Adaptive resistance exerting exercise apparatus

Abstract

An exercise apparatus comprising a weight stack, a flexible elongated cable having a downstream portion that is interconnected to a user selectable number of the one or more individual bodies of weight and to a second resistance device, a manually movable actuating device interconnected to a proximal end of the cable, a downstream portion of the cable being interconnected to the one or more individual bodies of weight and to the second resistance device in an arrangement that pulls on both the one or more individual bodies of weight and the second resistance device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An exercise apparatus comprising:
 a weight stack comprised of one or more individual bodies of weight,   a flexible elongated cable having a downstream portion that is connected to a manifold that is connected to both a user selectable number of the one or more individual bodies of weight and to a second resistance device, the one or more individual bodies of weight exerting a first resistance and the second resistance device exerting a second resistance,   a manually movable actuating device interconnected to a proximal end of the flexible elongated cable, the manually movable actuating device being manually movable by the user to exert an exercise speed, velocity, force, energy or power through the flexible elongated cable to the downstream portion of the flexible elongated cable and the manifold, the manifold pulling via the flexible elongated cable directly against a weight of the one or more individual bodies of weight and against the second resistance device,   the second resistance exerted by the second resistance device increasing non-linearly with an increase in degree of the exercise speed, velocity, force, energy or power exerted on the manually movable actuating device or on the second resistance device by the user.   
     
     
         2 . An exercise apparatus comprising:
 a weight stack comprised of one or more individual bodies of discrete non-variable weight,   a flexible elongated cable having a proximal end and a downstream portion extending downstream from the proximal end of the flexible elongated cable,   the downstream portion of the flexible elongated cable being interconnected to a user selectable number of the one or more individual bodies of discrete non-variable weight that exert a first resistance and to a second resistance device that exerts a second resistance,   a manually movable actuating device interconnected to the proximal end of the flexible elongated cable,   the flexible elongated cable being arranged such that the manually movable actuating device is manually engageable and movable by the user to exert an exercise speed, a velocity, a force, an energy or a power on the proximal end of the flexible elongated cable that extends to the downstream portion of the flexible elongated cable, the downstream portion of the flexible elongated cable being directly connected both to the one or more individual bodies of discrete non-variable weight and to the second resistance device in an arrangement that pulls in one direction on the one or more individual bodies of discrete, non-variable weight and pulls against the second resistance device,   the second resistance device exerting a degree of second resistance to movement of the manually movable actuating device that varies non-linearly with the degree of exercise speed, velocity, force, energy or power exerted on the actuating device or on the second resistance device.   
     
     
         3 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 1  wherein movement of the manually movable actuating device by the user effects mechanical movement of a movable component of the second resistance device that increases the degree of the degree of the second resistance non-linearly with the degree of increase in the exercise speed or velocity of movement exerted on the movable component of the second resistance device or the manually movable actuating device. 
     
     
         4 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the degree of the second resistance varies geometrically or exponentially with the exercise speed, velocity, force, energy or power exerted on the manually movable actuating device or the second resistance device. 
     
     
         5 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the manually movable actuating device comprises a handle, a pivotable lever or a wheel interconnected to the proximal end of the flexible elongated cable. 
     
     
         6 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 2  wherein a manifold is selectively interconnectable to a selectable number of the one or more individual bodies of discrete non-variable weight. 
     
     
         7 . A method of performing a weight lifting exercise on an exercise apparatus comprised of a weight stack comprised of one or more individual bodies of weight, a flexible elongated cable having a proximal end interconnected to a manually movable actuating device and a downstream portion extending downstream from the proximal end of the flexible elongated cable,
 the method comprising:   connecting the downstream portion of the flexible elongated cable directly to a user selectable number of the one or more individual bodies of weight,   arranging the flexible elongated cable such that the manually movable actuating device is interconnected to the proximal end of the flexible elongated cable and is manually engageable by the user to exert an exercise speed, velocity, force, energy or power on the proximal end of the cable via the manually movable actuating device to the downstream portion of the flexible elongated cable,   interconnecting the downstream portion of the flexible elongated cable in an arrangement such that the downstream portion of the flexible elongated cable pulls in one direction on the one or more individual bodies of weight via the exercise speed, the velocity, the force, the energy or the power exerted by the user,   connecting the downstream portion of the flexible elongated cable directly to a second resistance mechanism in an arrangement that pulls on the second resistance mechanism such that the second resistance mechanism exerts a second resistance against the exercise speed, velocity, force, energy or power in a direction opposite the one direction,   adapting the second resistance mechanism to exert the second resistance in a manner that varies non-linearly with one or more of the degree of the exercise speed, velocity, force, energy or power exerted by the user on the second resistance mechanism.   
     
     
         8 . The method of performing a weight lifting exercise on an exercise apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the second resistance mechanism is adapted to exert the second resistance in a manner that varies either exponentially or geometrically with the degree of the exercise speed, velocity, force, energy or power exerted by the user. 
     
     
         9 . The method of performing a weight lifting exercise on an exercise apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising adapting the second resistance mechanism to include a mechanical member that mechanically moves in response to the exercise speed, the velocity, the force, the energy or the power exerted by the user, the movement of the mechanical member mechanically generating the second resistance to vary non-linearly with exercise speed, velocity, force, energy or power exerted by the user. 
     
     
         10 . The method of performing a weight lifting exercise on an exercise apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising adapting the second resistance mechanism to exert the second resistance in a manner that varies exponentially or geometrically with the degree of the exercise speed, velocity, force, energy or power exerted by the user on the second resistance mechanism or the manually movable actuating device. 
     
     
         11 . An exercise apparatus comprising:
 a weight stack comprised of one or more individual bodies of discrete non-variable weight,   a flexible elongated cable having a proximal end and a downstream portion extending downstream from the proximal end of the flexible elongated cable,   the downstream portion of the flexible elongated cable being interconnected to a manifold that is directly connectable to a user selectable number of one or more individual bodies of weight that exert a first resistance and directly connected to a second resistance device that exerts a second resistance,   a manually movable actuating device interconnected to the proximal end of the cable,   the cable being arranged such that the manually movable actuating device is manually engageable and movable by the user to exert an exercise speed, a velocity, a force, an energy or a power on the proximal end of the flexible elongated cable that extends to the downstream portion of the flexible elongated cable and the manifold, the manifold being directly connected to the one or more individual bodies of discrete non-variable weight in an arrangement that acts to pull in one direction on the one or more individual bodies of discrete, non-variable weight and to pull on the second resistance device,   the manifold being directly connected to a movable component of the second resistance device such that an increase in the user's exertion of the exercise speed, velocity, force, energy or power on the manually movable actuating device results in movement of the movable component which exerts a degree of second resistance to movement of the actuating device that increases non-linearly with an increase in the degree of the exercise speed, velocity, force, energy or power exerted on the movable component or on the manually movable actuating device.   
     
     
         12 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the wherein the second resistance varies exponentially or geometrically with the degree of the exercise speed, velocity, force, energy or power exerted on the movable component or on the manually movable actuating device. 
     
     
         13 . An exercise apparatus comprising:
 first and second manually movable actuating devices, each being interconnected to first and second cables respectively, the first and second cables being directly connected to first and second weight stacks respectively each comprised of first and second sets of one or more individual bodies of weight,   the first and second cables each having first and second downstream portions respectively interconnected to the first and second sets of the one or more individual bodies of weight and to third and fourth resistance devices respectively, the first and second sets of one or more individual bodies of weight exerting first and second resistances respectively and the third and fourth resistance devices exerting third and fourth resistances,   the first and second manually movable actuating devices being respectively interconnected to first and second proximal ends of the first and second cables, the first and second manually movable actuating devices being manually movable by the user to exert first and second exercise speeds, velocities, forces, energies or powers respectively through the first and second cables to the first and second downstream portions of first and second cables, the first and second downstream portions of the first and second cables respectively pulling directly against a weight of the first and second sets of the one or more individual bodies of weight and against the third and fourth resistance devices,   the third and fourth resistances exerted by the third and fourth resistance devices each respectively increasing non-linearly with an increase in the degree of the exercise speed, velocity, force, energy or power exerted on the first and second manually movable actuating devices by the user.   
     
     
         14 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 13  wherein movement of the first and second manually movable actuating devices by the user effects mechanical movement respectively of third and fourth movable components of the third and fourth resistance devices that respectively increases the third and fourth resistances non-linearly with degree of increase in the exercise speed or velocity of movement exerted on the third and fourth movable components of the third and fourth resistance devices or the first and second manually movable actuating devices respectively. 
     
     
         15 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the third and fourth resistances vary geometrically or exponentially with the degree of the exercise speed, velocity, force, energy or power exerted on the first and second manually movable actuating devices or the third and fourth resistance devices. 
     
     
         16 . The exercise apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the first and second manually movable actuating devices each comprises a handle each being interconnected to a pivotable lever or a wheel that is interconnected to the first and second proximal ends of the first and second cables respectively. 
     
     
         17 . A exercise method of performing an exercise by the user comprising the user's selectively exerting a pulling or pushing force on one or another or both of the manually movable actuating devices of the exercise apparatus of  claim 13 .