic bands by pulling on the hand grips in any desired direction and permitting the elastic bands to contract, deciding that there is not the desired resistance in the remaining pair of side elastic bands, and removing the vest and altering the resistance of the side elastic bands. The remaining steps are donning the vest, securing the straps in the front of the exercise vest, grasping the hand grip on the end of each of the altered elastic bands and stretching the elastic bands by pulling on the hand grips in any desired direction and permitting the elastic bands to contract, repeating these movements until the desired number of repetitions have be accomplished, and removing the exercise vest. Upon completion of all steps, the upper body has been fully exercised. 
     The invention further provides an exercise device that comprises a vest assembly having a back panel, two front panels, and at least two horizontal straps that encircle the body and are closable in the front of the vest assembly, means for closing the straps in front of the vest assembly, rear tension means for creating resistance when stretched, a first portion of which is affixed to the back panel and a second portion of which is affixed to a handlebar, the handlebar being adapted to be grasped in both hands and raised and lowered vertically over the head of the user, at least two side tension means for creating resistance when stretched, a first portion of which is affixed to the vest assembly and a second portion of which is affixed to a hand grip, the hand grip being adapted to be extended from the side of the body forward, to the side, downward and upward, means for affixing the rear tension means, and means for affixing each of the at least two side tension means to the vest assembly, all of these means enabling the rear tension means and the at least two side tension means to be adjusted according to the abilities of the user. The user can select at least one of the tension means, grasp the handlebar or hand grip and perform exercises by stretching the at least one tension means according to his or her abilities. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention will be seen from the following description and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of the inside of the vest of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is front elevational view of the vest when closed; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear elevational view of the vest when closed; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the exercise vest in use by a person standing and using the lower front bands; 
         FIG. 5  is a rear view of the exercise vest in use by a person standing and using the rear band; 
         FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of the vest in use by a person seated in a wheelchair and using the upper front bands; 
         FIG. 7  is front perspective view of the band canister; 
         FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of the spool of the band canister; 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded view of the canister and cover; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the canister with the attaching flange; and 
         FIG. 11  is a vertical sectional view of the tension spring assembly of the canister. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The exercise vest  20  of the present invention may contain a full back panel  21  and two full front panels, a right panel  22  and a left panel  23  seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . When worn, the upper torso may be fully enclosed in the vest  20  as may be seen in  FIGS. 4 ,  5 , and  6 . There may be four straps that encircle the vest  20  to hold the vest  20  close to the body to insure the utmost control and performance. There may be three straps  24  below the mid-level  25  of the vest  20  and one strap  26  above the mid-level  25  as seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The straps  24  and  26  may be attached directly to the back panel  21  or they may be fitted through loops  27  disposed at intervals around the vest  20 . The straps  24  and  26  may be adjustable by slidable end pieces  29  or any other means known in the art and may be secured in the front of the vest  20  by clasps  28 , buckles, hooks, snaps, ties, hook and loop fasteners, or other fasteners known in the art. One part of the fastener may be attached to each end of the strap so that the user can connect the ends in front. The length of the straps may also be adjusted from the front of the vest  20  using the slidable end pieces  29 , for the comfort of the user and to achieve maximum upper body support. There may be air vents  30  at various locations about the vest  20  as well as a pocket  31  for the convenience of the user. 
     The training elements incorporated into the vest  20  may be a series of elastic bands that may be stretched individually or in pairs. Though this discussion may describe and illustrate bands that are elastic, the bands themselves may be non-elastic and may have stretchable and adjustable means near their points of attachment. Such bands are known in the art and may provide a similar workout when incorporated into this vest. 
     There may be one rear band  34 , two upper side bands  35  and two lower side bands  36 . The bands may be attached in vertical array along the inside center line of the back panel  21 . Each band may pass through a guide tube  37  or binding, seen in  FIG. 1 , disposed along the inside of the back panel  21  of the vest  20 . The guide tube for the rear band  34  may extend upward to an opening  42  in the back panel  21 . The guide tubes for the upper side bands  35  and lower side bands  36  may extend to openings  43  in the left and right front panels  22  and  23 . Each opening  42  and  43  may be surrounded by a grommet  38  to protect the opening and prevent the fabric from fraying. The bands may pass through the openings  42  and  43  and may be attached to handles which may be disposed on the outside of the vest  20 . The handle at the end of the rear band  34  may be in the form of a handlebar  39  to which the band  34  may be affixed at its center. The handlebar  39  may rest at the top of the rear panel  21  at the back of the neck, and be held in place when not in use by means of two easily releasable support clips  40 , one over each shoulder. The clips  40  may hold the handlebar  39  securely when it is not in use so that it does not interfere with the user&#39;s movements and does not rub against the neck of the user. 
     The handles at the ends of the other bands  35  and  36  may be in the form of hand grips  41 . The upper side bands  35  may exit the vest  20  just below the midlevel  25  through openings  43  in each front panel  22  and  23 . The lower side bands  36  may exit the vest  20  at about hip level, just below the lowermost strap  24 , through openings  43  in each front panel  22  and  23 . The elastic nature of the bands may insure that the hand grips lie close to the openings and will not flop about or hinder the user. The specific location of the side bands and hand grips may also be conveniently situated for easy grasping when being utilized. 
     The elastic bands may be attached to the vest by means of small canisters. There may be one canister for the rear band  34  (rear band canister  44 ); one canister for the two upper side bands  35  (upper side band canister  45 ); and one canister for the two lower side bands  36  (lower side band canister  46 ). The canisters may not only function to anchor the bands to the back panel  21  of the vest, but may be essential to the adjustment of the resistance of the bands as determined by the abilities of the user. The three canisters may be essentially the same in structure except that the rear band canister  44  may accommodate only the single rear band  34  while the other two canisters  45  and  46  may each accommodate two bands. 
     The rear band  34  may have a first end  33  which may be attached to the rear band canister  44  and a second end  32  which may be attached to the handlebar  39 . The upper side bands  35  may each have a first end  47   a  for attachment to the upper band canister  45  and a second end  47   b  which may be attached to a hand grip  41 . And, the lower side bands  36  may each have a first end  48  for attachment to the lower band canister  46  and a second end  49  which may also be attached to a hand grip  41 . 
     The basic canister  50  may be seen in  FIG. 7 . There may be a cylindrical housing  51  having a flat bottom  52  and a removable cover  53  that may also be flat on its upper surface  54 . The cover  53  may have an annular downwardly facing rim  55  about its circumference. The rim  55  may fit closely over the upper edge of the housing  51  to essentially seal the housing  51  closed. There may be a spool  56  centrally disposed within the housing  51  and resting on the bottom  52  of the housing  51 . The head  59  of the spool  56  may be in the form of a flat sided geometric figure such as an octagon. See  FIGS. 7 and 8 . There may be a similarly shaped (octagonal) cutout  68  in the center of the cover  53  which may be seen in  FIG. 9 . The spool  56  may be of a height such that the upper surface  57  of the head  59  of the spool  56  may be even with the upper surface  54  of the cover  53  so that the head  59  may fit closely within this cutout  68 . 
     The spool  56  may have a cylindrical central portion  58  with both the octagonal head  59  and a circular base  60  being larger in circumference. There may be a central vertical bore  62  through the lower half of the central portion  58 . Disposed within the vertical bore  62  may be a tension spring  65  or a tension spring assembly  64 . The tension spring assembly  64  may be in the form of a hollow piston and a cylinder within which a tension spring  65  may be disposed. If there is just a tension spring  65 , it may be attached at its upper end to the top of the bore  62  and its lower end may be anchored through a small opening  63  to the bottom  52  of the housing  51 . When a tension spring assembly  64  is used (seen in  FIG. 11 ), the lower cylinder portion and spring  65  may be anchored to the bottom  52  of the housing  51  through the opening  63  and the piston portion may be affixed within the bore  62 . The spool  56  is essential to the operation of the canister  50  and it must be rotatable. The tension spring attachments may be made in such a manner that the spool remains rotatable. A small flip up tab  66  may be located in a depression in the upper surface  57  of the head  59  of the spool  56  to facilitate lifting the spool until the octagonal head  59  is clear of the cutout  68  and may be grasped and rotated. The elastic bands may be attached to the central portion  58  of the spool  56  (at its midpoint  61 ) and may be wound or unwound onto or from the spool  56  when the spool  56  is rotated. The tension spring  65  may also bias the spool  56  by keeping it in place so it is not easily dislodged and by returning it to its usual position when released after being rotated. The spool  56  may remain in place against the bottom  52  of the housing  50  by the tension spring  65  until lifted by the user. 
     In the upper band canister  45  and lower band canister  46  there may be two opposing openings  67  in the sides of the housing  51  at the level of the midpoint  61  of the spool  56 . The openings  67  may be seen in  FIGS. 7 and 9 . The rear band canister  44  may have only one opening. The elastic bands may extend outward of the canisters through these openings. The first ends of the elastic bands ( 33 ,  47   a ,  48 ) may be permanently attached to the spool by any means known in the art. 
     Since each user of the vest  20  may have different abilities or expectations, the bands may be made adjustable by means of the canisters  50 . The operation of the canisters may be as follows: the first ends of two elastic bands (one for the rear band canister) may be attached to the midpoint  61  of the spool  56 ; the second end of one elastic band may be threaded through one side opening  67  in the housing  51 , and the other through the opposing side opening  67 ; the second ends of the elastic bands may thereafter pass through the guides  37 , the openings  43  in the front panels  22  and  23  and be attached to the hand grips  41  which also prevent the bands from being drawn back through the openings  43 . To shorten or lengthen the bands and increase or decrease the resistance, the tab  66  on the top of the spool  56  may be flipped up and act as a handle to lift the spool  56  and pull it upward. The tension spring  65  may permit limited upward movement without the spool  65  being pulled completely out of the housing  51 . The spool  56  may be lifted upward until the octagonal head  59  is clear of the octagonal cutout  68 . The head  59  may then be grasped and rotated to wind or unwind the elastic bands onto or away from the spool  56 . When the desired length of the elastic bands has been achieved the head  59  may be released and may be automatically pulled back downward by the tension spring  65  until the head  59  is within the octagonal cutout  68  and the spool  56  rests against the bottom  52  of the housing  51 . The spool  56  may be locked into place through the tension in the spring  65 , and prevented from further rotation due to the flat sides of the geometric configuration (octagonal) of the head  59  and the cutout  68 . The flip tab  66  may be pressed down into the depression and may be even with the top surface  57  of the head  59  of the spool  56 . 
     The choice of a many sided geometric figure such as an octagon for the shape of the head  59  of the spool  56  and the cutout  68  may permit subtle changes in the lengths of the elastic bands. The more surfaces to the geometric shape, the smaller may be the increment of rotation and therewith the increment of the length of band wound or unwound onto or away from the spool  56 . It must be pointed out that the shape of the head of the spool and cutout may be triangular, square or any other angular shape. The angular shape may prevent the spool from rotating unless it is lifted and manually rotated. The increments of adjustment of the elastic bands may be dependent upon the number of sides chosen for the geometric configuration. The more sides, the smaller is each increment of adjustment. 
     To prevent the elastic bands from being over wound onto the spool  56 , there may be stop beads  69 , seen in  FIG. 1 , on the bands at a specific distance from the housing. The stop beads  69  may not fit through the side openings  67  of the housing  51 . When the elastic bands are being shortened, once the stop beads  69  reach the openings  67  in the housing  51 , the stop beads  69  may prevent the bands from being wound any further on to the spool  56 . The stop beads  69  may limit the amount of tension possible in each elastic band and by doing so may also preserve the elastic bands since they cannot be wound to a point where they might break and cause injury to the user or be stretched to the point of fatigue. Should an elastic band become detached from a spool, the stop beads  69  may also prevent that elastic band from completely passing through its exit opening  42  or  43  in the vest since the stop beads  69  may be large enough so they may not pass through these openings. 
     For easy access to the canisters they may be fastened into openings in the fabric of the back panel  21  of the vest  20 . This may be accomplished in several ways. One way may be to have an attachment flange  70  extending outward from the circumference of the cover  53  and coplanar with the top surface  54  of the cover  53 . This flange  70 , seen in  FIG. 10 , may be stitched or crimped to the edges of an opening in the fabric of the back panel  21 , or attached to the opening by any other means known in the art. A grommet may also be used for this purpose. The covers  53  of the canisters  50  and heads  59  of the spools  56  may be exposed along the outside of the back panel  21  of the vest  20  for easy access when the resistance of the bands is to be changed. See  FIGS. 3 and 5 . The housing  51  may lie inside the vest  20  so the elastic bands can extend from the canisters  50 , through the guide tubes  37  along the inside of the back panel  21  and right and left front panels  22  and  23 , and out of the vest through the openings  42  and  43  where they are attached to the handlebar  39  and hand grips  41 . 
     To make the vest more comfortable and to conceal the guide tubes  37  and canisters  50  from the inside of the vest  20 , there may be a lining  71  that covers the entire inside. The lining  71  may be sewn in place, or it may be attached by means of hook and loop fasteners  72  or any other suitable means known in the art to make it removable for washing. See  FIG. 1 . There may also be a padded strip (not illustrated) along the central vertical line of the lining  71  to prevent the canisters  50  from contact with the user&#39;s back. 
     In operation, the vest  20  may be donned in the usual manner and the four straps  24  and  26  closed in the front and adjusted as to length so that the vest lies close to the body but is not binding. The user then selects the particular band or bands to be used. If the rear band  34  is selected, the user may reach behind his or her head, grasp the rear handlebar  39  with both hands and lift the handlebar  39  away from the support clips  40 . The handlebar  39  may then be raised as far as possible then lowered according to the abilities of the user and the resistance of the rear band  34 . The rear band  34  may be designed to be moved primarily in an up and down motion through distance A-B as seen in  FIG. 5 . If the resistance is not satisfactory, the vest may be removed and the resistance increased or decreased by appropriately rotating the spool  56  of the rear band canister  44  to alter the length of the elastic band. The positioning of the rear band canister  44  may be important to the stretchability and resistance of the rear band  34 . If the rear band canister  44  is placed too high on the back panel  21  of the vest  20  the elastic rear band  34  may be too short to offer sufficient resistance variations and may leave little room for adjustment. The rear band canister  44  may be located below the uppermost strap  26  to provide a longer elastic band, smoother stretchability, and more resistance variations. When the user has completed the desired number of repetitions, the handlebar  39  may be returned to its position within the support clips  40  where it may remain out of the way and not interfere with further uses of the vest  20 . 
     If the lower side bands  36  are selected, the user may grasp one or both of the hand grips  41  attached to the lower side bands  36  and pull forward and to the side, through arc E-F, or in any up and down direction over long arc C-D as noted in  FIG. 4 . The lower side bands  36  may be pulled in an in-and-out motion at any angel within the arcs or they may be moved up and down or forward and back through all or a portion of the arcs. Thus the user may perform any motion that he or she might have performed using a hand weight. The upper side bands  35  may be similarly utilized by grasping one or both of the attached hand grips  41 . Again, the field of motion may cover a front to back arc I-J and a long up and down arc G-H. The upper side bands  35  may be also be pulled in an in and out, up and down or forward and back motion or at any angle through the arcs as seen in  FIG. 6 . The resistance on both the upper side bands  35  and the lower side bands  36  may be adjusted as needed by rotating the spools  56  in the appropriate canisters  45  and  46  as previously noted. As illustrated in  FIGS. 4 through 6 , the user of the vest  20  may be standing or seated. 
     Though the exercise vest  20  of the present invention may be used by any person, it may be particularly effective for persons who may have to be seated when exercising and for persons confined to wheelchairs. Often after an injury a person who must use a wheelchair does not have the upper body strength needed to propel the chair by rotating the side wheels. By using the exercise vest  20 , the necessary upper body strength may be attained. Since the tension and the resistance of the bands may be easily adjustable, one vest  20  may provide all of the exercise equipment the injured person may need to acquire the necessary upper body strength to become self sufficient. The resistance may be increased slowly according to the needs of the user. The specific configuration (octagonal) of the head  59  of the spool  56  may permit small and therefore subtle changes in the resistance so that the user may build up strength according to his or her own time frame and abilities. 
     The vest  20  may be constructed of any strong fabric that may be capable of accommodating the canisters and guide tubes. A nylon fabric may be preferable since it is non-absorbent, long lasting and strong. The removable lining may be of cotton which is absorbent or of a non-absorbent microfiber. Either may provide a soft material for the comfort of the user. The vest  20  may be made in any desirable color or color combination so that it may be attractive and serve to encourage exercising. The adjustable straps  24  and  26  may make it possible for persons of varying size to use the same vest  20 , but the vest  20  may also be made in any suitable range of sizes. 
     While one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited thereto and may be otherwise practiced within the scope of the following claims.