Upper Body Exercise Apparatus, Method and System

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus, method and system for a human individual to exercise his body in a novel manner wherein the user, when he is in the prone position, is able to move his arms, while holding the instant apparatus placed on a relatively flat surface, in all three planes of human motion simultaneously; i.e. saggital, frontal and transverse planes.

1 . An upper body exercise apparatus, comprising:
 two identical devices wherein a user grasps a cylindrically shaped handle generally oriented parallel to a supporting surface, on each device with each of his hands, being mounted in, and supported by a support structure that is generally oriented perpendicular to said supporting surface, said support structure being connected to and supported by a solid base, in said solid base there are three or more spherically shaped rollers placed in half spherically shaped recesses within said base, the spherically shaped rollers being held within said base by a retaining plate mounted on the bottom of said base, high hertz contact strength bearing material being bonded to said half spherical shaped recesses located within said base thereby providing a low friction interface of the moving spherically shaped rollers and the stationary recesses in said base, and said recesses capturing the upper half of said rollers, said spherically shaped rollers then permitting a user positioned in the prone position, to slide each of the two identical devices simultaneously while said user is grasping the handles of each devices in each of his hands, across a relatively flat surface, and in any direction simultaneously and independently, thereby allowing said user the capability of exercising said user's muscles and joints in said user's saggital plane, and laterally in said user's frontal plane, and through said user's arm sweep rotation motions about a user's shoulders in the transverse plane, or in any possible combination of these aforesaid motions.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein there is also a brake bar mounted parallel to said device's handle, and located so that a user may grasp and then squeeze said brake bar to increase the resistance for said spherical rollers rolling, said resistance being increased by having said brake bar actuating, through connecting links or cable, friction material mounted within said base and said friction material applied to said spherical rollers through open slots located in the spherical roller recesses in said base, thereby giving the user greater control of his own exercise mobility and resistance. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the base and handle support structure are fabricated as one molded piece. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the base and handle are an assembly of two separate pieces. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the handle is an assembly of two cylindrically shaped solid pieces, wherein said two pieces are concentrically assembled with a small radial clearance between said two pieces, thereby allowing said two pieces to rotate relative to one another, while the user is grasping the outer cylindrical handle piece. 
     
     
         6 . An upper body exercise method, comprising:
 two identical devices wherein a user is grasping a cylindrically shaped handle generally oriented parallel to a supporting surface, on each device with each of his hands, being mounted in, and supported by a support structure that is generally oriented perpendicular to said supporting surface, said support structure being connected to and supported by a solid base, in said solid base there are three or more spherically shaped rollers placed in half spherically shaped recesses within said base, the spherically shaped rollers being held within said base by a retaining plate mounted on the bottom of said base, high hertz contact strength bearing material being bonded to said half spherical shaped recesses located within said base thereby providing a low friction interface of the moving spherically shaped rollers and the stationary recesses in said base, and said recesses capturing the upper half of said rollers, said spherically shaped rollers then permitting a user positioned in the prone position, to slide each of the two identical devices simultaneously while said user is grasping the handles of each devices in each of his hands, across a relatively flat surface, and in any direction simultaneously and independently, thereby allowing said user the capability of exercising said user's muscles and joints in said user's saggital plane, and laterally in said user's frontal plane, and through said user's arm sweep rotation motions about a user's shoulders in the transverse plane, or in any possible combination of these aforesaid motions.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein there is also a brake bar mounted parallel to said device's handle, and located so that a user may grasp and then squeeze said brake bar to increase the resistance for said spherical rollers rolling, said resistance being increased by having said brake bar actuating, through connecting links or cable, friction material mounted within said base and said friction material applied to said spherical rollers through open slots located in the spherical roller recesses in said base, thereby giving the user greater control of his own exercise mobility and resistance. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the base and handle support structure are fabricated as one molded piece. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , assembling the base and handle from two separate pieces. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , assembling the handle from two cylindrically shaped solid pieces, wherein said two pieces are concentrically assembled with a small radial clearance between said two pieces, thereby allowing said two pieces to rotate relative to one another, while the user is grasping the outer cylindrical handle piece. 
     
     
         11 . An upper body exercise system, comprising:
 two identical devices wherein a user grasps a cylindrically shaped handle generally oriented parallel to a supporting surface, on each device with each of his hands, being mounted in, and supported by a support structure that is generally oriented perpendicular to said supporting surface, said support structure being connected to and supported by a solid base, in said solid base there are three or more spherically shaped rollers placed in half spherically shaped recesses within said base, the spherically shaped rollers being held within said base by a retaining plate mounted on the bottom of said base, high hertz contact strength bearing material being bonded to said half spherical shaped recesses located within said base thereby providing a low friction interface of the moving spherically shaped rollers and the stationary recesses in said base, and said recesses capturing the upper half of said rollers, said spherically shaped rollers then permitting a user positioned in the prone position, to slide each of the two identical devices simultaneously while said user is grasping the handles of each devices in each of his hands, across a relatively flat surface, and in any direction simultaneously and independently, thereby allowing said user the capability of exercising said user's muscles and joints in said user's saggital plane, and laterally in said user's frontal plane, and through said user's arm sweep rotation motions about a user's shoulders in the transverse plane, or in any possible combination of these aforesaid motions.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein there is also a brake bar mounted parallel to said device's handle, and located so that a user may grasp and then squeeze said brake bar to increase the resistance for said spherical rollers rolling, said resistance being increased by having said brake bar actuating, through connecting links or cable, friction material mounted within said base and said friction material applied to said spherical rollers through open slots located in the spherical roller recesses in said base, thereby giving the user greater control of his own exercise mobility and resistance. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the base and handle support structure are fabricated as one molded piece. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the base and handle are an assembly of two separate pieces. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the handle is an assembly of two cylindrically shaped solid pieces, wherein said two pieces are concentrically assembled with a small radial clearance between said two pieces, thereby allowing said two pieces to rotate relative to one another, while the user is grasping the outer cylindrical handle piece.