Patent ID: 8177695

Claim:
An abdominal training machine comprising: a frame comprising (i) a base for stabilizing said machine, (ii) a first support arm extending upward from said base with a first pivot point and a first stop peg, and (iii) a second support arm extending upward from said base in parallel to said first support arm with a second pivot point and a second stop peg; a linearly angled backrest that is linearly inclined with respect to the ground surface and that is attached to said frame at a position in between said first and second support arms with a vertical offset below said first and second pivot points at a position of said first and second pivot points, wherein said backrest supports a user in a supine position with hips of the user in alignment with the first and second pivot points; a first resistance member connected to said first pivot point and for rotating about a first side of the backrest at said first pivot point; and a second resistance member connected to said second pivot point and for rotating about a second side of the backrest at said second pivot point, wherein each particular resistance member of said first and second resistance members comprises: (i) a first shaft extending downwards from a pivot point to abut one of said first and second stop pegs of said first and second support arms to establish a default starting position of the particular resistance member, said first shaft comprising a weight assembly for adjusting an amount of weight used as resistance against an upward arcing rotation of the particular resistance member; and (ii) a second shaft comprising a pad against which to generate sufficient force to overcome resistance applied to the first shaft and cause said upward arcing rotation of the particular resistance member along an arcing trajectory with a position of the pad following movement of a user's leg along said arcing trajectory from said default starting position with the user's leg about parallel with the user's upper body to an end position with the user's leg in front and about perpendicular with the front facing side of the user's upper body, and wherein the default starting position for the particular resistance member positions said first shaft about vertical and said second shaft about parallel with said linearly angled backrest.