Exercise Device for Exercising Core Muscles

Abstract

An exercise device includes a base frame and a carriage. The base frame includes at least one curved track having a first end and a second end. The second end is elevated above the first end. The carriage is moveable between the first end and the second end of the curved track. The carriage includes a support frame having an axis of rotation, an upper body frame coupled to the support frame and rotatable about the axis of rotation and a resistance mechanism coupled to the upper body frame to resist pivoting of the upper body frame about the axis of rotation.

1 . An exercise device comprising:
 a base frame including at least one curved track having a first end and a second end, the second end of the curved track elevated above the first end of the curved track;   a carriage moveable between the first end and the second end of the curved track, the carriage comprising:
 a support frame having an axis of rotation; 
 an upper body frame coupled to the support frame and rotatable about the axis of rotation; and 
 a resistance mechanism coupled to the upper body frame to resist rotation of the upper body frame about the axis of rotation. 
   
     
     
         2 . The exercise device of  claim 1 , wherein the base frame comprises a support leg configured to elevate the second end of the curved track above the first end of the curved track. 
     
     
         3 . The exercise device of  claim 2 , wherein the support leg comprises a fixed member and a telescoping member, wherein the telescoping member is slidable within the fixed member and selectively adjust the elevation of the second end of the curved track above the first end of the curved track. 
     
     
         4 . The exercise device of  claim 1 , wherein the resistance mechanism is configured to bias the upper body frame towards one of a first and second neutral position and resist rotation of the upper body frame about the axis of rotation in one of a first direction and a second direction, wherein the first direction is towards the first end of the curved track and the second direction is towards the second end of the curved track. 
     
     
         5 . The exercise device of  claim 4 , wherein when the resistance mechanism resists rotation of the upper body frame about the axis of rotation in a first direction, the resistance mechanism prevent rotation about the axis of rotation in the second direction. 
     
     
         6 . The exercise device of  claim 4 , wherein when the resistance mechanism resists rotation of the upper body frame about the axis of rotation in a second direction, the resistance mechanism prevents rotation about the axis of rotation in the first direction. 
     
     
         7 . The exercise device of  claim 1 , wherein the resistance mechanism comprises at least one plate housing a spring mechanism that is couplable to the support frame and couplable to the upper body frame. 
     
     
         8 . The exercise device of  claim 7 , wherein the plate further comprises a plurality of apertures configured for receiving a pin attached to the upper body frame. 
     
     
         9 . The exercise device of  claim 8 , wherein the pin is configured to be selectively received in the one of the plurality of apertures, each aperture includes a provides the upper body frame to be placed in different neutral positions. 
     
     
         10 . The exercise machine of  claim 7 , wherein the resistance mechanism comprises a variable resistance mechanism by coupling a variable amount of plates to the support frame and to the upper body frame. 
     
     
         8 . The exercise machine of  claim 4 , wherein the resistance mechanism comprises a piston selectively couplable to positions along an upper bar attached to the upper body frame and selectively couplable to positions along a lower bar attached to the support frame, wherein the coupling the piston to the upper bar provides resistance to the upper body frame and coupling the piston to the lower bar changes 
     
     
         11 . The exercise device of  claim 4 , wherein the resistance mechanism comprises a piston that is couplable to a lower bar attached to the support frame and couplable to an upper bar attached to the upper body frame, the upper bar including a first end, a second end, a plurality of first end apertures and a plurality of second end apertures and the lower bar including a first end, a second end, a first end aperture and a second end aperture. 
     
     
         12 . The exercise device of  claim 11 , wherein the piston is couplable to the upper bar through the second end apertures and to the lower bar through the second end aperture to resist the upper body frame from rotating about the axis of rotation in the second direction and to prevent the upper body frame from rotating about the axis of rotation in the first direction. 
     
     
         13 . The exercise device of  claim 11 , wherein the plate is couplable to the upper bar through the first end apertures and to the lower bar through the first end aperture to resist the upper body frame from rotating about the axis of rotation in the first direction and to prevent the upper body frame from rotating about the axis of rotation in the second direction. 
     
     
         14 . The exercise machine of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of first end apertures and the plurality of second end aperture provide resistance mechanism with selective variable resistance. 
     
     
         15 . The exercise device of  claim 1 , wherein the resistance mechanism provides variable resistance. 
     
     
         16 . A method of performing an exercise comprising:
 moving a carriage between a first end and a second end of at least one curved track, wherein the second end is elevated above the first end; and   rotatably actuating an upper body frame coupled to the carriage about an axis of rotation, the upper body frame coupled to a resistance mechanism to resist rotation of the upper body frame about the axis of rotation.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising selectively adjusting a support leg supporting the elevation of the second end above the elevation of the first end. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein rotatably actuating the upper body frame comprises rotatably actuating the upper body frame in one of a first direction and a second direction, wherein the first direction is towards the first ends of the curved track and the second direction is towards the second ends of the curved track. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein resistance mechanism simultaneously resists rotation of the upper body frame about the axis of rotation in the first direction and prevents rotation of the upper body frame about the axis of rotation in the second direction. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein resistance mechanism simultaneously resists rotation of the upper body frame about the axis of rotation in the second direction and prevents rotation of the upper body frame about the axis of rotation in the first direction.