Exercise Device for Strengthening Gluteal Muscles

The present application is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 18/505,992, filed on 2023 Nov. 9, which is a continuation in part application of U.S. Ser. No. 17/647,951, filed on 2022 Jan. 13, now U.S. patent Ser. No. 11/833,387, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/225,046, filed on 2021 Apr. 7, now U.S. patent Ser. No. 11/253,743, the entire contents of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.

Not Applicable

Exercise devices, such as bench press racks, treadmills, and leg curl machines, are commonly purchased and used by consumers in order to strengthen their muscles at home or in a gym. There are few machines that could be used, however, to exercise gluteal muscles.

It would therefore be desirable to provide improved exercise devices and methods of using exercise machines to strengthen a person's gluteal muscles during a workout.

A system and method for exercising gluteus and hamstring muscles of a person are disclosed. The method involves disposing an exercise machine base having a conveyor belt or a continuous belt under the feet of a person while the person lies back-down on a resting surface. In some embodiments, the continuous belt could be pulled taught between at least two rollers. The continuous belt preferably is configured to move about the at least two rollers such that the continuous belt rolls around the at least two rollers. The person braces their upper back against a friction surface to hold the upper back of the person in place relative to the exercise machine while the person moves the continuous belt using their feet. By moving the continuous belt with the person's feet, the person can effectively exercise their buttock muscles while targeting their pelvic stabilizers. For example the person may use the balls of their feet to push the continuous belt away from themselves or pull the continuous belt towards themselves.

A person could increase the difficulty of the exercise by raising their torso while maintaining a minimum distance between a resting surface and the buttock muscles of the person while performing the exercise. Such a resting surface could be, for example, a resting surface that supports the base of the exercise machine, a back brace that is coupled to the exercise machine base, or a yoga mat or carpet that sits between the ground and the base of the exercise machine. The resting surface typically acts as the friction surface that the person uses to brace their upper back in place while the person moves the belt of the exercise machine.

The difficulty of the exercise can be further increased by resting a weight on the person's torso while performing the exercise. Such a weight could be positioned in any suitable location, such as the pelvis area, chest area, or the ab area of the person performing the exercise. In some embodiments the weight could be coupled to a weight bar. The weight bar could have one or more weight posts that hold the weight in place during use, such as at the center of the weight bar or on the sides of the weight bar, oriented in any suitable direction. The weight bar could be attached to the exercise machine, such as the base of the exercise machine, and could be pivotably attached to the exercise machine to allow the weight bar to move with the person as the person raises and lowers their torso.

Any machine having a continuous belt that can be moved with a person's feet could be used to perform this exercise. In some embodiments, an exercise machine could be provided that has a base and a weight bar. The base could have a continuous belt pulled taught between at least two rollers, configured to move along the rollers when a person's feet applies a force on the surface of the continuous belt. The rollers could have one or more mechanisms that increase or decrease a resistance of the continuous belt as it moves about the rollers. Such a mechanism could comprise a brake mechanism that alters a friction force applied to a roller, or a torque multiplier that changes a torque force applied to an axle with differing settings. The base could have a relatively thin thickness, which allows a person lying on a resting surface to easily place their feet on the top surface of the continuous belt. In such embodiments, the top surface of the belt could be positioned less than 3, 2, 1, or ½ feet from the top of a resting surface. The top surface of the continuous belt could be made of any suitable material having a coefficient of friction greater than 1 with a person's feet, socks, or shoes, such as rubber, plastic, or textured cloth.

The weight bar could be coupled to the base comprising the continuous belt, and could have at least one weight attachment device that holds one or more weights in place relative to the weight bar. The weight attachment device is preferably configured to evenly distribute weight on the user's torso. For example, the weight attachment device could comprise a weight post disposed at a center of the weight bar or could comprise a plurality of weight posts disposed opposite each other, equidistant from the center of the weight bar. The weight post could comprise a cylindrical protrusion having a diameter of at most 1, 2, or 3 inches. In some embodiments, a clip could be removably attached to the weight post to hold the weight in place while a user exercises using the machine. Such clips could be frictionally coupled to the weight post, for example by using a spring that releases from the weight post when force is applied to the spring and compresses against the weight post when force is not applied to the spring, or by using a clamp that could be tightened or loosened by turning a threaded fastener.

The weight bar is preferably disposed to rest on a torso of a user of the exercise machine while the user applies a pushing or pulling force to the continuous belt with their feet. The weight bar could comprise any material suitable for holding a weight, for example a metal, such as aluminum or steel, or a hard plastic. In some embodiments, the weight bar comprises a tubular or rectangular material that is bent or cut into shape.

The weight bar could have a pad or a cushion wrapped around a section of the weight bar that protects the user's torso from the force of the hard weight bar. In some embodiments, the weight bar could be removably coupled to the base in any suitable manner, for example the weight bar could be hingedly connected to the base with a threaded fastener to pivot while the user raises and lowers the weight bar, and the threaded fastener could be loosened to detach the weight bar from the base. In some embodiments, the weight bar could be configured to rotate between at least 90, 120, or 150 degrees at a pivot point. The weight bar could comprise a bracket rotatably attached to a frame of the belt system, where the bracket has a cross-bar that supports the weight on the user's stomach. Such a bracket could have one, two, or more extension members that are equal to one another in length, which are coupled to the base near a proximal end. The extension members are preferably configured such that the cross bar is positioned above a user's stomach or hips and/or below the user's shoulders during use of the exercise device. For example, the extension members could have a length between 2.5 feet and 3.5 feet. In some embodiments, the extension members could be configured to be extendable and/or retractable, for example by using telescoping extension members. In some embodiments, the weight bar could alternatively, or could also, be coupled to the base via a sliding mechanism that allows the coupling location of the weight bar to shift its position along an axis of the base. Preferably, the coupling location of the weight bar could shift its position along the major length of the base along the length of a major frame member.

The weight bar could have a flattened or rounded portion alongside that allows the weight bar to comfortably rest on the torso of the user. In some embodiments, the weight bar could comprise a substantially circular, rectangular, or square cross-sectional area to form a round bar or rectangular tube. The weight bar could also have one or more supports that holds the weight bar above a torso of the user when not in use. Such a support could be hingedly coupled to the weight bar in the similar manner as a bicycle kickstand to rotate between a support position that holds the weight bar above the torso of the user and a standby position that allows the weight bar to rest on the torso of the user. The support could be configured to pivot by at least 50, 80, 90, or 120 degrees.

Furthermore, an exercise device for strengthening gluteus muscles and hamstrings is disclosed. The exercise device may have a base having a belt system with a continuous belt that is taut between at least two rollers, a back support attached to the front of the base, the back support having a lying surface between an outer frame of the back support, the outer frame having a first longitudinal side and a second longitudinal side, the first longitudinal side having a first lengthwise slot and the second longitudinal side having a second lengthwise slot, a first attachment component slidably coupled to the first lengthwise slot of the first longitudinal side of the outer frame, and a second attachment component slidably coupled to the second lengthwise slot of the second longitudinal side of the outer frame. The first and second attachment components may be configured to have a resistance band attached thereto for the resistance band to apply a downward force on a torso of a user when the user is lying on the lying surface of the back support.

In some embodiments, the exercise device may have a first gripping handle slidably coupled to a third lengthwise slot of the first longitudinal side, and a second gripping handle slidably coupled to a fourth lengthwise slot of the second longitudinal side. In some embodiments, the first lengthwise slot may be located on a first inner surface of the first longitudinal side and the second lengthwise slot may be located on a second inner surface of the second longitudinal side. In some embodiments, the third lengthwise slot may be located on a first upper surface of the first longitudinal side and the fourth lengthwise slot may be located on a second upper surface of the second longitudinal side.

In some embodiments, the first and second longitudinal sides may be made from extrusion profile frames. In some embodiments, the first and second lengthwise slots may be either V-slots or T-slots.

In some embodiments, the first attachment component may have a first body having a first attachment ring on one end of the first body and a first sliding shaft on another end of the first body, the first sliding shaft inserted through an attachment block of the first attachment component. In some embodiments, the first gripping handle may have a shaft body with a gripping portion on one end of the shaft body and a sliding shaft on another end of the shaft body, the sliding shaft inserted through an handle block of the first gripping handle.

In some embodiments, the first and second attachment components each may have an attachment ring. In some embodiments, the first and second attachment components each may have a snap hook.

Additionally, an exercise device for strengthening gluteus muscles and hamstrings is disclosed. The exercise device may have a base having a belt system with a continuous belt that is taut between at least two rollers, the belt system being at an incline, a back support attached to the front of the base, the back support having a lying surface between an outer frame of the back support, the outer frame having a first longitudinal side and a second longitudinal side, the first longitudinal side having a first lengthwise slot and the second longitudinal side having a second lengthwise slot, a first attachment component slidably coupled to the first lengthwise slot of the first longitudinal side of the outer frame, and a second attachment component slidably coupled to the second lengthwise slot of the second longitudinal side of the outer frame. The first and second attachment components may be configured to have a resistance band attached thereto for the resistance band to apply a downward force on a torso of a user when the user is lying on the lying surface of the back support. The base may be elevated height-wise relative to the back support and the belt system inclines downwards towards the back support.

In some embodiments, the exercise device may have a first gripping handle slidably coupled to a third lengthwise slot of the first longitudinal side, and a second gripping handle slidably coupled to a fourth lengthwise slot of the second longitudinal side. In some embodiments, the first lengthwise slot may be located on a first inner surface of the first longitudinal side and the second lengthwise slot may be located on a second inner surface of the second longitudinal side. In some embodiments, the third lengthwise slot may be located on a first upper surface of the first longitudinal side and the fourth lengthwise slot may be located on a second upper surface of the second longitudinal side.

In some embodiments, the first and second longitudinal sides may be made from extrusion profile frames. In some embodiments, the first and second lengthwise slots may be either V-slots or T-slots.

In some embodiments, the first attachment component may have a first body having a first attachment ring on one end of the first body and a first sliding shaft on another end of the first body, the first sliding shaft inserted through an attachment block of the first attachment component. In some embodiments, the first gripping handle may have a shaft body with a gripping portion on one end of the shaft body and a sliding shaft on another end of the shaft body, the sliding shaft inserted through an handle block of the first gripping handle.

In some embodiments, the first and second attachment components each may have an attachment ring. In some embodiments, the first and second attachment components each may have a snap hook.

The following detailed description describes a novel exercise system and method to exercise the buttock muscles of a person.

Various exercise devices could be utilized to perform such exercises. Four different exemplary devices are shown inas devices,,, and, as examples. An exemplary device typically has a continuous belt system that can be placed in front of a user's feet during the exercise. Contemplated continuous belt systems include a base having a continuous belt mounted to a frame that is pulled taught between at least two rollers. The belt could be configured to rotate about the rollers, having an upper side of the belt that is positioned less than two feet from a resting surface that the base rests upon, such as the ground. The base comprising the continuous belt could have one or more sets of wheels coupled to a side of the base that allow a user to easily wheel the base around before and after a workout session.

A weight bar could also be provided that is configured to rest on the person's torso during the workout. When the person lifts their pelvis off of the ground during the workout, the added weight from the weight bar provides added resistance during the workout. The weight bar could be configured to hold one or more weights on suitable weight attachment mechanisms, such as weight posts oriented in any suitable direction. One or more clips could be attached to such weight posts to hold the weights in place. The weight bar could be pivotally coupled to the base comprising the continuous belt. The weight bar could also have a kickstand-like support that can hold the weight bar above the person's torso to rest in between exercise sets. Also, a resistance band may be used in lieu of or in addition to the weight bar.

The exercise is conducted by a person who lies in front of a continuous belt with their back braced against a friction surface near the continuous belt and their feet positioned over the continuous belt. The person may push the continuous belt away from themselves or pull the continuous belt towards themselves using their feet to exercise and strengthen their gluteal muscles and pelvic stabilizers during a workout. The difficulty of the exercise can be increased by increasing a tension of the continuous belt to make it more difficult to move with the feet, or by raising the pelvis of the person off of the ground during the workout. A weight bar may be placed on the torso of the user, such as the chest, abs, or pelvis of the person, to further increase the difficulty of the workout. In embodiments where the weight bar is pivotally coupled to the base comprising the continuous belt, the person could conduct the exercise by placing weights on the weight bar before a workout, pivoting the weight bar off of the ground, crawling under the weight bar to rest it on the person's chest, lifting their torso, and then moving the continuous belt with their feet while maintaining holding their pelvis off of the ground.

shows an exemplary exercise machinein a storage configuration. The exercise machinehas a base, a pair of handles, and a weight bar. The base, the handles, and the weight barare configured to be rotatable relative to one another to allow the three elements to fold into substantially parallel positions relative to one another to allow for easy storage in a vertical arrangement. Here, the pair of handlesare configured to be stationary as the baseis rotated relative to the pair of handles, and the weight baris rotated relative to the base. As used herein, elements that are “substantially parallel” to one another have a major axis along the greatest length of the element that are parallel within 10 degrees from one another. For example, the weight baris shown as having a major axis that is about 3 degrees offset from the major axis of the base.

The handlescomprise a stabilizerwhich is coupled to the left handlevia the bracketand is coupled to the right handlevia the bracket. While the handlesare shown as separate components coupled together via brackets having threaded connector, the handlescould be coupled to the stabilizerin any other suitable manner, or could be molded into a single unitary element having the handles and stabilizer The left handleis rotatably coupled to the basevia a threaded fastenerthat threads through holes (not shown) in both the left handleand the base, while the right handleis rotatable coupled to the basevia a threaded fastenerthat threads through holes (not shown) in both the right handleand the base. This allows the baseto rotate relative to the handlesvia the pivot points located at the threaded fastenersand, respectively. Each of the handles, the left handleand the right handlehave handle cushions, which act to cushion any force applied to the hands of a user that grabs the cushions, similar to cushion. In some embodiments, the handle cushionis made from a material that is stiffer than the cushions that are coupled to the left handleand the right handle. The rotational position of the baserelative to the handlescould be locked or unlocked in place by tightening and untightening the threaded fastenersand, respectively, as needed. While the baseand the handlesare shown as rotatably coupled to one another via threaded fasteners, other rotatable fastening mechanisms could be used, such as hinges, nuts and bolts, ball joints, axles.

In contrast, the weight barcomprises a bodycoupled to the basevia the fastening mechanism, shown here as a nut, bolt, and washer, although other rotatable fastening mechanisms could be used, as disclosed herein. It should be understood that, on the other side of the basealong the length of the left support, another fastening mechanism could be coupled to the base, opposite to the fastening mechanism, to provide two hinges upon which the weight barrotates.

In some embodiments, the bodycould have a length that is adjustable. For example, as shown in, the bodyhas a telescoping memberconfigured to slide into a cavity (not shown) of the telescoping member. The telescoping memberis coupled to the telescoping memberusing the tightening mechanism, which locks the positions of the first and second telescoping members,in place relative to one another when tightened, and which allows the first and second telescoping members,to slide relative to one another when loosened. Such a tightening mechanism could be configured in any suitable manner to lock and unlock the sliding members in place relative to one another. Other mechanisms could be used to fix the position of telescoping members relative to one another, such as a peg with a spring that applies pressure to the peg to allow the peg to extend into a hole. A latch could be used to compress the spring until the peg is aligned with a hole that a user wishes the peg to extend into. As explained in further detail below, in other embodiments, the extension members of the bodycould have a static length, and the position of the weight baron a user's torsocould be adjusted instead or in addition to by sliding the attachment mechanismalong a length of the base.

In some embodiments the fastening mechanismcould slide along a major axis of the length of the right support, such as in the embodiment shown in, as explained below, to allow the pivot point of the weight barto change along the length of the base. It should be understood that, in embodiments where the opposite side of the weight barhas a fastening mechanism coupled to the left support, such a fastening mechanism would also slide along the length of the left supportalong a similar rail. In such an embodiment, the weight barcould be adjusted relative to the baseto rest on various sections of the user's torso. In addition, allowing the fastening point of the weight barto slide relative to the length of the basecould allow the weight barto slide forward towards the rollerssuch that the weight barrests just below the rollers. Such a configuration allows the exercise machineto be used as a standing treadmill-like leg exercise device rapidly without needing to fold the weight barunderneath the baseor removing the fastening mechanism.

Since the fastening mechanismcomprises a washer, the entire bodyfreely rotates relative to the baseand does not lock the relative rotational position of the baserelative to the weight bar. This allows the weight barto freely move during the exercise without a user needing to tighten or loosen the fastening mechanism. By rotatably coupling the base, the pair of handles, and the weight barto one another, a user could fold the exercise machinebetween a storage configuration shown inand a ready-to-use position shown invia the intermediary position shown in, as is explained in more detail below.

In some embodiments, the tightenersandcould also be coupled to the roller, allowing the tightenersandto also act as a tension brake for the continuous belt. As the tightenersandare tightened, the friction force of the rollercould be increased, providing additional resistance for the continuous belt, and allowing the tightenersandto provide the dual functionality of providing a tension brake for the continuous beltas well as a stabilizing force to prevent the basefrom rotating relative to the handleswhen the exercise machineis in the storage configuration shown in.

The basecomprises a frame having a right support, a left support, and a continuous beltthat is pulled taught between two rollersand. While two rollers are shown, more or less rollers could be used in other embodiments. The basealso comprises a platformcoupled to supportsbetween the left supportand the right support, which provides a stabilizing force under the continuous beltwhen a user places their feet on continuous beltand applies a force to the continuous beltso that the continuous beltrotates on the rollersand. The basealso comprises feetplaced at the corners of the baseto help distance the continuous beltfrom a resting surface, such as the ground, when the baseis disposed in the ready-to-use position. In some embodiments, the basecould be completely detached from the handlesto allow for a user to use the baseby itself as an exercise device. Such embodiments could be advantageous in areas with limited space.

The weight barcomprises a bodyrotatably coupled to the basevia the fasteners. The weight barhas a weight postthat projects from a center of the weight bar, which is configured to hold one or more weightswhen in use. A cushion memberis wrapped around the weight barto help distribute and soften the force from the weight bar. In some embodiments, the cushion membercomprises a softer material than the material that comprises the body. For example, the bodycould comprise a thermoplastic material or a metal material, such as aluminum, and the cushion membercould comprise a softer material such as a foam material or a cloth padding.

While the weight baris shown inas being a bent tube having a substantially circular cross-sectional area that rests on the torsoof the user, the weight barcould comprise any suitable cross-sectional area, for example an ovoid, rectangular or a square cross-sectional area. Such a weight bar that has a lower surface that rests on the torsoof the userwhich is flatter would rest easier on the torsoof the userduring use.

As shown in, in the ready-to-use position, a usercould place one or more weights on the weight bar, lift the weight bar, and dispose a portion of their body under the weight barto position the cushion materialon a portion of the torsoof the user. Such a position allows the userto exercise their back and gluteal muscles by raising the weight bara distance, such as 1 in., 6 in., or 12 in. The usercould also place one or both of their feeton the surface of the continuous belt, allowing the userto exercise their gluteal muscles by moving the continuous beltwith the ball of their feetin either direction.

In one embodiment, a useruses the exercise deviceby lying down in front of the exercise devicewith their feet on the continuous belt. The userbraces their backagainst a surface, such as resting surface, such that the user remains in place relative to the exercise device, even while moving their feet against the continuous belt. Contemplated resting surfaces include a floor of a room, a carpet, a rug, or an exercise mat. Such resting surfacespreferably have a coefficient of friction greater than 1 with materials covering the back, such as cloth or human skin. Once the useris sufficiently braced, the usercould then move the top surface of the continuous beltin either direction using their feet, such as moving the top surface of the continuous belttowards the rolleror towards the roller.

shows an alternative exercise devicehaving an alternate weight bar. The weight barhas two weight postsanddisposed on either side of the weight bar. The weightis coupled to the weight postwhile the weightis coupled to the weight post. The weight postsandare preferably disposed an equal distance from the center of the body of the weight bar, which balances the weight baron userwhen the weightsandare of equal mass.

The weight baralso has supportsandthat are rotatably coupled to the weight barvia the attachment mechanisms. The attachment mechanismsare shown here as nuts, bolts, and washers, but could be any suitable rotatable attachment mechanism, as discussed herein. In some embodiments, the attachment mechanismscould comprise a kickstand that is biased to maintain stability in an engaged position, as shown, or a disengaged position that is substantially parallel to the side bars of the weight bar. The supportsandact to hold the weight barabove the torsoof the userwhen the userwants to take a rest, or wants to perform an exercise without needing to move the weight barto an alternative position out of the way. The supportsandcould be configured to pivot by at least 50, 80, 90, or 120 degrees from an origin angle parallel to the bodyof the weight bar. In some embodiments, either of the supportsandcould have a fastening system (not shown) similar to any of the fastening systems disclosed herein to fix the angle of the support in place relative to the bodyof the weight bar. In other embodiments, a support could be configured to freely rotate about an axis to allow the supportsandto hang in accordance to a gravitational force.

The supportsandcould be configured to have a plurality of lengths in some embodiments. For example, the exercise devicecould be configured to have a plurality of supports that could be coupled to the weight bar, where pairs of supports are of differing lengths of other pairs of supports. For example, one pair of supports could have a length of 8 inches while another pair of supports could have a length of 12 inches. In other embodiments, the supportsandcould be comprised to have an adjustable length, for example by comprising a pair of telescoping or sliding elements relative to one another, and a locking mechanism that locks one telescoping or sliding element relative to the other, in a similar manner to the telescoping elementsandshown in. By providing supports having adjustable lengths, the weight barcould be configured to rest at different heights while in a standby position, to accommodate users having differing chest thicknesses.

shows another exercise devicehaving a back supportthat is used to provide a friction surfacethat the usercould use to brace themselves against relative to the base. The back supportis coupled to the basevia attachment mechanism, which allows the back supportto rotate relative to the basewhile still ensuring that the backof the usermaintains a minimum threshold distance from the basewhile exercising. While the back supportis shown as substantially flat to allow for users of many different heights to use the back support, in some embodiments back supportcould have a curved back to match a height of a user. The top surface of back supportpreferably comprises a surface having a high friction force when touching skin or clothing, such as rubber or plastic, which has a coefficient of friction greater than 1 with bare skin or clothing. Providing such a back supportwith the exercise deviceallows a user to use the exercise deviceon any suitable surface that has a low friction force, such as a slippery wooden floor in a gym or a studio. In some embodiments, the back supportcould be configured to have an adjustable length mechanism that allows for users of different sizes to use the same back support. For example, one or both of the bars along the side of the back supportcould telescope in a similar manner to the bodyof the weight bar, allowing the position of the top bulging edge of the back supportto move its distance from the base.

also shows a weight clipwhich is used to hold the weightin place on the weight postduring use. The weight clipis shown as a spring that is biased to tighten when a userdoes not apply a clamping force to the weight clip, and to loosen when a userapplies a clamping force to the weight clip, but could be any suitable clip that is used to hold a weightin place on a weight postduring use, such as a clamping clip with a threaded fastener that tightens and loosens the clip as the threaded fastener is rotated in either direction. A usercould remove the weight clipfrom the weight postwhen the userwishes to remove or place weightson the weight post, and could then couple the weight clipto the weight postto hold the weightsin place on the weight post.

shows yet another exercise devicehaving an alternative weight barhaving the weight postsandthat extend outwardly from the center of the weight bar. The weightis shown coupled to the weight postwhile the weightis coupled to the weight post, although more or less weights could be coupled to the weight postsandin other embodiments. The weight postsandare preferably disposed an equal distance from the center of the body of the weight bar, which balances the weight baron userwhen the weightsandare of equal mass. In some embodiments, the exercise devicecould have one or more weight clips, such as the weight clipthat holds the weightsandin place on the weight postsandduring use. While the weight postsandare shown here as 4-inch projections from the sides of the body of the weight bar, the weight posts could be any suitable length, such as projecting at most 3 inches or projecting at least 5 inches, in other embodiments.

The weight baralso has a paddingthat is fastened to the weight barusing the fasteners. The paddingextends from a bottom of the weight barto rest on the torsoof the user, allowing the compressive force from the weight barto distribute along the lower surface of the padding. In some embodiments, alternative paddings (not shown) could be provided that could be interchangeable coupled to the weight barto provide for multiple different weight distribution configurations to be used on the torsoof the user.

The fastening mechanismof the weight baris also coupled to a sliding rail. Generally, the opposing side (not shown) of the exercise devicewould also have a similar sliding rail, which would allow the weight barto slide along the length of the right support. Preferably, when a user tightens the fastening mechanism, the fastening mechanismwould fix the weight barin place along the length of the right supportto prevent the weight barfrom sliding along the length of the right support, while still allowing the weight barto pivot relative to the base. Such functionality could be achieved by using any suitable means, for example by disposing a compressive washer between the weight barand the baseand a non-compressive washer between the weight barand the wing nut. Such a configuration allows the userto adjust the position of the weight baralong the length of the user's torso, such that the weight barcould be configured to comfortably rest on the user's stomach, solar plexus, or chest. Such a configuration also allows users of different heights to use the same weight bar in the same manner.

In some embodiments, the sliding railcould comprise a separate locking mechanism to lock the weight barin place along the length of the sliding rail, in addition to, or separate from the fastening mechanism. For example, at the end of the sliding rail, a spring-loaded ball detentcould be provided that locks the end of the weight barin place when the fastening mechanismof the weight barslides to interact with the spring-loaded ball detent. A usercould loosen the fastening systemto slide the weight baralong the sliding rail, slide the weight barsuch that the end of the weight barlocks with the spring-loaded ball detentwhile resting the handle of the weight barunderneath the basenext to the feet, and then could use the basewithout the weight bar. When the userwishes to use the weight bar, the usercould push the spring-loaded ball detentto unlock the weight barto slide it closer to the roller, and then could lock the weight barin place using the fastening mechanism. Any suitable locking mechanism that prevents the weight barfrom sliding along the length of the sliding railcould be utilized, such as an orthogonal path downwards that the fastening mechanismfalls into while the weight baris slid forward, and must be pulled out of in order for the weight barto slide back to the ready in-use position shown in.

In another embodiment, a portion of the weight barcould comprise a mechanism separate from the fastening mechanismthat mates with a portion of the baseto lock in place. For example, one or more of the fastenerscould comprise a head that mates with a detent (not shown) positioned below the base, to lock the weight barin place against the bottom surface of the base. Such detent coupling mechanisms could be formed in any suitable surface, such as one or more of the supports. The weight barcould therefore slide forward along the sliding railto mate with the lower surface of the baseand be locked in place when not in use, or when the exercise device is folded into a storage position.

In some embodiments, where a usermay wish to utilize the exercise deviceas a standing leg exercise device by holding the left and right handlesand, respectively, the usermay slide the weight baras far as possible towards the rollersuch that the u-shaped handle of the weight barrests underneath the roller. In such embodiments, the feetare preferably configured to position the underside of the continuous belta greater height than the thickness of the weight bar, such as more than 3 inches, 4 inches, 5 inches, or even 6 inches. By allowing the weight barto slide up towards the rolleralong the sliding rail, a usercould easily position the weight barout of the way by loosening fastening mechanism, sliding the fastening mechanismtowards the rollerwhile keeping the u-shaped handle of the weight barlow and tucking it under the underside of the continuous belt, and then by tightening the fastening mechanism. After such a change in configuration, the usercould then stand on the continuous beltand hold onto the left and right handlesand, respectively, while moving the continuous beltwith their feet in the manners described herein.

In some embodiments, a torque multiplier/reduction gear could be coupled to one or both of rollerand/orto increase or decrease a resistance to rotation of the beltas it rotates about the rollersand. Such a gear could comprise any suitable shape, such as the fastenerand, which are configured to increase/decrease a resistance applied to the rollerto adjust a resistance applied against rotation of the beltabout the rollers. In some embodiments, a surface of one or both of the rollers is not smooth, to increase a friction force between an outer surface of the roller and the inner surface of the belt. For example, an outer surface of the rollercould be configured to have 1 mm deep projections or recesses every 2 mm to increase a friction force, or could comprise a high-friction material such as carpeting or rubber. In some embodiments, the friction force of the torque gear could comprise a plurality of discrete settings, each one applying a different amount of force between the surface of the roller and the belt. In one embodiment, rotating the torque gearcould tighten or loosen a screw against an axle upon which the rollerrotates, tightening or releasing, respectively, a brake pad applied to the axle to increase resistance of theagainst a rotating motion. In another embodiment, the torque gearcould move a distance of the rollerfrom the roller, where rotating the torque gear inin one direction moves the rolleraway from the roller, tightening the beltand increasing a friction force, whereas rotating the torque gearin an opposite direction moves the rollertowards the roller, loosening the beltand decreasing the friction force.