DE102014016535A1 - Fitness device and training method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a fitness device comprising a predetermined residence area for a user, a lever element and a resistance unit, which is designed to resist the movement of the lever element, wherein the lever element is provided with a hinge, so that the free end of the lever on a circular path of is movable downwardly above, wherein the hinge is mounted stationary relative to the residence area.

Description

The invention relates to a fitness device and a training method, in particular for training the abdominal muscles.

There are a large number of training devices of various designs for training the different muscle groups. Each of these devices is designed so that the user performs a certain movement against a force or a resistance and thus trains his muscles or certain muscle groups.

Disadvantage of the known devices is that a done against a force, downward movement on a curved path so far not a training device is executable. However, the inventor has found that it is precisely such a movement for training of muscle groups, in particular of the abdominal muscles, which is very advantageous.

The object of the present invention was to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to provide a fitness device and a training method by means of which a user is able to achieve an optimal training effect of muscle groups, in particular of the abdominal muscles.

This object is achieved by a fitness device and a training method according to the claims.

The fitness device according to the invention comprises a predetermined location area for a user, a lever element and a resistance unit, which is designed to resist the movement of the lever element, wherein the lever element is provided with a hinge, so that the free end of the lever in a circular path from top to is movable down, wherein the hinge is mounted stationary relative to the residence area.

The occupied area is the area in which the user operates the fitness equipment as intended. This lounge area may be a floor area or part of the fitness facility. The residence area preferably comprises at least one padding unit. In order to use the fitness machine optimally for abdominal muscle training, a kneeling posture is preferred. The at least one padding unit is in this respect preferably designed such that the lower leg and knee of a person are padded relative to a floor surface or a part of the fitness device.

The hinge is fixedly mounted relative to this location area. Since a hinge has two elements which are rotatably movable relative to each other, it is understood that only one of these elements is fixedly mounted, so that the other element on which the lever element is mounted, can be rotatably moved. Preferred is a mounting of the hinge on the structure of the fitness device or on a floor area.

The term "stationary" encompasses that a displacement is not possible, but does not necessarily include an attachment with regard to other forms of movement, such as a rotation or tilting. Thus, the stationary part of the hinge may possibly be mounted rotatable and / or tiltable relative to the residence area.

In order to better describe a movement of the lever in the following, the following spherical coordinate system is inserted. The origin is thereby the pivot point of the lever element in the hinge, the X axis points to the location area, the angle θ between the Z axis and the lever element is the polar angle, the angle φ between the X axis and the projection of the lever element on the X / Y plane of the azimuth angle and R the length from the pivot point to the free end of the lever element. The plane Y / Z is orthogonal to the ground plane, the Z-axis being oriented orthogonal to the ground plane or at least tilted by the tilt angle K in the Z / Y plane to the ground plane.

The action angle A is then a rotation angle with which the lever element in the hinge moves up and down. In particular, A corresponds to the polar angle, and the movement is in the X / Z plane. Thus, the up and down movement of the lever member is in particular orthogonal to the ground plane or tilted in some applications by the tilt angle K in the plane Y / Z to it.

The plane angle of rotation B corresponds to the azimuth angle and lies in particular parallel to the ground plane. In the event that the Z-axis is tilted by the tilt angle K, preferably the orientation of the plane of rotation is tilted by B with K to the ground plane, but may also be unaffected by K in the ground plane.

The tilt angle K preferably comprises a tilt of less than 60 °, in particular less than 45 ° to the surface normal of the X / Y plane and lies in particular on the X / Z plane. This would correspond to a tilt to the left or right from the perspective of a user in the occupied area.

The lever element is moved by the user. Due to the resistance experienced by this lever element, a force must be applied to move the lever element, which causes the training effect. Through the hinge can be move the free end of the lever element from top to bottom (and vice versa). By special design of the hinge (tiltability or rotation), it is also possible to perform instead of a simple orthogonal up and down movement of the lever, an oblique up and down movement, which has advantages in terms of the training effect. In particular, for the training of the abdominal muscles, the resistance unit is designed so that only the movement of the lever from top to bottom, a resistance is opposed and the movement from bottom to top resistance (at least up to normal friction effects, at least 95%) or even by a force is supported.

According to a preferred embodiment, the movable end of the lever element is equipped with a handle.

The term "freely movable end" of the lever element denotes the end at which the user treats the fitness device as intended. In embodiments in which the lever element is not fastened directly to the other end on the hinge, but the other end protrudes beyond the hinge, which represents a preferred embodiment, this end is referred to as "counter lever".

A preferred training position is kneeling with the face facing the fitness device, with the hands at the movable end of the lever member, or its handle. The lever element is pulled down in the direction of the knee or floor.

The resistance unit is provided to counteract at least the downward movement of the lever member a force to achieve a training effect. For training the back or arm muscles but also the upward movement of the lever member by the resistance unit, a force can be opposed. Preferred resistance units include weights or resistance systems braked by friction, air (eg, pneumatics), magnetism, or water / oil (eg, hydraulics), such as those described in U.S. Pat. B. of rowing gauges are known. According to a preferred embodiment, the resistance unit is designed so that it acts directly on wire, rope or chain hoists, rods or other lever units on the lever member. According to another combinable with the preceding embodiment, the resistance unit is designed so that it acts on the lever element via the hinge. For example, the hinge can be designed so that it is only very difficult to move due to internal friction and thus the resistance unit is integrated in the hinge.

According to a preferred embodiment, the hinge is designed so that it allows a rotation of the lever member by the action angle A and / or tilting by the tilt angle K. Also preferred is a further embodiment in which the hinge is designed so that it allows rotation of the lever member to the flat angle of rotation B and / or tilting of the plane of the plane angle B by the tilt angle K. The embodiments in which a rotation or tilting of the action angle is possible, have the advantage that not only the straight abdominal muscles can be trained, but also the oblique abdominal muscles.

According to a preferred embodiment, the handle comprises balls, rings or other handle elements, so that a secure hold of the user's hands can be ensured.

According to a preferred embodiment, the fitness device comprises at least one deflection roller in order to transmit the effect of the resistance unit to the lever element by means of a chain or a rope.

According to a preferred embodiment, the hinge is fixedly attached to the ground via a base element, wherein the base element is in particular designed such that the hinge is positioned at a height between 30 cm and 100 cm. The resistance is preferably effected by the hinge itself, in particular by means of springs or friction, or by springs or weights whose action acts on the lever element. But is also preferred that the lever member is mounted on the hinge, that the pivot point of the lever member is not positioned at one end and the counter lever is equipped with weights, is pulled with springs to the ground or other resistance units act on this counter lever.

Examples of preferred embodiments of the device according to the invention are shown in the figures.

1 schematically shows a preferred embodiment.

2 shows schematically the operation of the hinge.

3 represents the axes of rotation and tilting.

4 schematically shows a further preferred embodiment.

In 1 a preferred embodiment of the fitness device is shown. About a handle 1 For a better grip on the ends with balls 2 is provided, a lever element 3 be pulled down. The lever element 3 is at the opposite end with a hinge 4 provided, by means of which the free end of the lever member can be moved descriptively up and down a circular arc. About pulleys 5 led is a wire rope 6 connected to the lever element, by means of which weights 7 can be lifted. The weight of the weights thereby counteracts the downward movement of the lever. The weights 7 put here together with the pulleys if necessary 5 and the wire rope 6 the resistance system.

A person who wants to exercise their abdominal muscles at the fitness device, kneels in the lounge area 8th on the ground, grab the two balls 2 of the handle 1 with both hands and pulls the lever element 3 against the weight of the weights 7 in the direction of movement 9 several times down. In a preferred embodiment, the fitness device comprises a hinge 10 and / or a tilting element (not shown), by means of which the lever element 3 can be rotated in the horizontal and / or tilted vertically. This also allows targeted training of the lateral abdominal muscles (eg the oblique abdominal muscles).

In 2 will the functioning of the hinge 4 described in more detail. The lever element 3 can be moved through the hinge by the action angle A from top to bottom. By means of the optional swivel joint 10 is also a rotation in the horizontal plane with the angle B around the axis 12 possible. As an alternative to the horizontal rotation, tilting about the tilt angle K is also preferred.

In 3 the possibilities of rotation / tilting are represented once more schematically in a coordinate system. The X axis points to the user in the location area. The Z-axis points upward, but is optionally tiltable by the tilt angle K, wherein either the Z-axis alone can be tilted, as shown, and obliquely on the Y-axis or the plane Z / Y tilted by the tilt angle K. can be. If only the Z-axis is tilted, this only has an effect on the orientation of the action angle A (which in the untilted case corresponds to the polar angle θ shown in the figure) but not on the plane angle of rotation B (in the non-tilted case the azimuth angle φ) this case still lies in the ground level. This would correspond in practice to a tilting of the hinge above the pivot. If the entire Z / Y plane is tilted by the tilt angle K, this also has an effect on the plane angle of rotation B, which in this case is no longer in the ground plane. In practice, this would correspond to a tilting of the hinge below a planar hinge.

4 schematically shows a further preferred embodiment, which is feasible without rope or chain hoists. The handle 1 is at the free end of the lever element 3 appropriate. The hinge 4 is not at the opposite end of the lever element 3 attached, but the opposite end forms a counter lever, as in a seesaw. At the counter lever, the resistance unit attacks and opposes a pulling down of the free end of the lever resistance. In the figure, the resistance unit includes a weight 7 or more weights 7 , With this principle, it is also conceivable that the hinge itself forms the resistance unit by means of coil springs or friction. A counter-lever would not be necessary in this case. In this way, an inventive fitness device can be realized in a simple and inexpensive way.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

handle

2

Bullet

3

lever member

4

hinge

5

idler pulley

6

Wire rope

7

Weight

8th

lounge area

9

movement direction

10

swivel

12

axis

Claims (10)

Fitness device comprising a predetermined residence area for a user, a lever member and a resistance unit, which is designed to resist the movement of the lever member, wherein the lever member is provided with a hinge, so that the free end of the lever in a circular path from top to bottom movable is, wherein the hinge is mounted stationary relative to the residence area. Fitness device according to claim 1, characterized in that the hinge can not be displaced laterally, but the hinge is mounted rotatable and / or tiltable, in particular rotatable in the ground plane and / or in particular tiltable in a plane orthogonal to the ground plane, preferably by the tilt angle K. , Fitness device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that only the movement of the lever from top to bottom, a resistance is opposed and the Movement from bottom to top is resistant to normal friction effects. Fitness device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the resistance unit comprises weights or by means of friction, air, magnetism or water / oil braked resistance systems. Fitness device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the resistance unit is designed so that it acts directly on wire, rope or chain hoists, rods or other lever units on the lever member and / or that the resistance unit is designed so that they acts on the lever element via the hinge. Fitness device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the movable end of the lever element is equipped with a handle, which preferably has balls, rings or other grip elements. Fitness device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fitness device comprises at least one deflection roller in order to transmit the effect of the resistance unit to the lever element by means of a chain or a rope. Fitness device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hinge is fixedly mounted on the base via a base element, wherein the base element is in particular designed such that the hinge is positioned at a height between 30 cm and 100 cm, and wherein the resistance of the Hinge itself is effected, in particular by means of springs or friction, and / or the resistance by springs or weights whose action acts on the lever element is effected, wherein preferably the lever member is mounted on the hinge, that the pivot point of the lever member is not positioned at one end is and the counter lever is equipped with weights, is pulled to the ground with springs or other resistance units act on this counter lever. Training method with a fitness device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, with the face to the fitness device in front of this kneeling, with the hands on the movable end of the lever member or its handle, the lever member is pulled in the direction of the knee or floor down. Training method according to claim 9, characterized in that instead of a simple orthogonal up and down movement of the lever element, an oblique up and down movement in a tilted position of the hinge or by means of a rotation of the hinge is performed.

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