[0001] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to physical exercise equipment, and, more particularly, an improved elastic band exercising arrangement.

[0003] Resistance bands are popular for a wide variety of exercises including strength training and stretching. Due to their low cost and portability they are in all common fitness locations including commercial fitness clubs and gyms, home gyms, and the gym bag of a personal trainer. The resistance band is highly versatile as it allows for exercises on multiple planes of motion to target both upper and lower body muscle groups. A user can change the intensity either by increasing the stretch in the band or switching to a band of heavier or lighter resistance.

[0004] Exercise bands are available in a variety of lengths, cross-sectional shapes, and resistance levels. Bands may be closed loop and seamless or a discrete length segment. Resistance is provided by the stiffness and cross- sectional shape of the elastic material. Bands may have a permanently attached handle or provide for the attachment of handles, straps, and belts with the use of a clipping method such as a carabiner. Attachments are most common to bands that are of open ended length. Bands may have the elastic material exposed or covered with fabric.

[0005] Other terms commonly used interchangeably would be descriptors of exercise, strength or resistance while calling the band itself a band, tube, or cord.

[0006] Exercisers can use resistance bands with or without a fixed anchor point. The need to anchor or not is dependent on the exercise being performed. When used without an anchor point the exerciser may stand on the band to self-anchor the band or may have the band between two hands or a closed looped mini-band around legs or arms. When the band is used with an anchor point, the band is anchored either by one end or the middle of the band. A variety of commercial structures and products for home applications exist with provisions to attach a band to a fixed point. The fixed point may be low, high, or somewhere in between depending on the exercise being performed.

[0007] When an exerciser picks up the band handle, or intermediate portion of the band length, prior to stretching the band, it provides no tension in the elastic material. It will not provide a resistance until the user stretches the band. Therefore, the user may need to occupy more space to preload the resistance band.

[0008] Resistance bands will only provide a resistance force when the band is stretched and in tension. The direction of the force is inline with the band anchor point and the end attached to the user. The user can only direct force away from the anchor and is therefore not able to fluidly perform movements such as a fore-aft push-pull or a left-right torso twist with repeatable resistance in both directions.

[0009] It’s common to find users attaching bands to random points and

heights around the gym environment, such as a post of another piece of fitness equipment to create an anchor point. These practices described can make consistent repeatability of the resistance level difficult to achieve.

[00010] When bands are used in the horizontal plane of motion the band is typically fixed to an anchor. When the user chooses to move to a higher or lower plane of motion the band anchoring must be detached and reattached to the new height desired. With band and anchor systems available today the band does not move fluidly up and down while maintaining resistance purely in the horizontal plane.

[00011] SUMMARY-OF INVENTION

[00012] According to the present invention, an elastic band is mounted vertically and pretensioned between an upper and lower anchor point. A sliding handle provides the ability for users to perform a multitude of resistance training exercises quickly and easily without mechanical adjustment by merely sliding the articulating grip handle to target unlimited horizontal planes of motion.

[00013] When in place, the band can provide resistance to movement in any direction but is uniquely suited to motion in the horizontal plane. This resistance band system with adjustable grip provides continuous uninterrupted motion possible in all 360 degrees in each horizontal plane. The user may push or pull or resist the system in lateral motion left and right, or a combination of all.

[00014] The system is comprised of an upper and lower anchor point, an elastic resistance band, and a vertically gliding adjustable grip handle. The upper anchor point is situated directly above the lower anchor point so that the elastic resistance band, when clipped in to the anchor points and uninterrupted, is vertical.

[00015] The adjustable grip is comprised of a hand grip and may include a short tether to a sliding connector to the elastic resistance band that allows for the articulation of grip positioning either pronation or supination. The attachment of the adjustable grip to the resistance band may be permanent. The clipped attachments of the resistance band to the upper and lower anchor points is not permanent and has been designed to be incorporated into various high and low anchor point systems. The sliding connector of the adjustable grip is designed to rotate about the elastic resistance band and therefore can achieve 360 degrees of directional resistance.

[00016] The dual anchor resistance band system is ideally connected to a free standing structure designed with anchor points properly sized and oriented to the product and at an optimal distance to pretension the elastic resistance band. Alternatively, the system may be utilized with dedicated ceiling and floor mounted anchor points requiring no specific apparatus other than structurally mounted eye bolts.

[00017] In an alternative embodiment, a pair of vertically mounted resistance bands are provided so that each of a user’s arms can be separately exercised. With appropriate modification of the handle, a user’s legs can be exercised, as well. When used in conjunction with such a dual band configuration, even further movement patterns become available by simultaneously creating contrasting concentric and eccentric resistance (push/pull) variations.

[00018] The novel features which are characteristic of the invention, both as to structure and method of operation thereof, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will be understood from the following description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only, and they are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

[00019] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[00020] FIG. 1 .is a perspective view of apparatus including the present invention;

[00021] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a band with handle attached;

FIG 3, including FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective views of alternative mountings for the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative handle.

[00022] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION-

100023] T urning first to FIG. 1 , there is shown an elastic band 10 mounted in a support structure 12. A collar 14 is slidingly mounted on the elastic band 10. The elastic band is connected to the support structure 12 at upper and lower anchor points 16, 18. The collar has, attached to it, a tether 15 and a handle 17.

[00024] In use, the handle 17 is moved to a desired location on the elastic band 10 and can be engaged in a variety of exercises in the horizontal plane. As shown in the Figure, a second band 10’ is mounted to the support structure at anchor points 16’, 18’ with its own collar 14’, tether 15’ and handle 17’. Having the two bands 10,10’ enables a user to simultaneously deploy both handles in the horizontal plane for a variety of exercise choices.

[00025] As seen in FIG. 2, the handle combination includes a handle 17the tether 15 and a tubular collar portion 14 which encompasses the elastic band 10.

[00026] FIG. 3A shows elastic bands 30, 32 suspended between wall mounted upper arms 32, 34, and lower arms 38, 40, while FIG. 3B shows a similar configuration with anchor points in upper and lower mounting plates 42, 44.

[00027] In FIG. 4 there is shown an alternative handle grip assembly 50. Here, a fabric loop 52 encircles an elastic band 54. A hand grip 56 is attached to the loop 52 by a short tether 58. The flexibility afforded by this combination allows for a variety of exercises once the loop 52 is positioned on the band 54.

[00028] Thus there has been shown and described a novel elastic band

exercising system employing prestressed anchored elastic bands with a movable handle grip that enables a variety of exercise movements in the horizontal plane. Those skilled in the art may develop alternative

embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

[00029] What is claimed as new is, as follows.