Lat isolating exercise machine

Claim 1

An arm adduction exercise machine for exercising the arm adducting muscles of an operator, comprising: a rigid frame including a base portion and an upstanding portion having a front, rear, top and bottom, wherein the bottom is rigidly secured to the base portion; a upper rotating assembly mounted at the rear and approximate the top of said upstanding portion so as to rotate about a first horizontal axis, wherein said first axis is positioned to be coaxial with the sagittal axis of rotation of an operator's shoulder; said upper rotating assembly comprising a crank with offset arm which includes a contact surface for engaging the back side of an operator's exercising upper arm; a lower rotating assembly mounted intermediate the front and rear of said upstanding portion so as to rotate about a second horizontal axis which is below and parallel to said first axis, wherein said second axis is positioned to correspond with the center of said operator's back; said lower rotating assembly comprising a crank which is adjustable in length and includes an offset arm which has a seat mounted at one end, said seat including at least one hip engaging surface so that the operator's hip on the side which corresponds to the exercising upper arm is engaged; a rigid rotating weight arm assembly journaled to said frame which rotates about a third horizontal axis which is both parallel with and separated by a specific distance from said first axis; said rotating weight arm assembly includes means for loading weights onto at a point offset from said third axis; said upper rotating assembly and said rotating weight arm assembly are mechanically linked to each other at fourth and fifth horizontal axes which are both parallel with and offset by specific distances from said first and third axes respectively, by a first rigid connecting link which has a specific length between its centers of connection; said upper and lower rotating assemblies are mechanically linked to each other at sixth and seventh horizontal axes which are both parallel with and offset by specific distances from said first and second axes respectively, by a second rigid connecting link which has a specific length between its centers of connection in such a way that the upper and lower rotating assemblies rotate in opposite directions, thereby when a rearward and downward force is applied to said upper assembly's arm engaging contact surface, said second link will cause said lower assembly's hip engaging contact surface to move rearward and upward, so as to bring the operator's hip closer to the operator's upper arm; said upper rotating assembly, said rotating weight arm assembly, said first link and said frame of said exercise machine join together to form a four-bar linkage system which functions in conjunction with the rotating weight arm assembly to provide a variably resistive force at said arm and hip engaging surfaces, which force varies as a function of the positions of the arm and hip engaging contact surfaces.