Push-Up Trainer

The described embodiments relate generally to an apparatus and method for performing push-ups, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for performing push-ups in a manner that prevents should injury.

Shoulder injuries are common and can occur due to various reasons, including overuse, improper form during exercises, trauma, or underlying conditions such as tendonitis, bursitis, or rotator cuff tears. These injuries can significantly impact one's ability to perform exercises like push-ups, which heavily engage the shoulder joints and surrounding muscles. Understanding the types of shoulder injuries and their relationship to push-up exercises is crucial for preventing further damage and promoting proper rehabilitation.

Rotator Cuff Injuries: The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint, providing stability and facilitating movement. Overloading the rotator cuff, especially with poor form during push-ups, can lead to strains, tears, or inflammation. Symptoms include pain, weakness, and limited range of motion. Push-ups involve repetitive movements that may exacerbate existing rotator cuff injuries or lead to new ones if performed incorrectly.

Shoulder Impingement Syndrome: This condition occurs when the tendons of the rotator cuff become pinched between the bones of the shoulder, causing pain and inflammation. Push-ups, particularly when done with improper technique or excessive repetition, can exacerbate impingement symptoms by compressing the structures in the shoulder joint.

Shoulder Dislocation/Subluxation: Push-ups require stable shoulder joints to support the body weight. Individuals with a history of shoulder dislocation or subluxation (partial dislocation) may be at increased risk of re-injury when performing push-ups, especially if the muscles around the joint are weak or imbalanced.

Labral Tears: The labrum is a ring of cartilage that surrounds the socket of the shoulder joint, providing stability and cushioning. Labral tears can occur due to acute trauma or repetitive stress, such as forceful overhead movements or sudden jerking motions. While push-ups primarily involve vertical movement, improper alignment or excessive strain on the shoulder can contribute to labral tears, leading to pain, clicking sensations, and reduced shoulder stability.

Biceps Tendonitis: The long head of the biceps tendon runs through the shoulder joint and can become inflamed or irritated, leading to biceps tendonitis. Improper push-up form, especially when the elbows flare out excessively or the shoulders are shrugged forward, can aggravate this condition by placing excessive stress on the biceps tendon.

Muscle Strains and Tendonitis: Apart from the specific injuries mentioned above, push-ups can also strain the muscles and tendons surrounding the shoulder joint, such as the deltoids, pectoralis major, and triceps. Overuse, poor technique, or sudden increases in training intensity can contribute to strains and tendonitis in these areas.

To mitigate the risk of shoulder injuries while performing push-up exercises, individuals should: ensure proper form, including maintaining a neutral spine, engaging the core muscles, and aligning the shoulders with the wrists and elbows; progress gradually by starting with modified push-up variations and gradually increasing intensity and volume; strengthen the muscles of the rotator cuff and surrounding shoulder stabilizers through targeted exercises; listen to their body and avoid pushing through pain or discomfort during push-up workouts; incorporate rest days and cross-training activities to prevent overuse injuries and promote overall shoulder health. While the suggestions above are helpful, a new solution allowing a safe and shoulder protecting push-up is needed.

In a first novel aspect, an apparatus allowing a user to perform a push-up exercise with a hand grip orientation that is similar to the user body orientation, comprises: a first handle configured to connect to a first vertical support member; a first horizontal support member configured to connect to the first vertical support member; a second handle configured to connect to the second vertical support member; and a second horizontal support member configured to connect to the second vertical support member. The first handle is configured such that when connected to the first vertical support member the angle between the first handle and the first vertical support member is not ninety degrees. The second handle is configured such that when connected to the second vertical support member the angle between the second handle and the second vertical support member is not ninety degrees.

Further details and embodiments and techniques are described in the detailed description below. This summary does not purport to define the invention. The invention is defined by the claims.

Reference will now be made in detail to background examples and some embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the description and claims below, relational terms such as “top”, “down”, “upper”, “lower”, “top”, “bottom”, “left” and “right” may be used to describe relative orientations between different parts of a structure being described, and it is to be understood that the overall structure being described can actually be oriented in any way in three-dimensional space.

is a diagram of a push-up barincluding a handle that is parallel with the ground surface when the user is in an extended arm position. As clearly illustrated in, the orientation of the user's bodyis approximately forty-five (45) degrees from the ground surface when the user's arms are extended. Meanwhile, the push-up bar handles are parallel to the ground surface. Therefore, the angle difference between the user's hands gripping the bar and the user's body orientation is forty-five (45) degrees. This large angular difference between the user's hands gripping the bar and the user's body orientation causes increased stress in the user's wrist joint and the user's shoulder joint. Moreover, the large angular difference between the user's hands gripping the bar and the user's body orientation causes the increases strain in the user's rotator cuff muscles and tendons.

A rotator cuff injury can impair various types of movements involving the shoulder joint due to the role of the rotator cuff muscles in stabilizing and controlling shoulder movement. The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and their tendons that surround the shoulder joint, providing stability and facilitating various arm movements. When these muscles or tendons are injured, movements that involve the shoulder joint can be significantly affected. Here are some types of movements that may be impaired due to a rotator cuff injury:

Shoulder Abduction: Shoulder abduction involves lifting the arm away from the body sideways. The rotator cuff muscles, particularly the supraspinatus, play a crucial role in initiating and controlling this movement. A rotator cuff injury can lead to weakness or pain during shoulder abduction, limiting the range of motion and making it difficult to raise the arm fully.

Shoulder External Rotation: External rotation of the shoulder involves rotating the arm outward away from the body. The infraspinatus and teres minor muscles of the rotator cuff are primarily responsible for this movement. A rotator cuff injury can result in weakness or pain during external rotation, making it challenging to perform tasks such as reaching behind the back or throwing objects.

Shoulder Internal Rotation: Internal rotation of the shoulder involves rotating the arm inward toward the body. The subscapularis muscle of the rotator cuff is primarily responsible for this movement. A rotator cuff injury affecting the subscapularis can lead to weakness or pain during internal rotation, impacting activities such as reaching for objects on the opposite side of the body or reaching behind the back.

Shoulder Flexion: Shoulder flexion involves raising the arm forward and upward in front of the body. While several muscles contribute to shoulder flexion, the rotator cuff muscles help stabilize the shoulder joint during this movement. A rotator cuff injury can result in weakness or pain during shoulder flexion, limiting the ability to raise the arm overhead or perform tasks that require reaching upward.

Shoulder Extension: Shoulder extension involves moving the arm backward behind the body. While the larger muscles of the back primarily perform shoulder extension, the rotator cuff muscles help stabilize the shoulder joint during this movement. A rotator cuff injury may lead to weakness or pain during shoulder extension, affecting activities such as pulling or lifting objects behind the body.

Shoulder Circumduction: Shoulder circumduction involves a combination of flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction, resulting in a circular motion of the arm around the shoulder joint. The rotator cuff muscles play a crucial role in controlling and stabilizing the shoulder during circumduction. A rotator cuff injury can impair shoulder circumduction, leading to limited range of motion and difficulty performing tasks that require circular arm movements.

The increase in strain on the user's wrist and shoulder is substantial enough so to prohibit a user with rotator cuff injuries from doing a single push-up using this push-up bar with handles that are parallel to the ground.

is a diagram of a push-up barincluding a handle that is parallel with the ground surface when the useris in a bent arm position.clearly illustrates the orientation of the user's body when the user is in a bent arm position. While in the bent arm position, the user's body orientation is approximately thirty-five (35) degrees from the ground surface and the push-up bar handles. Therefore, the same wrist and shoulder strain discussed above regarding, occurs throughout the user's full range of motion when performing a push-up with the push-up bar having handles that are parallel to the ground surface. A solution is needed to allow a user with shoulder or wrist injuries to safely and comfortably perform a push-up exercise.

After dealing with multiple shoulder injuries, the applicant of this patent application found doing push-ups with his hands in a position parallel to the ground surface to be very painful, thereby preventing his ability to perform the exercise. The applicant then, through extensive trial and error, found that he was able to perform a push-up exercise without pain when he used a push-up bar having handles that were positioned at an angle that was similar to the orientation of his body.,,, andillustrate the applicant's invention in the most general form, while,, andillustrate more specific embodiments of the applicant's invention.

illustrates an improved push-up bar with handles that are positioned at an angle approximately equal to the angle of the user's body orientation when the user's arms are in the bent position. When the user's arms are extended, the push-up bar handles are at a slightly different angle than the angle of the user's body orientation, but the difference of angle is small enough to still provide the user with improved safety and comfort in his wrist and shoulder joints while preforming the push-up exercise.

is a diagram of a push-up barincluding a handle that is non-parallel with the ground surface when the useris in a bent arm position. When the user is in a bent arm position, the angle of the user's gripping hands is approximately the same as the angle of the user's body orientation. The alignment reduces the stress on the user's wrists and shoulders as the user performs the push-up exercise.

. is a diagram illustrating the ability to adjust the user to floor (and user to handle) angle provided by the push-up bar including a handle that is non-parallel with the ground surface. In this illustration, the user is gripping the push-up bar near the highest end of the push-up bar handle, thereby maximizing the user's body orientation angle to the ground surface. The user can adjust the user's body orientation angle to the ground surface by adjusting where the user grips the push-up bar handle.

. is another diagram illustrating the ability to adjust the user to floor (and user to handle) angle provided by the push-up bar including a handle that is non-parallel with the ground surface. In this illustration, the user is gripping the push-up bar near the lowest end of the push-up bar handle, thereby minimizing the user's body orientation angle to the ground surface.andclearly illustrate how the user can adjust the user's body orientation angle to the ground surface by adjusting where the user grips the push-up bar handle. This inherent body orientation angle adjustment makes the push-up bar usable for a wide variety of users having different heights and different arm lengths. For example, in a gym environment, a single improved push-up bar could provide the intended benefits to many different gym members.

In the embodiment illustrated in,,, andis simplified to focus on the benefits of the present invention. The invention may be implemented using a variety of materials, configurations and have various types of adjustments, a few of which are illustrated in the remaining figures.

is a perspective-view diagram of an angled push-up bar in a first embodiment. The embodiment illustrated in this figure is the first embodiment created by the applicant in search of a solution to allow him to perform a push-up exercise after his shoulder injuries. The improved push-up bars are constructed from metal pipes and pipe connectors. The pipes are screwed into the pipe connectors to form a rigid connection at the desired angles. The vertical support members connect to and support the handle. The horizontal support members connect to and support the vertical support members.

The two illustrated push-up bars are not connected together, therefore proper alignment of the two push-up bars is required before use. If the two push-up bars are not properly aligned, then the angle between the user's grip and the user's shoulder would be different for each arm, which would not achieve the desired result.

Moreover, the illustrated push-up bars do not have a fixed spacing between the two push-up bars, therefore the distance between the bars needs to be setup before each use.

Further, the angle of the push-up bar handles to the ground surface are fixed, therefore the user is not able to increase or decrease the push-up bar handle angle to the ground surface if so desired.

is a perspective-view diagram of an angled push-up bar in a second embodiment. The independent angled push-up bar illustrated inincludes a first horizontal support member, a first vertical support member, a handle that is not ninety degrees with the ground surface, a second vertical support member, and a second horizontal support member. As mentioned above, the user can adjust the angle of the user's body orientation by adjusting where the user grips the handle. Gripping the handle closer to the top end of the handle will maximize the angle of the user's body orientation, and gripping the handle closer to the lower end of the handle will minimize the angle of the user's body orientation. In this fashion, the user can adjust the angle of their body orientation to achieve the desired angle of body orientation to allow ideal execution of the push-up exercise. In one example, the higher end of the handle has a height of approximately twenty-one (21) inches above the ground surface, and the lower end of the handle has a height of approximately eight (8) inches above the ground surface.

is a side-view diagram of the angled push-up bar in the second embodiment. The independent angled push-up bar illustrated inincludes a first horizontal support member, a first vertical support member, a handle that is not ninety degrees with the ground surface, a second vertical support member, and a second horizontal support member. The angled push-up bar may be fabricated as a single unit or constructed by connecting multiple pieces together. In one embodiment, the push-up bar is formed out of steel. In another embodiment, the push-up bar is formed out of a strong plastic. In yet another embodiment, the push-up bar is formed out of wood. It is noted that after review of the present patent application, one skilled in the art would readily understand that many different materials could be used to construct the new and novel angled push-up bar.

is a perspective-view diagram of an angled push-up bar in a third embodiment. In this embodiment, multiple improvements are presented. First, the height of the push-up bars is adjustable in the vertical dimension. The vertical support members include an extending member that can be expanded or contracted as desired. In one example, the extending member is fixed into place by placing a spring loaded locking pin into a mating hole in the extending member.

This ability to adjust the height of the push-up bar handles allows a single push-up bar to serve users of all heights and arm lengths.

Second, the horizontal support members are elongated to provide more stability. This configuration allows users to perform push-up exercises with additional safety.

is a perspective-view diagram of an angled push-up bar in a fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, the two push-up bars are connected together. In one example, the third horizontal support member and the fourth horizontal support member are connected together via one or more bolts or screws. It is noted herein, that a single long horizontal support member may be used to connect the vertical support members together.

This embodiment provides the benefit of maintaining the alignment between the first and second push-up bar handles.

is a perspective-view diagram of an angled push-up bar in a fifth embodiment. In this embodiment, the two push-up bar handles are connected together in an adjustable manner. The horizontal support members supporting the first handle are connected to the horizontal support members supporting the second handle via a horizontal extendable arm. In one example, the horizontal extendable arm is fixed into place via spring loaded locking pin and a mating hole in the horizontal extendable arm.

This improvement provides the added benefit of maintaining the alignment of the first handle with second handle, while also allowing users to adjust the spacing between the first handle and the second handle. This allows users with different inter-shoulder sizes to use the same push-up bar system.

is a flowchartdescribing the usage of an angled push-up bar in the first embodiment. In step, a first handle is connected to a first vertical support member. The angle between the first handle and the vertical support member is not equal to ninety degrees. In step, a first horizontal support member is connected to the first vertical support member. In step, a second handle is connected to a second vertical support member. The angle between the second handle and the second vertical support member is not ninety degrees. In step, a second horizontal support member to the second vertical support member. In step, the first handle is connected to a third vertical support member. In step, a third horizontal support member is connected to the third vertical support member. In step, the second handle is connected to a fourth vertical support member. In step, a fourth horizontal support member is connected to a fourth vertical support member.

Although certain specific embodiments are described above for instructional purposes, the teachings of this patent document have general applicability and are not limited to the specific embodiments described above. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations, and combinations of various features of the described embodiments can be practiced without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.