WO1990007361A1

WO1990007361A1 - Sports device for muscle training

Info

Publication number: WO1990007361A1
Application number: PCT/EP1989/001133
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Gottlob
Original assignee: Galaxy Sport Gmbh
Priority date: 1988-12-23
Filing date: 1989-09-27
Publication date: 1990-07-12
Also published as: DE58905294D1; EP0449837A1; DE3843404A1; EP0449837B1

Abstract

With existing fitness equipment, the rotational movement of the seat or upper part is not initiated in the region of the abdominal muscles, or only partly so, and as a result muscles other than the abdominal muscles are induced to contract. The muscle-training device proposed by the invention is designed to enable the abdominal muscles to be developed in optimum fashion, independently of other muscles. To this end, the lower part (10) and the upper part (20) of the device are designed so that they can be counterrotated back and forth with respect to the frame (30), both being acted on by counterrotatory torques. This arrangement makes the device particularly suitable for bodybuilding, fitness training and rehabilitation work.

Description

Sports equipment for muscle training

description

The invention relates to a sports device for muscle training with a lower part arranged on a frame, rotatably fixed relative to the lower body of a training person, preferably designed as a seat part, and preferably fixed in a rotationally fixed manner by holding or pressing against the upper body of the training person, about an essentially vertical axis relative to the Lower part and to the frame of at least one initial rotational position, which can be pivoted back and forth, on which acts a torque which is preferably adjustable in its strength and optionally adjustable in its direction. The sports equipment is primarily intended for use in bodybuilding, fitness training and rehabilitation.

The goal of bodybuilding and fitness training is to give the human body a balanced figure by building all the muscles evenly. This can only be achieved with difficulty through physical activity, since in most sports individual muscles or muscle groups are neglected, but others are neglected, which leads to muscular imbalances. A large number of sports equipment has therefore been developed especially for bodybuilding, in which repeated work against an externally adjustable load can be used to train and build up a specific muscle or a specific muscle group. Through the systematic use of all the devices, the muscle build-up can be controlled in a targeted manner throughout the body.

An important aspect in the design of such sports equipment is to specify or restrict the course of movement by the device itself in such a way that only the muscles provided work, but there is largely no contraction of other muscles or muscle parts. In addition, it should be made difficult or impossible for the exerciser to "falsify" an exercise, that is to say, consciously or unconsciously, to design the sequence of movements in such a way that other muscles are used instead of the intended ones. This is necessary because the motor skills and reflex movements, which differ from person to person, counteract isolated training of a muscle group if an anatomically correct fixation and corresponding restriction of the degrees of freedom are not guaranteed.

The oblique muscle, which is arranged on both sides above the hip bones and connects the hip bones with the ribs, can be built up by rotating the upper body and lower body against an adjustable torque or an adjustable force, but keeping them as immobile as possible. For the targeted building of these muscles, sports equipment is known whose fixed seat part, which can be locked in several rotational positions to the left and right of a rest position, is provided with support cushions for fixing the lower body. An upper part provided with armrests and handles can be rotated from the rest position in both directions against a restoring force into an initial rotational position relative to the seat part.

By repeatedly swiveling the upper part held with the hands or arms out of the initial rotational position against the action of the restoring force and by a subsequent subsequent relieving rotation into the initial rotational position, first the oblique muscles on one side of the body and then by repositioning the seat and performing the same movement the oblique muscles on the other side of the body are loaded in the other direction. Due to the initiation of the rotational movement in the shoulder area, the large back muscles (terex major and latissimus dorsi) as well as the pectoral and lateral shoulder muscles are first no contracted. Due to the undesirable contraction of these muscles, the upper body is twisted on the one hand, but on the other hand also twisted in relation to the lower body. When the stimulus reaches the oblique muscle and this begins to work on contraction, it is already partially contracted on one side of the body and stretched on the opposite side of the body, so that it can no longer do the full work in the remaining section of the rotational movement. It therefore takes an unnecessarily long time to build up the oblique muscles. Since the pre-stretch is missing up to half of the contraction, this muscle build-up takes place only to a limited extent or not at all. In addition, the transversospinal muscle systems in the lower thoracic and lumbar region are not contracted in this case and are therefore not developed. The load on the transversospinal muscle groups also decreases continuously from the beginning of the thoracic vertebrae to the end.

In a further known device of this type, the upper part provided with handles and armrests is firmly connected to the device frame, while the seat part can be rotated relative to the upper part and the frame against a restoring torque. The rotation of the seat part is initiated there in the area of the hip and thus in the lower area of the oblique muscles, but other muscles also contract here. In addition, the exerciser can subconsciously falsify the exercise by isometrically tensing the oblique muscles on both sides. When a muscle is contracted isometrically, it does not contract and therefore does little or no work to build muscle. In addition, isometric training permanently shortens the muscles, which leads to tension and imbalances in the

Body leads. The upper body is not or only slightly rotated relative to the lower body and the rotational movement of the seat part relative to that firmly connected to the frame

Upper part is caused by an unwanted contraction or Stretching the shoulder or upper arm muscles. The transversospinal muscle groups are trained with such a device only in the lumbar vertebrae area, while the portion of the transversospinal muscle system in the thoracic vertebrae area is not stressed.

The invention is therefore based on the object to improve a Sportgerä of the type mentioned in such a way that the oblique muscles can be optimally built with the elimination of other muscle parts and at the same time the transversospinal muscle system in the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae area can be evenly loaded.

To achieve this object, the features specified in the characterizing part of claim 1 are proposed according to the invention. Advantageous further developments and refinements result from the dependent claims.

The invention is based on the idea of achieving an isolated loading of the oblique muscles and making an isometric tensing of the muscles more difficult or impossible, and on the other hand the transversospinal, by means of a lower part and upper part which can be pivoted in opposite directions relative to the frame against a restoring torque Equally load the muscle system in the thoracic and lumbar region and thus improve the stability and mobility of the spine. This is useful

The lower part and the upper part are mechanically coupled in their pivoting movement, for example by a chain or gear transmission.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the coupling member is designed in such a way that it can transmit the torques in unchanged size or can increase or reduce them. Which act on the lower part and the upper part the torques can be varied independently of the angle of rotation or as a function of the angular position by appropriate design of the coupling member or of the organ which exerts the torque. In a rest or entry position, no torques expediently act on the lower part and the upper part.

In order not to stress other muscles by bending the upper body and to always keep the upper body in an upright position, the upper part and lower part can be rotated about a common axis according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The upper part and the lower part can be arranged on two separate shafts rotatable about the common axis. If the upper part and lower part are supported downwards, one of the two shafts is expediently designed as a hollow shaft and rotatably supported on the other shaft and on the frame. However, the shaft carrying the upper part can also be rotatably suspended upwards on the frame.

In order to apply the torque to the upper part and / or the lower part, according to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one traction element which can be acted upon by a variable tractive force is arranged on the frame of the sports device and is connected to the upper part and / or the lower part, the traction element Exerted force acts outside of the rest position of the lower or upper part eccentrically to their axis of rotation and thereby exerts a torque on the lower and / or upper part. A chain, a belt or a rope which can be deflected via deflecting rollers can serve as the pulling element, the tensile force being able to be applied by weight bodies which can be connected in different numbers to the free end of the chain or the rope. However, coil springs or pneumatic cylinders as well as eddy current or magnetic powder brakes can also be used to generate the tractive force become. In order to always work against a consistently high torque in the training positions of the sports equipment, it is expedient to let the traction element engage in the tangential direction on the circumference of an axle centered on the lower part and / or the upper part.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the traction element acts only on one of the two, upper part and

Bottom-bearing shafts that are connected to each other via a reversing gear. The reversing gear can be designed as a chain drive with at least one reversing shaft, the reversing shaft being coupled to one of the shafts carrying the upper part or lower part by means of a chain drive rotating in the same direction. The turning shaft has at least three sprockets, while the shafts supporting the lower part or upper part are each provided with at least two sprockets. Two sprockets of the reversing shaft can be connected to the corresponding shaft sprockets on the shaft carrying the upper part by two open chain pieces which are entangled against sensibly. Rotation of the turning shaft in one direction of rotation is thereby converted into rotation of the shaft carrying the upper part in the opposite direction. The third sprocket of the reversing shaft can then be connected to the shaft carrying the lower part by a chain drive with a closed, uninterrupted chain, in order to transmit a rotational movement of the lower part with the same direction of rotation to the reversing shaft. A reversal of the direction of rotation of the two shafts supporting the lower and upper part can also be carried out with the aid of a gear transmission. Achieve two intermeshing gear wheels, one of which meshes with a gear wheel connected in a rotationally fixed manner to one of the two shafts. In order to make the sports equipment even more flexible, it is advantageous to provide a device for decoupling the rotary movement between the lower part and the upper part and for locking one of the two parts. The decoupling of the two parts can take place in a reversing gear designed as a pinion by pushing the reversing shaft towards the shafts carrying the lower part or the upper part, as a result of which the rotational movement of the reversing shaft is no longer transmitted to the shaft carrying the upper part. If you additionally lock the upper part, you get a sports device of the generic type specified at the beginning.

Instead of coupling the upper part and the lower part to one another, the two parts can also be arranged pivotably in the frame independently of one another. To generate the torques, two separate tension members, each acting eccentrically to the axis of rotation on the lower part or on the upper part, can be provided.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown schematically in the drawing. Show it

1 shows a partially sectioned side view of a

Sports equipment in rest or entry position;

2 shows a plan view of the sports device according to FIG

dot-dash starting rotation position;

Fig.3 a

to d four sections through the reversing gear of the sports device according to Fig. 1 along lines A-A, B-B,

C-C and D-D.

The sports device shown in the drawing consists essentially of a lower part designed as a seat part 10 and an upper part 20, both of which are rotatably mounted in a frame 30. The seat part 10 provided with an upholstered seat is carried by a vertical shaft 12, which is supported on an axial bearing 37 opposite the frame 30 and is mounted within a hollow shaft 14 with roller bearings 31, 33.

The existing from a steel frame 41 with two armrests 43 and two handles 45 upper part 20 is rotatably fixed by means of a clamp connection 47 on the hollow shaft 14, which is also rotatably mounted in a tubular support 28 connected to the frame 30 with roller bearings 27, 29 and which a deflection of the seat part 10 from its resting or Entry position is turned to the left or right by a reversing gear 50 in the opposite direction.

The reversing gear 50 consists of a reversing shaft 52 mounted vertically in the frame 30, on which three chain wheels 54, 56, 58 of the same diameter are coaxially fastened. The chain wheels 54, 56 are connected by two interlocking gels, chain pieces 70, 72 to two chain wheels 62, 64 arranged on the hollow shaft 14 of the upper part 20. Turning the turning shaft 52 clockwise causes the hollow shaft 14 to turn counterclockwise and vice versa (FIG. 3).

The reversing shaft 52 is driven via the lowest sprocket 58, which is connected to the sprocket 26 arranged on the shaft 12 of the seat part 10 by means of a closed, unlinked articulated chain 77. Rotating the shaft 12 carrying the seat part 10 clockwise thus causes the turning shaft 52 to rotate in the same direction and the hollow shaft 14 carrying the upper part 20 counterclockwise (FIG. 3). Two opposite the frame 30 arranged bar tensioning rollers 74 allow the tensioning of the chain wheels 58 and 26 connecting link chain 77th At the free end 32 of a link chain 38 guided by deflection rollers 34, 36 in the frame, weight bodies 39 in different numbers can be fastened. The other end of the articulated chain 38 is fastened in the circumference of a chain wheel 22 which is fixedly connected to the shaft 12 carrying the seat part 10. If the seat part 10 is pivoted out of its rest or entry position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 into a starting rotational position offset by 90 °, the tensile force exerted by the chain 38 acts on the chain wheel 22 in the tangential direction and thus exerts a torque on the seat part 10. Two guide rollers 24 mounted about vertical axes on the frame 30 serve to deflect the chain 38 and ensure that the tensile force of the chain 38 acts on the chain wheel 22 in a tangential direction from its rest or entry position even at a relatively small angle of rotation of the seat part 10 and then exerts a constant torque on the shaft 12 and thus on the seat part 10 upon further rotation.

A cushion support 84 arranged at the front of the seat 80 serves to support the knees from the side and, like the hip cushion 82, prevents the training person from slipping on the seat. A footplate 88 for supporting the feet prevents the legs from being used for swinging.

In the reversing gear 50 shown in FIG. 3 in several sectional planes, the link chain pieces 70, 72 are fastened to the circumference of the chain wheels 54, 56 and 62, 64 and are each interlaced with one another, so that the counterclockwise and clockwise rotations result in the same Can drive upper part 20 supporting hollow shaft 14 through the turning shaft 52. The reversing shaft 52 is driven via the closed link chain 77 shown in FIG. 3c, which transmits a rotational movement of the shaft 12 carrying the seat part 10 in the same direction of rotation to the reversing shaft 52. The non-entangled link chain 77 resting on the sprocket of the sprockets 26 and 58 can be retensioned by tensioning rollers 74 which are arranged displaceably on the frame 30. The chain 38 shown in FIG. 3 and attached to the circumference of the sprocket 22 engages radially on the sprocket 22 in the rest position of the sports device shown and thus does not exert any torque on the sprocket 22 and the shaft 12 carrying the seat part 10 connected to it. However, if the seat part 10 is rotated by 90 ° into one of the two initial rotational positions, then the chain 38, which is carried along by the chain wheel 22 and deflected on one of the guide rollers 24, engages the chain wheel 22 in a tangential direction. As a result, a restoring torque is exerted on the chain wheel 22 and the seat part 10.

By changing the diameter of, for example, the chain wheels 58 or 26, the transmission ratio and thus the ratio of the torques which act on the seat part 10 or on the upper part 20 can be changed. Halve e.g. the diameter of the chain wheel 58, the shaft 12 carrying the seat part 10 has twice as much torque as the hollow shaft 14 carrying the upper part 20. As a result, the upper part 20 also rotates relative to the frame 30 at twice the angular velocity as the seat part 10th

In the entry or rest position of the sports device shown in solid lines in FIG. 2, no torque is exerted on the seat part 10 and the upper part 20. After getting in, the training person rotates the seat part 10 by 90 ° Compared to the frame 30 to the left or right in one of the initial rotational positions, the weight body 39 connected to the chain 38 is raised and exerts a restoring torque on the seat part 10 due to its weight. Simultaneously with the rotation of the seat part 10, the upper part 20 is also pivoted out of its rest position by the reversing gear 50 by 90 ° in the opposite direction after reaching the starting rotation position indicated by dash-dotted lines, the training person places the forearms on the armrests 43 and grips the handles with both hands 45. From this position the oblique muscles are now built up on one side of the body by pivoting the seat part and the upper part against the restoring torque by means of a repeated twisting movement initiated in the area of the oblique muscle between the lower body and the upper body. After complete contraction of the muscle on one side of the body, loosening the muscle returns to the starting rotational position.

After the training of the oblique muscles on one side of the body, the seat part 10 is rotated through the rest position into the second starting rotational position, offset by 180 ° from the dash-dot line, and the muscles of the other side of the body are trained from this position.

In the opposite direction of rotation, in which both the lower body and the upper body perform a rotary movement against a respectively adjustable, possibly different torque, the transversospinal muscular system that connects the vertebrae to one another and the vertebrae due to the respective fixation on spinous and transverse processes a torsional or rotational movement allows, stressed and strengthened. Due to the initiation of the torque in both the upper body and the lower body, the transversospinal muscles on the twelve chest whirl and five lumbar vertebrae are evenly grasped and loaded. With different torque loads in the upper and lower body area, it is even possible to train the transversospinal muscles in the vicinity of certain muscles. This is particularly important in rehabilitation, since the exerciser can train selected selected transverse muscle groups in the absence of movement in order to improve the restricted mobility between the vertebrae concerned.

Claims

1. sports equipment for muscle training with a frame arranged on a frame, rotatably fixable with respect to the lower body of a training person, preferably designed as a seat part and preferably fixable by holding or pressing against the upper body of the training person, about a substantially vertical axis relative to the lower part and to the frame from at least one initial rotational position, the upper part can be pivoted back and forth, on which acts a torque which is preferably adjustable in its strength and optionally adjustable in its direction, characterized in that the lower part (10) and the upper part (20) in opposite directions to the frame (30) can be pivoted back and forth and are under the action of opposing torques.

2. Sports device according to claim 1, characterized in

that the lower part (10) and the upper part (20) are pivotable about a common axis.

3. Sports device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lower part (10) and the upper part (20) are pivoted coupled.

4. Sports device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized

characterized in that the lower part (10) and the upper part (20) are under the action of oppositely equal torques.

5. Sports device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lower part (10) and the upper part (20) are under the action of oppositely different torques.

6. Sports device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized

characterized in that the torques acting on the lower part (10) and the upper part (20) are independent of the angle of rotation.

7. Sports device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized

characterized in that the torques acting on the lower part (10) and the upper part (20) are variable depending on the angular position.

8. Sports device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized

characterized in that in a rest or entry position no torque acts on the lower part (10) and the upper part (20).

9. Sports device according to one of claims 2 to 8, characterized

characterized in that the upper part (20) and the lower part (10) are arranged on two separate shafts (12, 14) rotatable about the common axis.

10. Sports device according to one of claims 2 to 9, characterized by at least one eccentrically to the axis of rotation on the upper part (20) and / or on the lower part (10) acting pulling member (38) for exerting the torque.

11. Sports device according to claim 10, characterized in

that one or more weight bodies (39) can optionally be connected to one end (32) of the tension member (38), which is preferably designed as a chain or rope.

12. Sports device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the pulling element (38) engages in the tangential direction on the circumference of an axle centered with the lower part (10) or the upper part (20) connected wheel (22).

13. Sports device according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized

characterized in that the shaft (14) carrying the upper part (20) and designed as a hollow shaft is rotatably mounted on the frame (30) and on the shaft (12) carrying the lower part (10).

14. Sports device according to one of claims 9 to 13, characterized

characterized in that the shafts (12, 14) carrying the upper part (20) and the lower part (10) are connected to one another via a reversing gear (50).

15. Sports device according to claim 14, characterized in

that the reversing gear (50) is designed as a chain drive with at least one reversing shaft (52).

16. Sports device according to claim 15, characterized in

that the turning shaft (52) with one of the shafts (12, 14) of the lower part (10) or of the upper part (20) by a chain drive rotating in the same direction and with the other shaft of the upper part (20) or of the lower part (10) an oppositely rotating chain drive is coupled.

17. Sports device according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the turning shaft (52) at least three sprockets (54,56,58) and the lower part (10) and that

Upper shafts (20) carrying shafts (12, 14) each carry at least two sprockets (22, 26 and 62, 64).

18. Sports device according to one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the turning shaft (52) by one

Chain drive with a closed chain (77) with which the lower part (10) carrying shaft (12) is connected.

19. Sports device according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that two sprockets (54, 56) of the turning shaft (52) by two oppositely crossed open chain pieces (70, 72) with two corresponding sprockets (62, 64) on which the upper part ( 20) supporting shaft (14) are connected.

20. Sports device according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the rotary movements between the lower part (10) and upper part (20) can be decoupled and that either the lower part (10) or the upper part (20) on the frame (30) can be locked .

21. Sports device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lower part (10) and the upper part (20) are pivotable independently of one another.

22. Sports device according to claim 21, characterized by at least two separate, each eccentrically to the axis of rotation on the lower part (10) on the one hand and on the upper part (20) on the other hand attacking the torque exerting traction elements.