Patent ID: 7625315

Claim:
An exercise system for enabling a user to exercise on a variety of different types of exercise apparatuses, the exercise system comprising: a plurality of exercise apparatuses, wherein a first exercise apparatus of the plurality of exercise apparatuses compnses: a frame; a housing coupled to and at least partially surrounding said frame; a user engagement mechanism coupled to said frame for relative movement with respect thereto; a resistance varying mechanism coupled between said frame and said user engagement mechanism, said resistance varying mechanism being operative in response to control signals to cause a change of an exertion by the user engaged with the user engagement mechanism during an exercise session; and control circuitry electrically coupled to said resistance varying mechanism for communicating said control signals to said resistance varying mechanism, said control circuitry having an input; and a storage device storing said control signals and the voice of a virtual personal trainer, wherein said control signals and said voice of a virtual personal trainer are interrelated, said digital storage device being coupled to said input of said control circuitry whereby said first exercise apparatus can be operated within an exercise session by varying a resistance of said user engagement mechanism in accordance with said control signals with the accompaniment of said voice of said virtual personal trainer, the exercise session comprising use of said plurality of exercise apparatuses, wherein said first exercise apparatus is adapted for communication with a second exercise apparatus of said plurality of exercise apparatuses such that said control signals from said storage device of said first exercise apparatus can cause a change of an exertion by the user when the user is engaged with said second exercise apparatus during the exercise session, and wherein said voice of said virtual personal trainer of said first exercise apparatus is adapted to provide instructions regarding use of both said first and second exercise apparatuses of said plurality of exercise apparatuses during the exercise session, and wherein said first and said second exercise apparatuses are different types of exercise apparatuses such that the user can exercise on a variety of different exercise apparatuses with the accompaniment of said voice of said virtual personal trainer.