Pull down exercise apparatus

1. Apparatus for performing a pull down exercise by a user having a trunk having a longitudinal axis, and opposing anterior and posterior sides, the user having arms extending from the trunk, the apparatus comprising:

a frame,

a seat having a seating surface,

an input arm assembly interconnected to a resistance device and having a pair of input arms each with a manually graspable mechanism, the input arm assembly being pivotably mounted on the frame and adapted to reside in a start motionless position that disposes each of the manually graspable mechanisms in a start exercise position vertically above the user's trunk when the user is seated on the seating surface in an orientation where the longitudinal axis of the user's trunk is disposed generally upright,

each input arm having a dual axis arm configuration that is rotatably pivotable around a first linear axis to exert a first resistance to rotation around the first linear axis starting from the start motionless position through a generally vertical path of travel, and rotatably pivotable around a second linear axis to exert a second resistance to rotation around the second linear axis through a generally horizontal path of travel,

wherein the manually graspable mechanism on each input arm includes three different hand grips that are fixedly attached to the input arm and that require no setup or modification, the hand grips collectively comprising:

a pair of outermost horizontal grips configured such that a user pulls both down and laterally inwardly toward a midline of the user's trunk when seated on the seating surface with the first linear axis being substantially horizontal to the ground and while rotation around the second linear axis is blocked from moving toward the user midline,

a pair of forward grips oriented forward of the user's anterior surface and spaced apart so as to move in a substantially vertical direction when the user pulls down on the forward grips, and

a pair of innermost horizontal grips configured such that the second axis allows the innermost grips to travel a divergent path moving both down and away from the user's midline when a user pulls both down and laterally outwardly away from the user's midline;

wherein each input arm comprises a leverage arm fixedly attached to a manually movable input arm near the first linear axis, the leverage arm having a distal end interconnected via a cable to the resistance device,

the distal end being spaced a first selected orthogonal distance apart from the first linear axis selected to create the first resistance, and

the distal end being spaced a second selected orthogonal distance from the second linear axis selected to create the second resistance.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the seat and the input arm assembly are arranged and adapted to enable the user in a user standing position to manually engage the manually graspable mechanisms with the input arm assembly in the start motionless position and to manually pull the manually graspable mechanisms downwardly under user exerted force to a start sitting exercise position where the user is sitting in a seated position on the seat surface and manually engaging the manually graspable mechanism.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first selected orthogonal distance is greater than the second selected orthogonal distance.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first selected orthogonal distance is greater than or equal to about 9 inches and the second selected orthogonal distance is greater than or equal to about 3 inches.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first linear axis and second linear axis are disposed generally orthogonal relative to each other directing the input arm assembly to travel in generally orthogonal front to rear and side to side directions on pivoting of the input arm assembly around the first and second linear axes.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the input arm assembly is interconnected to the resistance device via a cable that is interconnected at a proximal end to a point of interconnection of the input arm assembly that is spaced a first selected orthogonal distance apart from the first linear axis selected to create a first selected torque resistance from the resistance device and a second selected orthogonal distance from the second linear axis selected to create a second selected torque resistance from the resistance device wherein a distal end of the cable is interconnected to the resistance device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user has legs extending from the user's trunk, the apparatus further comprising a stabilization pad mounted in a fixed position relative to the seat that is adapted to engage an anterior surface of the user's legs when the user is seated on the seat in an orientation where the longitudinal axis of the user's trunk is disposed generally upright and the anterior side of the user's trunk is facing in the forward direction.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the input arm is interconnected to a first axle that pivots about the first linear axis, the first axle being fixedly interconnected to a second axle that enables rotation of the input arm about the second linear axis, the first axle and the second axle being rotatable around the first linear axis.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the first axle is adapted to rotate around the first linear axis and the second axle is non-rotatable around the second linear axis, the first and second axles being pivotably mounted to first and second brackets forming a gimbal assembly.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first selected orthogonal distance is greater than or equal to about 9 inches and the second selected orthogonal distance is greater than or equal to about 3 inches.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first linear axis and second linear axis are disposed generally orthogonal relative to each other.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the input arm assembly is interconnected to the resistance device via a cable that is interconnected at a proximal end to a point of interconnection of the input arm assembly that is spaced a first selected orthogonal distance apart from the first linear axis selected to create a first selected torque resistance from the resistance device and a second selected orthogonal distance from the second linear axis selected to create a second selected torque resistance from the resistance mechanism wherein a distal end of the cable is interconnected to the resistance device.

13. A method of performing a pull down exercise comprising:

a user being seated on the seat of the exercise apparatus of claim 1 in a disposition where the longitudinal axis of the user's trunk is disposed generally upright and the anterior and posterior sides of the user's trunk are oriented generally in the forward to rearward direction,

the user manually engaging the manually graspable mechanisms of the apparatus of claim 1 , and

the user applying a rearwardly and downwardly directed force on the manually graspable mechanisms against resistance from the resistance device.

14. A method of performing a pull down exercise according to claim 13 including:

the user further applying a laterally inwardly directed force on the manually graspable mechanisms against resistance from the resistance device.

15. A method of performing a pull down exercise according to claim 13 including:

the user further applying a laterally outwardly directed force on the manually graspable mechanisms against resistance from the resistance device.

16. Apparatus for performing a pull down exercise by a user having a trunk having a longitudinal axis, and opposing anterior and posterior sides, the user having arms extending from the trunk, the apparatus comprising:

a frame,

a seat having a seating surface,

an input arm assembly interconnected to a resistance device and having a pair of input arms each with a manually graspable mechanism, the input arm assembly being pivotably mounted on the frame and adapted to reside in a start motionless position that disposes each of the manually graspable mechanisms in a start exercise position vertically above the user's trunk when the user is seated on the seating surface in an orientation where the longitudinal axis of the user's trunk is disposed generally upright,

each input arm having a dual axis arm configuration that is rotatably pivotable around a first linear axis to exert a first resistance to rotation around the first linear axis starting from the start motionless position through a generally vertical path of travel, and rotatably pivotable around a second linear axis to exert a second resistance to rotation around the second linear axis through a generally horizontal path of travel,

wherein the manually graspable mechanism on each input arm includes three different hand grips that are fixedly attached to the input arm and that require no setup or modification, the hand grips collectively comprising:

a pair of outermost horizontal grips configured such that a user pulls both down and laterally inwardly toward a midline of the user's trunk when seated on the seating surface with the first linear axis being substantially horizontal to the ground and while rotation around the second linear axis is blocked from moving toward the user midline,

a pair of forward grips oriented forward of the user's anterior surface and spaced apart so as to move in a substantially vertical direction when the user pulls down on the forward grips, and

a pair of innermost horizontal grips configured such that the second axis allows the innermost grips to travel a divergent path moving both down and away from the user's midline when a user pulls both down and laterally outwardly away from the user's midline;

wherein each input arm comprising a leverage arm fixedly attached to a manually graspable arm, the leverage arm being interconnected to the resistance device in an arrangement that provides leverage against the first and second resistances on rotation of the input arm assembly around the first and second linear axes.