Concentric and eccentric exercising and training apparatus and method
An exercising machine for exercising of a user's torso, arm, leg or other body part, including an exercising attachment for exercising of the user's torso, arm, leg or other body part, a computer-controlled resistance actuator operatively connected to the exercising attachment to impart a resistance for concentric exercising of the user's torso, arm, leg or other body part through a forward range of motion, a computer-controlled force actuator operatively connected to the exercising attachment to impart a force for eccentric exercising of the user's torso, arm, leg or other body part through a reverse range of motion, a computer for controlling the actuators and a method for exercising, including imparting a resistance for concentric exercising of a user's torso, arm, leg or other body part through a forward range of motion and imparting a force for eccentric exercising of the user's torso, arm, leg or other body part through a reverse range of motion.
1. An exercising machine for exercising of a user's torso, comprising in combination:
an exercising attachment for concentric exercising of the user's torso while the user is standing through a forward range of motion and for eccentric exercising of the user's torso while the user is standing through a reverse range of motion in a direction opposite to the forward range of motion,
a computer-controlled force double-acting actuator or two oppositely mounted single-acting actuators operatively connected to said exercising attachment to impart a resistance for concentric exercising of the user's torso through the forward range of motion and to impart a force for the eccentric exercising of the user's torso, through the reverse range of motion; and
a computer for controlling said double-acting actuator or two oppositely mounted single-acting actuators.
2. The machine as set forth in claim 1 , further including an input device to said computer allowing the user to select at least one of said ranges of motion.
3. The machine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said ranges of motion are the same.
4. The machine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said forward range of motion is different from said reverse range of motion.
5. The machine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said the amount of said resistance is fixed throughout said forward range of motion.
6. The machine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said the amount of said resistance varies throughout said forward range of motion.
7. The machine as set forth in claim 6 , further including an input device to said computer allowing the user to select said variable resistance.
8. The machine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said the amount of said force is fixed throughout said reverse range of motion.
9. The machine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said the amount of said force varies throughout said reverse range of motion.
10. The method as set forth in claim 9 , further including an input device to said computer allowing the user to select said variable force.
11. The machine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said exercising attachment comprises at least one of a core-exercising attachment.
12. The machine as set forth in claim 11 , wherein said core-exercising attachment comprises a harness assembly that fits over the user's shoulders.
13. The machine as set forth in claim 1 , further including an encoder interfaced to said computer for detecting movement of said exercising attachment.
14. The machine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said double-acting actuators or two oppositely mounted single-acting actuators comprise electric actuators, pneumatic actuators or hydraulic actuators, or a mixture thereof.
15. The machine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said actuators under computer control provide a fixed or variable concentric resistance along a fixed or variable path of motion in one direction or a fixed or variable eccentric force along a fixed or variable path of motion in an opposite direction.