Patent ID: 7083552

Claim:
A safety mechanism for a weightlifting system, comprising: an upwardly-projecting extension defining a series of aligned apertures; a pawl retractably fittable into any one of said aligned apertures, said pawl biased towards said upwardly-projecting extension, said pawl preventing downward movement of the weightlifting system when fitted into one of said aligned apertures; a retraction lever enabling retraction of said pawl away from said upwardly-projecting extension and allowing free motion of the weightlifting system, said retraction lever engageable by a weightlifter to retract said pawl from said upwardly-projecting extension; a pivoting shoulder-engaging mechanism coupled to said pawl and said retraction lever, said pivoting shoulder-engaging mechanism moveable with respect to said upwardly-projecting extension; first and second handles coupled to said pivoting shoulder-engaging mechanism for manual engagement by a weightlifter, said first handle proximate said retraction lever for simultaneous manual engagement of both said first handle and said retraction lever by said weightlifter; a base for supporting the weightlifting system, said base coupled to said upwardly-projecting extension; a foot plate coupled to said base for engagement by the feet of said weightlifter; a calf-raise bar proximately adjacent a rear portion of said foot plate; a central post descending from said upwardly-projecting extension, said central post coupled at an opposite end to said base; first and second opposing support posts, each opposing support post coupled at first ends to said central post and at second ends to said base; a forwardly-extending projection coupled at a first end to said central post and pivotingly coupled at a second end to said shoulder-engaging mechanism, said forwardly-extending projection projecting away from said central post a distance that enables said weightlifter to lift weights via said pivoting shoulder-engaging mechanism through a range of motion from squatting to standing; and a latch coupled to and retracting with said pawl, said latch engageable with said first support post when said pivoting shoulder-engaging mechanism is in a lower position, said latch holding said pivoting shoulder-engaging mechanism proximate to said first and second support posts.