Grip sleeve for exercise bar

Abstract

A grip sleeve for an exercise bar grip surface. The grip sleeve includes a tubular member having a thickness and a longitudinal length sized to accommodate a user's hand. The thickness defined by the distance between an outer surface of the tubular member and an inner surface of the tubular member. The inner surface sized to substantially surround a grip surface of the exercise bar. The cut extends across the entire longitudinal length and through the thickness for removeably securing the member to the exercise bar. The tubular member is formed of an elastic material such that the cut can be forced apart from a closed position to an open position by a user in order to removeably secure the sleeve on the exercise bar. The material being biased to return the cut to the closed position when no longer forced apart.

1 . A grip sleeve for an exercise bar grip surface, the sleeve comprising:
 a tubular member including a thickness and a longitudinal length sized to accommodate a user's hand, the thickness defined by the distance between an outer surface of the tubular member and an inner surface of the tubular member, wherein the thickness is substantially constant across the longitudinal length, the inner surface sized to substantially surround a grip surface of the exercise bar, wherein a cut extends across the entire longitudinal length and through the thickness for removeably securing the member to the exercise bar, wherein the tubular member is formed of an elastic material such that the cut can be forced apart from a closed position to an open position by a user in order to removeably secure the sleeve on the exercise bar, the material being biased to return the cut to the closed position when no longer forced apart.   
   
   
       2 . The grip sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the tubular member has a generally circular cross- sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal length. 
   
   
       3 . The grip sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the tubular member has at least one of a triangular, square, hexagonal and octagonal cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal length. 
   
   
       4 . The grip sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the cut forms a gap in the tubular member, wherein opposed inner walls of the tubular member form the gap, wherein in the closed position the opposed inner walls are spaced apart from one another. 
   
   
       5 . The grip sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the tubular member includes more than one tubular layer, wherein upon installation on the exercise bar an inner surface of a first layer engages the exercise bar, wherein at least one second layer is removeably secured to and substantially surrounds the first layer. 
   
   
       6 . The grip sleeve of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one second layer is formed of at least two further layers, wherein each of the at least two further layers is capable of being removeably secured to one another and can be separated from one anther by a user without the use of a tool. 
   
   
       7 . The grip sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface includes at least one of grooves and elongate protrusions. 
   
   
       8 . The grip sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface includes at least one of grooves and elongate protrusions. 
   
   
       9 . The grip sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the cut forms opposed inner walls of the tubular member, whereby in the closed position the opposed inner walls abut one another, wherein the inner surface of the tubular member is sized smaller than an outer circumference of the exercise bar grip surface, wherein upon installation on the exercise bar grip surface the cut will not return to a closed position. 
   
   
       10 . The grip sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the tubular member is sized larger than an outer circumference of the exercise bar grip surface, whereby upon installation on the exercise bar grip surface at least one gap is formed between the inner surface and the exercise bar grip surface. 
   
   
       11 . The grip sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the tubular member is formed with a low coefficient of friction, whereby upon installation the tubular member is rotatably secured to the exercise bar. 
   
   
       12 . The grip sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the tubular member includes at least one of a high coefficient of friction and an adhesive, whereby upon installation the tubular member resists rotation relative to the first exercise bar. 
   
   
       13 . The grip sleeve of  claim 12 , wherein the inner surface of the tubular member includes an adhesive. 
   
   
       14 . The grip sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface has a first cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal length and the inner surface has a second cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal length, wherein the first and second cross-sectional shapes are a different geometric shape. 
   
   
       15 . The grip sleeve of  claim 14 , wherein the first cross-sectional shape is formed as one of a circle, triangle, square, hexagon or octagon and the second cross sectional shape is formed as a different one of a circle, triangle, square, hexagon or octagon. 
   
   
       16 . The grip sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein an inside surface texture of the member is different from an outside surface texture of the member, wherein one of the inside surface texture and the outside surface texture has a higher coefficient of friction as compared to the other of the inside surface texture and the outside surface texture. 
   
   
       17 . A method of performing exercise using a grip sleeve on an exercise bar grip surface, the method comprising:
 applying a base grip sleeve to a first exercise bar, the base grip sleeve including a tubular member having a thickness and a longitudinal length, the thickness defined by the distance between an outer surface of the tubular member and an inner surface of the tubular member, wherein the thickness is substantially constant across the longitudinal length, the inner surface sized to fit over a substantial portion of a gripping surface of the first exercise bar, wherein a cut extends across the entire longitudinal length and through the thickness for removeably securing the member to the first exercise bar, wherein during the application of the base grip sleeve to the first exercise bar the tubular member is forced apart at the cut from a closed position to an open position and then the gripping surface is forced through the cut until the base grip sleeve substantially surrounds a portion of the first exercise bar;   performing an exercise while holding the base grip sleeve applied to the first exercise bar; and   manually removing the base grip sleeve from the first exercise bar without the use of a tool.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 prior to the performing of the exercise, removeably securing at least one second grip sleeve to the base grip sleeve in substantially the same way the base grip sleeve was applied to the first exercise bar.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 prior to removing the base grip sleeve from the first exercise bar yet subsequent to performing the exercise, removeably securing at least one second grip sleeve to the base grip sleeve in substantially the same way the base grip sleeve was applied to the first exercise bar.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 applying the base grip to a second exercise bar in substantially the same way the base grip was previously applied to the first exercise bar.