Patent ID: 7575537

Claim:
An exercise treadmill of the type having an endless moveable surface looped around rollers or pulleys to form an upper run and a lower run, the movable surface being rotated when one of the rollers or pulleys is rotated, and an exercise surface for walking or running while exercising, comprising: a) a weight resistance mechanism for providing a weight resistance for simulating the dragging or pulling of a load, wherein the weight resistance can be adjusted and set to a specific weight resistance setting; b) a movable hand controller operatively attached to the weight resistance mechanism for operating and controlling the exercise treadmill and the weight resistance mechanism, wherein the endless movable surface moves in a direction simulating walking or running backwards, wherein the weight resistance mechanism is selected from the group consisting of moment arm weight resistance mechanisms, pneumatic weight resistance mechanisms, hydraulic weight resistance mechanisms, and electric motor clutch brake weight resistance mechanisms, and wherein the weight resistance mechanism exerts an approximately constant and static counterforce to the hand controller generally only in the same direction as the endless movable surface moves and opposite a pulling direction, whereby operation of the treadmill simulates the dragging or pulling of a load by a combination of the actuation of the weight resistance mechanism to simulate the load and the walking or running backwards to provide the dragging or pulling action.