Exercise bar with head-accepting gap
An exercise bar including an elongated frame having two spaced hand grips with which the bar is grasped by the user during an exercise routine and a U-shaped mid-section which joins the hand grips to one another. Each hand grip accommodates a change in position of the wrists of the grasping hands relative to the frame as the bar is moved with the hands during an exercise routine. Furthermore, the opening of the U of the U-shaped mid-section provides a gap disposed between the hand grips which is sized to accommodate the passage of the mid-section over the head of the user without the need to lift the grips of the bar any higher than the user's head.
This invention relates generally to exercise equipment and relates, more particularly, to exercise equipment intended to be grasped by the hands of a user and moved between two positions during an exercise routine.
To perform a common curling exercise with a conventional, straight barbell bar, an individual stands on his feet and moves the bar between raised and lowered positions in front of the individual as the individual's hands remain grasped about the bar. When the bar is in the lowered position, the arms of the individual are straight and the bar (as well as the individual's hands) are positioned slightly below the individual's waist. By comparison, when the bar is in the raised position, the arms of the individual are bent at the elbows and the bar (as well as the individual's hands) are positioned adjacent (or slightly below) the individual's chin.
While the aforedescribed curling exercise is known to work the individual's biceps, the exercise does not work many more of the individual's muscles than the biceps. Consequently, such a curling exercise can be viewed as inefficient. It would be desirable to provide a bar for a curling exercise which works many more muscles of an individual than does a curling exercise performed with a conventional, straight bar.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved exercise bar for use during a curling exercise routine.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a bar which enables a user to perform a full body curl as the user moves the bar from a lowered position in front of the user's torso to a position located behind the user's head.
Still another object of the present invention to provide such a bar which does not have to be lifted entirely above the head in order to move the bar between a position disposed in front of the user's torso and a position situated behind the user's neck.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a bar which can be readily maneuvered between a position disposed in front of the user's torso and a position located behind the user's neck and which reduces any likelihood that the user's head will be struck by the bar during such a maneuvering of the bar.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide such a bar which is capable of supporting barbell weights added thereto for altering the total weight of the bar.
A further object of the present invention to provide such a bar which incorporates hand grips which reduce any likelihood that the wrists of the user will be exposed to undue strain during the performance of an exercise routine.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such a bar whose hand grips accommodate a degree of adjustment in position of the user's hands as the exercise bar is moved between two positions.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide such a bar whose hand grips accommodate an adjustment in position of the user's hands and forearms by enabling rotation of the user's hands and forearms as they are pivoted about the elbow joint during the performance of an exercise routine, such as a curling exercise routine, performed with the bar.
One more object of the present invention is to provide such a bar whose hand grips enable rotation of the hands and arms in a new and improved manner which reduces the imposing of undue or undesirable body stresses during an exercise routine.
Still one more object of the present invention is to provide such a bar which is uncomplicated in structure, yet effective in operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThis invention resides in an exercise bar for use during an exercise routine.
The exercise bar includes an elongated frame having two opposite ends and two hand grips with which the bar is grasped by the user during an exercise routine performed with the bar. Furthermore, each hand grip is associated with a corresponding end of the bar so that the two grips are spaced from one another, and the hand grips permit the user's hands grasped thereabout to be arranged so that the palms of the grasping hands face one another. In addition, the frame includes a mid-section which joins the opposite ends of the bar to one another and which provides a gap disposed between the hand grips which is sized to accommodate the passage of the mid-section over the head of the user without the need to lift the grips of the bar any higher than the user's head.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Turning now to the drawings in greater detail and considering first
Furthermore, the elongated frame 22 includes a U-shaped section 32 disposed midway along the length of the frame 22. The U of the U-shaped section 32 is positioned inboard of the hand grip assemblies 28, 30 and is sized to accommodate the passage therethrough of the user's head when the bar 20 is moved between first and second positions by the user. In particular and as is described in greater detail herein in conjunction with the use of the bar, the U of the U-shaped section 32 is sized to accommodate the passage therethrough of the user's head when the frame 22 is held by the hand grip assemblies 28, 30 adjacent the shoulders and is subsequently rotated with the wrists between a first position at which a major portion of the U-shaped section 32 is disposed forwardly of the user's head and a second position at which a major portion of the U-shaped section is disposed rearwardly of the user's head.
With reference still to
Each end section 34 or 36 is adapted to accept barbell weights placed thereupon to permit the user to alter the total weight of the bar 20 for an exercise routine. To this end, each end section 34 or 36 is sized to accept the central opening 38 of olympic-style barbell weights 40 (illustrated in phantom in
If desired, a through-opening 43 can be formed in the end of each end section 34 or 36 opposite the frame end 24 or 26 for accepting the threaded shank of a headed pin 45 (only one shown in
With reference again to
With reference to
The ring 56 of each hand grip assembly 28 or 30 is pivotally connected to the frame 22 in a manner which permits the wrists of the user to be adjusted in position, such as by either rotating the wrists or bending of the hands at the wrists, during an exercise routine to lessen the likelihood of wrist strain. In the depicted bar 20, each ring 56 is positioned within a corresponding C of an arcuate section 46 or 48 and is pivotally joined thereto by means of headed bolts 58 having shanks that loosely extend through openings provided at diametrically opposed locations on the sides of the ring 56. The bolts 58, in turn, are fixed, as by welding, to the arcuate sections 46, 48. A spacer 62 is positioned about the shank of each bolt 58 between the outer surface of the ring 56 and the inner surface of the corresponding arcuate section 46 or 48 to maintain the rings 56 centrally of the arcuate sections 46, 48.
As best shown in
The ring pivot axes 66 are fixed in position relative to the frame 22. For present purposes, the term “fixed pivot axis” should therefore be understood as referring to a pivot axis which is fixed in position relative to the frame 22 of the bar 20.
As best shown in
With reference still to
It follows that with the U-shaped section 32 fixedly joined to the remainder of the bar frame 22 as aforedescribed, a sizable U (i.e. the formed U 83) is provided between the two ends 24, 26 of the bar frame 22 or, more particularly, between the two hand grip assemblies 28. As will be apparent herein, the formed U 83 provides a gap which permits the passage of the user's head as the bar 20 is moved from a position disposed in front of the user's torso to a position disposed behind the user's neck. The U 83 of the depicted bar 20 has a width (as measured between the hand grip assemblies 28) of at least nine inches (e.g. about ten inches) and a depth (as measured along the legs 84, 86 of the U 83) of about eleven inches, but alternative dimensions can be had.
An advantage provided by the bar 20 relates to its capacity to be readily moved between a position disposed forwardly of the user's torso (e.g. a position adjacent the user's chest) and a position at which a major portion of the U-shaped section 32 is disposed rearwardly of the user's head as the bar 20 is pivoted at the wrists and the grips 50 are positioned adjacent the user's shoulders. In order to move, for example, the bar 20 from a position as illustrated in
By comparison and in order to return the bar 20 from its
The bar 20 is especially advantageous in that it permits a user to perform a full body curl exercise—which exercise cannot be performed with a conventional, straight barbell bar. More specifically and with reference to
It follows that as the bar 20 is moved from the
It also follows that the capacity of the grips 50 (and associated rings 56) to pivot about the axes 66 permits the hands of the user to pivot at the wrists throughout the performance of, or at least a portion of, a full body curl exercise. For example and as depicted in
The aforedescribed permitted rotation of the user's hands at the wrists throughout the performance of a full body curl routine reduces the likelihood of wrist strain as the bar 20 is moved between the
In addition to its use to perform a full body curl exercise routine as has been described above, the bar 20 can be used to perform behind-the-head presses as illustrated in
Although the bar 20 has not been depicted in
It will be understood that numerous modifications and substitutions can be had to the aforedescribed embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, although the aforedescribed bar 20 has been shown and described as including hand grips 50 which are capable of pivoting at the wrists during the performance of a full body curl (depicted in
Accordingly, the aforedescribed embodiment 20 is intended for the purpose of illustration and not as limitation.
Claims
1. An exercise bar for use during an exercise routine, the exercise bar comprising:
- an elongated frame having two opposite ends; and
- two hand grips with which the bar is grasped by the user during an exercise routine performed with the bar and wherein each hand grip is associated with a corresponding end of the bar so that the two grips are spaced from one another and wherein the hand grips permit the user's hands grasped thereabout to be arranged so that the palms of the grasping hands face one another; and
- wherein the frame includes a mid-section which joins the opposite ends of the bar to one another and which provides a gap disposed between the hand grips which is sized to accommodate the passage of the mid-section over the head of the user without the need to lift the grips of the bar any higher than the user's head.
2. The exercise bar as defined in claim 1 wherein the bar mid-section has a U-shaped form and wherein the U of the U-shaped form includes a base and two legs joined by the base, and each leg has an end disposed opposite the base, and each hand grip is secured to the frame adjacent the end of a corresponding leg of the U of the U-shaped form of the bar mid-section.
3. The exercise bar as defined in claim 2 wherein the hand grips are disposed outboard of the U of the U-shaped form of the bar mid-section.
4. The exercise bar as defined in claim 3 wherein the frame includes end sections disposed outboard of the hand grips which are adapted to accept barbell weights placed thereover.
5. The exercise bar as defined in claim 4 wherein the end sections are linear in form and aligned with one another along an axis which intersects the hand grips.
6. The exercise bar as defined in claim 1 wherein each hand grip is pivotally attached to the frame to accommodate a change in position of the wrists of the grasping hands relative to the frame as the bar is moved with the hands during an exercise routine.
7. The exercise bar as defined in claim 6 wherein each hand grip provides a grip axis and is pivotally secured to the frame for pivotal movement relative thereto about a pivot axis which is disposed substantially perpendicular to the grip axis.
8. The exercise bar as defined in claim 7 wherein the bar mid-section has a U-shaped form and wherein the U of the U-shaped form of the bar mid-section includes a base and two legs joined by the base, and each leg has an end disposed opposite the base, and each hand grip is secured to the frame adjacent the end of a corresponding leg of the U of the U-shaped form of the bar mid-section.
9. The exercise bar as defined in claim 1 wherein the gap disposed between the hand grips is at least about nine inches in width.
10. An exercise bar comprising:
- an elongated frame having two opposite ends and a U-shaped section disposed between the opposite ends;
- a pair of hand grips being disposed along the length of the frame so that the opening of the U of the U-shaped section is disposed between the hand grips, each hand grip being pivotally attached to the frame to accommodate a change in position of the wrists of the grasping hands relative to the frame as the bar is moved with the hands during an exercise routine; and
- the opening of the U of the U-shaped section is sized to permit the passage of the head of the user therethrough as the user holds the bar adjacent his shoulders by the hand grips and subsequently rotates the bar with his wrists between a first position at which a major portion of the bar mid-section is disposed forwardly of the user's head and a second position at which a major portion of the bar mid-section is disposed rearwardly of the user's head.
11. The exercise bar as defined in claim 10 wherein the U of the U-shaped section includes a base and two legs joined by the base, and each leg has an end disposed opposite the base, and each hand grip is secured to the frame adjacent the end of a corresponding leg of the U of the U-shaped section.
12. The exercise bar as defined in claim 11 wherein the hand grips are disposed outboard of the U of the U-shaped section.
13. The exercise bar as defined in claim 10 wherein the frame includes linear end sections disposed outboard of the hand grips which are adapted to accept barbell weights placed thereover.
14. The exercise bar as defined in claim 10 wherein each hand grip provides a grip axis and is pivotally secured to the frame for pivotal movement relative thereto about a pivot axis which is disposed substantially perpendicular to the grip axis.
15. The exercise bar as described in claim 10 wherein the U of the U-shaped section includes a base and two legs joined by the base, and each leg has an end disposed opposite the base, and each hand grip is secured to the frame adjacent the end of a corresponding leg of the U of the U-shaped section.
16. An exercise bar which is held by the hands of the user during the performance of an exercise routine, the exercise bar comprising:
- an elongated frame;
- a pair of ring members which are pivotally mounted within the frame at spaced locations therealong to accommodate the pivotal movement of each ring member about a corresponding pivot axis relative to the frame;
- a pair of elongated grips wherein each grip extends across and is fixedly secured to a corresponding ring member, and each grip is oriented along a grip axis which is substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis of the corresponding ring member so that as the user grasps the elongated grips and moves the exercise bar during an exercise routine, each ring member is permitted to pivot about its corresponding pivot axis; and
- the elongated frame includes a U-shaped section having a U which is disposed between the pair of ring members and wherein the U of the U-shaped section provides a gap which accommodates the passage of the U-shaped section over the head of the user without the need to lift the grips of the bar any higher than the user's head.
17. The exercise bar as defined in claim 16 wherein the pivot axes about which the ring members are permitted to pivot are coplanar.
18. The exercise bar as defined in claim 17 wherein the frame includes linear end sections disposed outboard of the hand grips which are adapted to accept barbell weights placed thereover and which are aligned with one another along an axis which intersects the hand grips, and the fixed pivot axes about which the ring members are permitted to pivot are substantially co-planar with said axis which intersects the hand grips.
19. The exercise bar as defined in claim 18 wherein the pivot axes about which the ring members are permitted to pivot are each oriented in an angular relationship with said axis which intersects the hand grips.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 23, 2004
Publication Date: Feb 23, 2006
Inventors: Larry Vittone (Hurley, WI), Suzanne Vittone (Hurley, WI), William Vittone (Oak Ridge, TN)
Application Number: 10/923,932
International Classification: A63B 21/06 (20060101); A63B 21/072 (20060101);