GB2553853A

GB2553853A - Free weight

Info

Publication number: GB2553853A
Application number: GB1615933.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Renkawicz Richard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-09-19
Filing date: 2016-09-19
Publication date: 2018-03-21
Also published as: GB201615933D0

Abstract

The free weight 100 comprises a body 110, and a hand grip 120 provided on the body 110. The body 110 is shaped to be disposed about and bear against a forearm during use, preventing excessive strain on the users wrist. The hand grip 120 may be positioned within the body 110. The body 110 has a side wall 112 with an inner surface 130 where the centre of mass of the weight 100 may be within the space defined by said components and may be over 5cm from the hand grip 120. The body 110 may be tubular with open ends 130, 140 and the side wall 112 of the body 110 may have a space formed near the handle 120. There may be a recessed portion 142 in the body 110, beginning at the second end 140. The weight 100 may be rigid. A method for using the weight 100 is also disclosed.

Description

(54) Title of the Invention: Free weight Abstract Title: Free weight (57) The free weight 100 comprises a body 110, and a hand grip 120 provided on the body 110. The body 110 is shaped to be disposed about and bear against a forearm during use, preventing excessive strain on the user’s wrist. The hand grip 120 may be positioned within the body 110. The body 110 has a side wall 112 with an inner surface 130 where the centre of mass of the weight 100 may be within the space defined by said components and may be over 5cm from the hand grip 120. The body 110 may be tubular with open ends 130, 140 and the side wall 112 of the body 110 may have a space formed near the handle 120. There may be a recessed portion 142 in the body 110, beginning at the second end 140. The weight 100 may be rigid. A method for using the weight 100 is also disclosed.

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- 1 FREE WEIGHT

The invention relates to a free weight, particularly to a free weight for use with a hand.

Weight training uses weighted objects to resist body movements and thereby build strength. Users use free weights recreationally and professionally, as well as for rehabilitation following injury.

Free weights necessarily include a body or a mass to provide the required weight and resistance to impetus that is needed for training. Typically, free weights also include some form of grip by which a user may securely hold and lift the body. Examples of common free weights include barbells and dumbbells. Variations include medicine balls, kettlebells, Indian clubs, and clubbells. Each type of free weight typically lends itself to a particular type of movement and therefore to a particular sort of training.

During training with a free weight, the weight is typically gripped by a handle or grip and lifted. The weight is then borne by the palm of the hand, and a bending or destabilising force may consequently be applied to the wrist joint. The weight must thus be supported by the wrist. Effort and care is needed to resist destabilisation of the wrist joint.

It may then be particularly difficult to ensure stability of the wrist when performing complex movements or training techniques. It may also be difficult to ensure stability of the wrist joint if training with an injury, for example if the wrist is weakened. In recent years, there is an increasing emphasis on training techniques with high degrees of dynamic and variable movement. Destabilisation of the wrist joint is increasingly likely in such cases. Such destabilisation can be dangerous and may result in poor training technique, injury, or re-injury.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a free weight comprising; a body; and a hand grip provided on the body; wherein the body is shaped to be disposed about and bear against a forearm during use.

The hand grip may be positioned within the body so that when a user grips the hand grip with a hand, the body is disposed about the user’s forearm (of the same arm as the gripping hand) so that the wrist is held in a neutral position. In a neutral position, the wrist is not bent (i.e. it is straight) and forces are distributed evenly through the wrist joint. Then, when the free weight is lifted, for example with a bicep-curling motion, a majority of the weight of the body may be borne by the

-2forearm instead of applying a destabilising force on the wrist joint. Preferably, when the free weight is held correctly, the whole weight of the body may be borne by the forearm. That is, the hand grip and body of the free weight are arranged such that the weight never applies a significant destabilising or bending force to the wrist joint. In poses where force through the hand grip would otherwise work to bend the wrist, the weight of the body is instead arranged to bear against the forearm. The free weight may be configured to bear against only an upper surface of the forearm during use.

The body may be shaped such that during use of the free weight with the body bearing against the forearm, a centre of mass of the free weight is disposed between a user’s wrist and elbow. In this way, the weight does not impose a significant destabilising force on the wrist joint, regardless of its orientations during use. Preferably, the weight does not impose any destabilising force on the wrist joint. The location of the centre of mass may enable a user to use heavier weights. For example, the distance between the hand grip and the centre of mass may be at least about 5cm, or at least about 8cm or at least about 10cm. The centre of mass of the free weight may be disposed within an open space within the body and surrounded by the body. The centre of mass of the free weight may be located within the user’s forearm during use.

The weight of the free weight may be substantially supported by the wrist joint in only a limited number of orientations or poses. For example, when a user holds the free weight hanging straight down at their side, the weight will be wholly supported by the hand grip against the user’s hand. Although forces are transferred through the wrist, the wrist joint will not be bent. When a user holds the free weight upright, the weight will be entirely supported by the hand grip in the base of the user’s palm. Although forces are transferred through the wrist in this orientation, again it will not be bent. Moving from either of the above orientations in any direction, results in the weight being increasingly supported by the forearm.

The weight is thus not biomechanically supported by the wrist is any orientation.

The body is disposed about the forearm and may surround or substantially surround the forearm. Its weight may thus bear against the forearm in all orientations which would otherwise apply a bending force to the wrist but for contact of the body with the forearm. For example, the body may have a sleeve section and/or may surround the forearm like a bracelet or gauntlet during use, such that in any 360 degree orientation of the hand (rotated about the length of the forearm),

- 3the body bears against the forearm. The body may be arranged such that its weight is borne substantially evenly by the forearm.

The hand grip may be configured to be gripped by a hand, and may be disposed within the body. The hand grip may be disposed on the body closer to a first end of the body than to a second end of the body. Thus, the majority of the weight of the body may bear on the user’s forearm e.g. via a side wall of the body or via the second end of the body, rather than being supported wholly by the wrist joint. The hand grip may be formed integrally with the body or may be rigidly fixed thereto so that the free weight may be lifted and moved by the hand grip alone.

That is, the hand grip may be fixed sufficiently firmly to the body to bear the entire weight of the free weight and/or any acceleration forces caused by the movement of the free weight during training without deforming. The hand grip may be substantially cylindrical, and may be textured to increase friction on the surface thereof.

The body may include an elongated portion. The elongated portion may extend substantially perpendicularly to a major axis (i.e. the longer axis) of the hand grip, so that it may extend along and bear against a forearm when the hand grip is gripped during use. The body may comprise a plurality of elongated portions, each of which may extend along and bear against a forearm of the user. The elongated portion may be shorter than an average length of a forearm so as not to interfere with the mobility of a user’s elbow.

The body or elongated portion may be tubular or cylindrical and the hand grip may be disposed within the body or within an envelope of the body. Thus, the body can form a sleeve extending from the grip and over the wrist joint when in use. The body may be a tapering tube and may be narrower at a first end than at a second end. The tube may comprise a first opening at the first end nearer to the hand grip and a second opening at the second end further from the hand grip. The hand grip may be accessible to be gripped from either end of the tube, though the body may be arranged to bear against the forearm only when the hand grip is accessed through the second opening at the second end of the body. The body may be generally tubular in shape but with portions of the tube removed. For example, a strip extending all or some the length of the body may be absent from a cylindrical body, so that a cross section of the body is c-shaped. Other such arrangements of the body are also possible, so long as it serves to bear against the forearm.

-4The hand grip may be disposed across a centreline of the body, for example for a cylindrical body the hand grip may be disposed across a diameter of a cross section of the body. The hand grip may be disposed off-centre, for example for a cylindrical body the hand grip may be disposed across a chord of a cross section of the body. The hand grip may be disposed in a plane perpendicular to a length of the body, or may be disposed at an angle to such a plane. The hand grip may be arranged so that when a user positions the body about their forearm and grips the hand grip with their hand, the wrist is placed in a neutral position in which it is not bent or destabilised.

The body may comprise a space in a side wall of the body proximate the hand grip. The space may be arranged to accommodate fingers and allow a user’s hand to be closed about the hand grip without their fingers abutting an inside wall of the body as they wrap about the hand grip. The space may also improve access to the hand grip, for example for picking up the free weight. The space may improve ease of use, for example by allowing the hand grip to be held comfortably with one hand while the other hand is inserted within the body. The space may be joined with the first opening. The space may be separated from the first opening, for example by a part of the side wall of the body. The body may comprise a plurality of spaces, and may comprise for example two spaces, which may be diametrically opposed to one another on opposite sides of the hand grip.

The body may comprise a recessed portion in a side wall of the body, recessed from the second end of the body and extending from the second opening. The recessed portion may be configured to receive and/or accommodate an upper arm or bicep e.g. during a bicep curling movement. The recessed portion may be aligned with the hand grip so that the orientation of the wrist is constrained during a curling motion by the upper arm needing to be aligned within the recessed portion.

In this way, the free weight may help ensure a correct training technique. The body may comprise a plurality of recessed portions spaced about a rim of the free weight at the second end. The requirement to align the upper arm with each of the recesses during different movements may constrain the wrist to particular orientations during those movements. Alternatively, the body may not extend during use as far as a user’s elbow.

The free weight may be rigid and may not deform when moved e.g. when lifted by the hand grip. The body may be rigid and may not deform during use. Deformation of the body or hand grip during use makes the free weight more

- 5difficult and/or dangerous to use, since the weight may shift unexpectedly during movement. Hence deformation is not desirable for free weights heavier than about 2kg, or about 5kg.

The rigidity of the free weight may serve to improve support of the wrist joint. The rigid body will distribute force evenly over the forearm, and hence reduce weight supported by or transferred through the wrist joint. The body may be held in place by gripping the hand grip, and may only be held in place by gripping the hand grip.

The body may be a weighted body and may provide a significant proportion of the overall weight of the free weight, for example over about 95% or 99% of the overall weight of the free weight. The total weight of the free weight may be about 1kg, 2kg, 5kg, 10kg, or 20kg, or any desired weight between 1kg and 20kg. The free weight may even be any weight up to about 60kg.

The free weight may be formed of iron, cement, or plastic (for example polyurethane) or any material suitably dense to be sufficiently heavy for weight training whilst being a suitable size to be gripped and lifted with one hand. The body may be formed by casting, or by additive manufacturing, and the hand grip may be formed integrally with the body. The body may be coated with a resilient plastic or rubber coating both for protection and to improve grip. The body may be partially coated, or not coated. The hand grip may be iron or steel or any suitable material. The hand grip may be textured or may be coated with a material for increasing friction forces on the hand grip.

The free weight may be provided in varying sizes and weights so as to be suitable for a wide range of users and training regimes. The free weight may be particularly advantageous for injured or weak users, for example children or the elderly, and hence the free weight may be sized for use by such users. For example, the free weight may have a length of between 15cm to 30cm, and the thickness of walls of the body may be between 0.5cm to 4cm. The first opening may be between 8cm and 11cm across, and may preferably be 10cm across. The second opening may be between 10cm and 12cm across, and may preferably be 11cm across. For a cylindrical body, the first opening may have a circumference of between 28cm and 33cm, preferably 32cm. The second opening may have a circumference of between 28 and 35cm, preferably 34cm.

In this application the term ‘free weight’ is given its usual meaning within the field of fitness equipment, as a rigid, substantially solid object with all parts thereof

-6fixed relative to all other parts during use. It is to be held by a user in a hand and serves to resist bodily movements.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of weight training comprising positioning a body of a free weight about a forearm and gripping a hand grip of the free weight so that a body of the free weight is held in place about the forearm by gripping the hand grip. The method may comprise using a free weight as described above in relation to the first aspect.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a free weight from a first orientation;

Figure 2 is a front view of the free weight of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of the free weight of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a top view of the free weight of Figures 1, 2 and 3; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of another free weight.

Figure 1 shows a free weight 100 comprising a body 110 and a hand grip 120. The body 110 is a tapered cylindrical shape with a first opening 130 at a first end of the body 110 and a second opening 140 at a second end of the body 110. A side wall 112 extends between the first end and second end. A space 150 is formed by a cutaway in the side wall 112 proximate the hand grip 120.

A user positions the body 110 free weight 100 about a forearm by inserting a hand through the second opening 140 and gripping the hand grip 120. The space 150 provides space for the fingers of the user’s hand to wrap around the hand grip 120 without interfering with an inner wall of the body 110.

The user’s wrist is thus maintained in a neutral (i.e. straight) position, and will not bend or be subject to a destabilising force no matter the orientation of the free weight 100. For example, if a user holds the free weight 100 hanging by their side, any forces on the wrist will be tensions directed along the forearm, and through the straightened wrist. If a user holds the free weight 100 in an upright orientation, as shown in Figure 1, forces due to the weight of the free weight will be compressive forces through the straightened wrist.

In any other orientation, a component of the weight will be borne by the forearm. For example, if the user performs a bicep curl by bending their elbow at approximately 90 degrees so that their forearm is approximately parallel to the floor, the force applied to the user by the free weight 100 will be distributed evenly across

- 7their forearm e.g. by the side wall 112. In this case, significantly reduced forces are applied through the wrist, and preferably no forces are applied through the wrist.

Thus, the centre of mass of the free weight 100 is below the hand grip (in the orientation of Figure 1), and within a region enclosed by the body. The centre of mass may be more than about 5cm from the grip, and may be located in use within the user’s forearm.

The arrangement of the free weight 100 is therefore such that during use, the wrist joint is not destabilised by bearing the full weight of the free-weight. The majority of the weight is instead applied to the forearm, and the body 110 distributes it evenly over the forearm e.g. by the side wall 112. Preferably, the body 110 is sized so that it contacts the forearm along the inside of the side wall 112, and hence all of the weight may be borne by the forearm in some orientations. If the space surrounded by the body 110 is larger than the space occupied by the forearm, the wrist joint may bend slightly, but a significant destabilising force will not be applied to the wrist, and the wrist may bend only slightly in order that the forearm bears the weight. However, even if the wrist joint bends, a minimal force may be applied therethrough. Preferably, the body is sized such that no destabilising force is applied to the wrist joint.

The body 110 may be shaped to fit closely to a user’s forearm. In a preferred embodiment, the body 110 comprises a solid iron core coated with a resilient rubber or plastic coating. The coating may provide sufficient friction between a user’s forearm and the free weight 100, such that a component of the weight of the free weight 100 can be borne by the forearm during use even when the free weight 100 is in a vertical orientation.

The free weight 100 comprises a plurality of recessed portions 142 at its second end 140. The recessed portions 142 define feet 144 upon which the free weight 100 may rest in an upright position. To define feet 144 upon which the free weight may stand unaided, three or more recessed portions 142 may be provided.

In the depicted embodiment, four recessed portions 142 are provided.

The recessed portions 142 are aligned with the hand grip 120 so as to be able to receive and accommodate the upper arm/bicep during training e.g. during full contraction of the bicep during a bicep curl. For example, the wrist could be oriented palm facing up, or palm facing inward towards a centreline of the user’s body, or palm facing down, and one of each of the recessed portions 142 may cooperate with the upper arm/bicep as needed. One recessed portion may be

- 8provided, or two recessed portions 142, or a plurality of recessed portions, as required.

The hand grip 120 may be reached from the second end 140 of the free weight 100 so that the body 110 wraps about the user’s forearm. The hand grip may also be reached from the first end 130 of the body 110. In this manner, the free weight 100 may be used as e.g. a push-up support, allowing a user to hold the hand grip 120 from the first end 130 while the second end 140 rests on the floor. The user may use two free weights, one for each hand. The user may then perform push-ups on the free weights. In this case, the wrist joint does not bend while bearing the user’s body weight, instead remaining straight.

Moreover, the height of the hand grip 120 from the floor (due to the length of the body 110) increases the incline of the user’s body with respect to the floor (as compared to during push-ups without the free weight 100). This reduces the force, and therefore strength, required to perform a push-up, enabling a user to perform a push-up more easily. However, the height of the hand grip 120 also allows a user to dip their chest below the level of the hand grip 120 if desired, thereby increasing the range of available movement for performing the exercise.

A user may therefore use the free weight 100 either to make a push-up easier for themselves by being inclined or harder for themselves by increasing the range of movement of the exercise.

The feet 144 also help to improve the stability of the free weight 100, for example during push-up exercises.

A user’s forearm may be able to bear greater weight than their wrist joint, so the free weight 100 may allow a user to train with heavier weights than if they were using only conventional dumbbells. Further, even distribution of the weight over the forearm also allows a user to use heavier weights, and reduces possible discomfort during training by reducing pressure from the free weight on the user’s body. Free weights according to the present invention may also be safer to use, since they are more difficult to drop during exercise.

Figure 5 shows another free weight, similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 4, comprising a second space 152 proximate the hand grip. The second space 152 is disposed on the opposite side of the hand grip 120 to the space 150. The second space 152 improves access to the hand grip 120, allowing it to be accessed easily for example if the free weight is lying on its side on a floor.

- 9The total weight of the free weight 100 may be governed by the height, width and thickness of the body, each of which may be varied to provide free weights in a range of weights and sizes, as desired. Different densities of material may also be used to obtain the necessary size and weight.

A free weight 100 according to the present invention may be made by casting or any other suitable technique. The hand grip 120 and body 110 may be made separately and joined together, for example by a fixture through the body 110 into the hand grip 120. The free weight may be formed by additive manufacturing with the hand grip 120 integral to the body 110, or either the hand grip 120 or the body 110 may be formed by additive manufacturing.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A free weight comprising; a body; and a hand grip provided on the body; wherein the body is shaped to be disposed about and bear against a forearm during use.

2. A free weight as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hand grip is disposed within the body so that when a user grips the hand grip with a hand during use, the body is disposed about the user’s forearm.

3. A free weight as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a centre of mass of the free weight is disposed within a space surrounded by the body.

4. A free weight as claimed in claim 3, wherein the centre of mass of the free weight is disposed more than 5 centimetres from the hand grip.

5. A free weight as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hand grip and body are arranged such that the wrist is placed in a neutral position when the hand grip is gripped during use.

6. A free weight as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the body comprises an elongated portion extending substantially in a single direction perpendicularly to a major axis of the hand grip.

7. A free weight as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the body is tubular, and comprises a first end with a first opening and a second end with a second opening, the first and second ends at opposite ends of the tubular body.

8. A free weight as claimed in claim 7, wherein the hand grip is disposed nearer to the first end than the second end.

9. A free weight as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the body comprises a side wall between the first end and second end, and a space formed in the side wall proximate the hand grip.

- 11

10. A free weight as claimed in claim 7, 8, or 9, wherein the body comprises a recessed portion, recessed from the second end of the body.

11. A free weight as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the free weight is 5 rigid.

12. A method of weight training comprising positioning a body of a free weight about a forearm and gripping a hand grip of the free weight so that a body of the free weight is held in place about the forearm by gripping the hand grip.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, comprising using a free weight as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11.

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: Claims searched:

GB1615933.7

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