Device for Strengthening Inner Abdominal Muscles

Abstract

An exercise apparatus for effecting transverse abdominis and inner abdominal muscle exercise, includes a back support and an arm exercising assembly. The arm exercising assembly comprising a gripping bar having gripping portions for gripping by the user's hands, and which is coupled to a resistance assembly. The gripping bar is reciprocally movable against the biasing force from a first raised position, where said gripping bar is forward and outwardly above said user's shoulders, and a second lowered position spaced forwardly outwardly above the user's torso. The resilient biasing force is selected on multidirectional force having an upward biasing component, a downward biasing component independent thereof, and a resilient rearward biasing component all acting in concert.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An exercise apparatus operable to effect transverse abdominis and/or inner abdominal muscle exercise, the apparatus comprising,
 a back support for supporting a user in an exercising position with said user's spine juxtaposed thereagainst,   an arm exercising assembly actuable to exercise arm muscles of said user when in said exercising position, said arm exercising assembly including,
 an elongated gripping bar having gripping portions for gripping by a respective one of said user's hands, and a resistance assembly coupled to the gripping bar and providing a resilient biasing force thereon, 
 the gripping bar being selectively reciprocally movable by said user against the resilient biasing force along a path between a first raised position, wherein said gripping bar is spaced forwardly a distance outwardly above said user's shoulders, and a second lowered position wherein said gripping bar is spaced forwardly a distance outwardly above said user's torso or abdomen, the resilient biasing force comprising a multidirectional force which includes a resilient upward biasing component, optionally a resilient downward biasing component independent of said upward biasing component, and a resilient rearward biasing component independent of said upward biasing component, and said downward biasing component, wherein when the gripping bar is moved to the first raised position, the resistance mechanism resiliently biasing the gripping bar simultaneously at least rearwardly and upwardly. 
   
     
     
         2 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein when the gripping bar is moved to the second lowered position, the resistance mechanism resiliently simultaneously biasing the gripping bar rearwardly and upwardly. 
     
     
         3 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein when the gripping bar is moved to the first position, the resilient rearward biasing component resiliently simultaneously biases the gripping bar downwardly in a direction away from said user's head, and the resilient downward component simultaneously resiliently biases the gripping bar towards a lowered position spaced towards the user's lower abdomen. 
     
     
         4 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , further including a deflection gauge operable to measure a deflection of at least one of said user's abdominal cavity and said user's diaphragm, and when said gripping bar is moved to or towards said second position, said deflection gauge operable to display and/or effect output of at least one of a visual indication, a visual signal and an audio signal representative of at least one of a measured abdominal deflection and a target degree of abdominal deflection. 
     
     
         5 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said deflection gauge includes a contact member provided for engaging contact with said user's torso or abdomen,
 the contact member being selectively displaceable in movement with the compression and decompression of said user's transverse abdominis and/or inner abdominal muscles, and wherein a measured distance of contact member displacement is correlated the deflection of the user's abdominal cavity and/or the user's diaphragm.   
     
     
         6 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said gripping bar includes an output display, said deflection gauge electronically communicating with said output display, whereby the output to the user comprises the activation of said display to signal each of said target degree of abdominal deflection and said measured abdominal deflection. 
     
     
         7 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said deflection gauge is a self-calibrating gauge which is operable to sense at least one of substantially non-deflected abdominal cavity condition and substantially fully deflected abdominal cavity condition, said deflection gauge being operable to correlate said measured degree of abdominal cavity deflection to said target abdominal deflection. 
     
     
         8 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said back support comprises a generally horizontal support and/or said gripping bar is moveable reciprocally along a generally arcuate path of movement, said arm exercising assembly being operable to exercise said user's deltoid and/or pectoral muscles by reciprocally moving said gripping bar along said arcuate path with said user gripping said gripping portions with said user's arms substantially fully extended. 
     
     
         9 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the gripping portions are spaced towards respective opposed ends of the gripping bar. 
     
     
         10 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said back support comprises a generally horizontal support, said gripping bar is moveable reciprocally along a generally arcuate path of movement, said arm exercising assembly being operable to exercise said users deltoid muscles by reciprocally moving said gripping bar along said arcuate path with said user gripping said gripping portions with said user's arms substantially fully extended. 
     
     
         11 . An exercise apparatus assembly for exercising transverse abdominis and/or inner abdominal muscles in a user, the apparatus comprising,
 a generally horizontal back support for supporting a user in an exercising position with said user's spine resting substantially horizontally thereon,   an arm exercising assembly actuable to exercise the user's arm muscles when in said exercising position, said arm exercising assembly including,
 a gripping bar having a pair of spaced handle grip portions for gripping by a respective hand of said user, 
 a resistance assembly coupling the gripping bar for movement relative to the back support, the resistance assembly including a plurality of resiliently deformable members providing a multidirectional biasing force on said gripping bar, the gripping bar being selectively movable by said user along a generally arcuate path between a first position, wherein said gripping bar is moved forwardly outward a distance vertically above the user's shoulders, and a second position wherein said gripping bar is pivoted downwardly to a position spaced vertically above said user's abdomen, 
   wherein when said gripping bar is in said first position,   a first said resiliently deformable member providing a first resilient biasing force thereon to resiliently bias the gripping bar towards upward and rearward movement, and a second said resiliently deformable member providing a second resilient biasing force thereon independent of the first resilient biasing force to resiliently bias the gripping bar towards vertically rearward movement.   
     
     
         12 . The exercise apparatus assembly as claimed in  claim 11  further including a third said resiliently deformable member, wherein when the gripping bar is in said first position the third resiliently deformable member providing a third resilient biasing force independent from said first resilient biasing force and said second resilient biasing force to resiliently bias the gripping bar in downward movement towards a lower portion of said user's abdomen. 
     
     
         13 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , further including a deflection gauge operable to measure an inward deflection distance of said user's abdominal cavity during said transverse abdominis and/or inner abdominal muscle exercise, and when said gripping bar is moved to or towards said second position, said deflection gauge operable to effect output to said user at least one of a visual display, a visual signal and an audio signal representative of a measured abdominal deflection and a target degree of abdominal deflection. 
     
     
         14 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said gripping bar includes an output display, said deflection gauge electronically communicating with said output display, whereby the output to the user comprises the activation of said display to signal each of said measured abdominal deflection and said target degree of abdominal deflection. 
     
     
         15 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein said deflection gauge is a self-calibrating gauge which is operable to sense at least one of a substantially non-deflected abdominal cavity condition and a substantially fully deflected abdominal cavity condition, said deflection gauge being operable to correlate said measured abdominal deflection to target degree of abdominal deflection. 
     
     
         16 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein said deflection gauge includes a contact member configured to resiliently maintain engaging contact with said user's abdomen,
 the contact member being reciprocally displaceable in vertical movement with the compression and decompression of said user's transverse abdominis and/or inner abdominal muscles, and wherein a measured distance of contact member displacement is correlated to the deflection distance of the user's abdominal cavity.   
     
     
         17 . The exercise apparatus assembly as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein when said gripping bar is moved to said second position,
 the first resiliently deformable member providing said first resilient biasing force to resiliently bias the gripping bar in said upward and rearward movement, and   the second resiliently deformable member simultaneously providing said second resilient biasing force to resiliently bias the gripping bar in at least said rearward movement.   
     
     
         18 . The exercise apparatus assembly as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said resiliently deformable members comprise elastomeric members,
 at least one of the first resiliently deformable member and the second resiliently deformable members being at least partially housed within an associated positioning support, wherein each associated positioning support extends forwardly from said seat back support to an end position spaced above said user in said exercising position.   
     
     
         19 . The exercise apparatus assembly as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein each positioning support is selected from the group consisting of a substantially rigid sheath, a tube and a guide channel, the positioning supports being mounted for pivotal movement relative to said back support with said gripping bar. 
     
     
         20 . The exercise apparatus assembly as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein in said second position the second resilient biasing force further resiliently biases the gripping bar towards upward movement. 
     
     
         21 . An exercise apparatus operable to effect internal abdominal muscle exercise in a user, the apparatus comprising,
 a generally horizontal back support for supporting a user in a substantially horizontal exercising position thereon,   an arm exercising assembly actuable to exercise the user's arm muscles when in said exercising position, said arm exercising assembly including a pair of spaced handle grip portions, the handle grip portions for gripping by a respective hand of said user with his or her arms in a substantially outstretched position,   a resistance assembly including a plurality of resiliently deformable members providing independently a respective multidirectional biasing force on said handle grip portions, wherein said handle grip portions are selectively movable by said user against said biasing force along a generally arcuate path between a first position, wherein said handle grip portions are moved forwardly an outward distance vertically above the user's shoulders, and a second position, wherein said handle grip portions are moved downwardly to a position vertically above said user's abdomen or torso, and   the resistance assembly including first and second resiliently deformable members wherein when said handle grip portions are moved to said first position,   the first said resiliently deformable member providing a first resilient biasing force to resiliently bias the handle grip portions in upward and rearward movement, and the second said resiliently deformable member providing a second independent resilient biasing force to resiliently bias the handle grip portions in rearward movement, and   wherein when said handle grip portions are moved to said second position, the first resiliently deformable member providing said first resilient biasing force to resiliently bias the handle grip portions in said upward and rearward movement, and   the second resiliently deformable member providing said second resilient biasing force to resiliently bias the handle grip portions in at least said rearward movement.   
     
     
         22 . The exercise apparatus assembly as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein said resiliently deformable members comprise elastomeric members,
 at least one of the first resiliently deformable member and the second resiliently deformable members being at least partially housed within an associated positioning sheath.   
     
     
         23 . The exercise apparatus assembly as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein each associated positioning sheath extends forwardly from said back support to an open end spaced above said user in said exercising position. 
     
     
         24 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 21 , further including a deflection gauge operable to measure a rearward deflection of at least one of said user's abdominal cavity and said user's diaphragm, and when said handle grip portions are moved to or towards said second position, said deflection gauge operable to display and/or effect an output of at least one of a visual indication, a visual signal and an audio signal representative of at least one of a measured degree of abdominal and/or a time of abdominal deflection occurring and/or a target degree of abdominal deflection. 
     
     
         25 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein said deflection gauge includes a vertically displaceable contact member positioned for engaging contact with a portion of said user's abdomen or torso in said exercising position, whereby the selective compression and decompression of said user's internal abdominal muscles effect reciprocal displacement of the contact member a respective distance rearwardly and forwardly, and
 wherein the measured abdominal deflection is correlated to at least one respective distance.   
     
     
         26 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 24 , further including an output display, said deflection gauge electronically communicating with said output display, whereby the output to the user comprises the activation of said display to signal said target degree of deflection of said user's abdominal cavity. 
     
     
         27 . The exercise apparatus as claimed in  claim 21 , further including a third said resiliently deformable member, in said first position, the third resiliently deformable member providing a third resilient biasing force to resiliently bias the handle grip portions in downward movement towards the user's lower abdomen.