Patent ID: 8172729

Claim:
An exercise treadmill having a movable surface for walking or running while exercising, comprising: a) a resistance mechanism for providing a resistance for simulating the pushing or pulling of a load, wherein the resistance can be adjusted and set to a specific resistance setting, wherein the resistance mechanism is a moment arm weight resistance means comprising: i) a cantilevered moment arm pivotally attached to an upright at a pivot point; ii) an adjustable weight attached to the moment arm; and iii) a weight adjusting drive for adjusting the adjustable weight along the moment arm, wherein the position of the adjustable weight along the moment arm creates a moment about the pivot point; and b) a movable pushing and pulling means operatively attached to the resistance mechanism, whereby movement of the pushing and pulling means actuates the resistance mechanism, wherein the movable surface moves in a direction simulating walking or running forwards and backwards, wherein the resistance mechanism exerts an approximately constant and static counterforce to the pushing and pulling means generally only in the same direction as an upper run of the movable surface is moving and opposite a direction of the pushing and pulling means, and whereby operation of the treadmill simulates the pushing or pulling of a load by a combination of (i) gripping and pushing or pulling the pushing and pulling means in a pushing or pulling direction, respectively, to actuate the resistance mechanism to simulate the load and (ii) the walking or running forward or backward on the movable surface, to provide the pushing or pulling action, respectively.