TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to exercise equipment. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to strength training equipment and to related methods.

BACKGROUND

While there are numerous exercise activities that one may participate in, exercise may be broadly broken into the categories of aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise generally refers to activities that substantially increase the heart rate and respiration of the exerciser for an extended period of time. This type of exercise is generally directed to enhancing cardiovascular performance. Such exercise usually includes low or moderate resistance to the movement of the individual. For example, aerobic exercise includes activities such as walking, running, jogging, swimming or bicycling for extended distances and extended periods of time.

Anaerobic exercise generally refers to exercise that strengthens skeletal muscles and usually involves the flexing or contraction of targeted muscles through significant exertion during a relatively short period of time and/or through a relatively small number of repetitions. For example, anaerobic exercise includes activities such as weight training, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups or a series of short sprints.

When exercising at home or in a gym, aerobic and anaerobic exercise usually involves the use of different types of equipment. For example, aerobic exercise usually involves equipment such as treadmills, ellipticals and bicycles (traditional and stationary) while anaerobic exercise often involves the use of free weights, weight stacks, or other cable and pulley resistance-type systems.

Often, individuals will plan their work-out routines to include both aerobic and anaerobic activities. For example, a person may do anaerobic exercises (e.g., weight lifting and other strength training exercises) on two or three days of the week while doing aerobic exercising (e.g., running, bicycling) on the remaining days of the week. In other instances, an individual may do both aerobic and anaerobic activities during the same day.

One of the difficulties in integrating both aerobic and anaerobic activities is the ability of an individual to efficiently and effectively track their progress. For example, many individuals use aerobic exercise equipment such as a treadmill or an elliptical machine to automatically track the calories that they've burned while using such equipment. However, it is more difficult to track or calculate such information when doing strength training exercises.

A couple of examples of equipment that has tried to combine aerobic exercising with anaerobic exercising are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,245 to Dalebout et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 7,740,563 to Dalebout et al. These patents describe a resistance-type strength training apparatus combined with, in one instance, a treadmill, and in another instance an elliptical device.

In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide the ability to track one's progress during exercise in a manner that is applicable to both aerobic and anaerobic activities and which is simple and effective. Additionally, it is a general desire in the industry to provide exercise equipment with new features and enhanced performance.

SUMMARY

In one aspect of the disclosure, a strength training apparatus includes a base member and a tower structure coupled with the base member.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include at least one arm that is pivotally coupled with the tower structure.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include a flywheel and a cable and pulley system associated with the at least one arm, wherein displacement of at least one cable of the cable and pulley system affects rotation of the flywheel.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include a braking mechanism associated with a flywheel and configured to apply a selected resistance to the rotation of the flywheel.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include a braking mechanism including a magnetic braking mechanism.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include a torque sensor associated with the flywheel.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include a console having at least one input device and at least one output device.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include the console in communication with the braking mechanism, wherein the at least one input device controls the amount of resistance applied to the flywheel by the braking mechanism.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include the console in communication with the torque sensor, wherein the at least one output device provides an indication of the amount of work expended by a user upon rotation of the flywheel.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include the at least one output device provides the indication of the amount of work expended in units of watts.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include the strength training apparatus including a drive mechanism associated with the flywheel.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include a clutch mechanism coupled with the flywheel by way of a drive belt.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include the clutch mechanism enabling the rotation of the flywheel in a first rotational direction upon the displacement of the at least one cable in a first defined direction, but has no effect on the flywheel upon displacement of the at least one cable in a second defined direction, the second defined direction being the opposite of the first defined direction.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include the drive mechanism having a drive chain coupled with the cable and pulley system, wherein the drive chain extends about a plurality of sprockets including at least one sprocket that is displaceable relative to the tower.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include at least one biasing member coupled with the at least one displaceable sprocket.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include an embodiment where the at least one arm includes a pair of arms, wherein the cable and pulley system includes a first pulley coupled with a first arm of the pair of arms with a first cable extending through the first pulley and a second pulley coupled with the second arm with a second cable extending through the second pulley.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include the pair of arms maintained in a fixed angular position relative to each other.

In another aspect of the disclosure, a method of conducting strength training includes applying a force to a cable and displacing the cable in a first direction and affecting rotation of a flywheel upon displacement of the cable.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include a resistance applied to the flywheel and the torque applied to the flywheel being measured, such as by way of a sensor.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include calculating the work performed, in watts, based at least in part on the measured torque.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include applying resistance to the flywheel by applying resistance using a magnetic brake.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include the resistance applied by the magnetic brake being selectively varied.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include applying a force to a cable including pulling the cable through a pulley, and selectively positioning the pulley at one of a variety of positions prior to pulling the cable through the pulley.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include a method of tracking work expended during exercising including conducting an aerobic exercise activity and determining the work expended during the aerobic exercise activity and expressing the work expended in units of watts.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include an embodiment where an anaerobic exercise activity is conducted and the work expended during the anaerobic exercise activity is determined and expressed in units of watts.

In one or more other aspects that may be combined with any of the aspects herein, may further include summing the amount of work expended during the aerobic activity and the amount of work expended during the anaerobic activity.

