Patent ID: 8460164

Claim:
An exercise apparatus comprising: a lifting bar having oppositely-disposed ends and a gripping portion therebetween; first and second frames, each of the first and second frames comprising a support member and a base adapted to support the support member in a vertical orientation when the base is on a horizontal surface, each of the support members having a distal end opposite the base thereof and a series of adjustment holes therethrough that are sufficiently large to receive one of the ends of the lifting bar, the support member of the first frame having a cavity that is sufficiently large to slidably receive at least a portion of the support member of the second frame and an opening in the distal end thereof through which the support member of the second frame can enter the cavity, each of the bases of the first and second frames having at least one stowage hole therethrough that is sufficiently large to receive one of the ends of the lifting bar; and means for securing the ends of the lifting bar within a pair of the adjustment holes of the support members while the gripping portion of the lifting bar is between the support members; wherein the first and second frames and the lifting bar are assemblable to define a deployed configuration of the exercise apparatus in which the support members of the first and second frames are parallel to each other, the ends of the lifting bar are received within a pair of the adjustment holes of the support members, the gripping portion of the lifting bar is between the support members, and the securing means retain the lifting bar within the pair of the adjustment holes; and wherein the first and second frames and the lifting bar are assemblable to define a stowed configuration of the exercise apparatus in which the support member of the second frame is slidably received in the support member of the first frame to define a stowed axis of the exercise apparatus, the stowage holes in the bases of the first and second frames are aligned along an axis parallel to the stowed axis, the ends of the lifting bar are received within the stowage holes in the bases, and the securing means simultaneously retain the lifting bar on the bases and the support member of the second frame within the support member of the first frame.