Patent ID: 7846077

Claim:
An apparatus for exercising the oblique abdominal muscles of a user, the apparatus comprising: a curved elongate track having first and second ends and a middle portion, said elongate track being positionable transverse to a user; a carriage movable along said track, said carriage being biased toward said middle portion of said track; an arm extending substantially vertically and perpendicular from said carriage and having a base end and an opposite free distal end, and wherein said arm is elongate and substantially linear and provides spaced apart first and second gripping portions separated along the length of said arm, and wherein said first gripping portion is a handle at said free distal end and said second gripping portion is spaced between said base end and said handle; wherein said base end is mounted to said carriage by a joint for pivoting said arm relative to said carriage in a pivoting motion substantially that of mopping a floor using said arm, whereby the application by the user of an alternating mopping motion torque applied to said first and second gripping portions of said arm urges said carriage in a corresponding reciprocating motion on said track; wherein said joint means includes a ball and socket joint; wherein said handle is rotatably secured to said arm for free rotation of said handle relative to said second gripping portion during said pivoting motion of said arm, and wherein said handle is pivotally secured to said arm whereby said handle is pivotable out of said collinearity with said arm; a resistor for resisting the movement of said carriage along said track, said resistor comprises retaining at least a portion of said track between at least two wheels mounted on said carriage, at least one of said at least two wheels having a rolling friction resistance on said track, said at least one of said at least two wheels is adjustably engaged upon said track by a clamping mechanism for changing rolling friction resistance between said track and said wheels, and said clamping mechanism comprising a scissor jack.