Abstract: An exercise apparatus for safely assisting a person to lift weights which incorporates concurrently functioning vertical and horizontal guidance mechanisms. The exercise apparatus is comprised of a frame including two rectangularly shaped parallel aligned structures having four horizontally extending support members, a lifting bar, a horizontal guidance mechanism, and a vertical guidance mechanism. The horizontal support members function also as the horizontal guidance bars. Each horizontal guidance bar has a bearing block slidably attached thereto via a linear bearing. Pairs of bearing blocks are connected to the ends of two vertically extending guidance bars which move horizontally via their attachment to the bearing blocks. Similarly, the vertical bars have bearing blocks with linear bearings attached thereto which are also connected to the ends of the lifting bar.