Exercise apparatus for actively exercising the upper body while passively exercising the lower body

Claim 1

Exercise apparatus for actively exercising the upper body of the user while passively exercising the lower body of the user comprising: a frame; a seat mounted upon the frame for generally horizontal movement relative thereto between forward and rearward positions, said seat having a bottom portion for supporting the buttocks of the user and a back portion for supporting the user's back in an upright position when the user is seated upon the bottom portion; leg-supporting means disposed forwardly of the seat including two elongated sections for separately supporting a corresponding one of the upper and lower leg portions of at least one leg of the user, one of said two sections being connected at one of its ends to the seat for hinged movement relative thereto about a first pivot axis, the other of said two sections being connected at one of its ends to the frame for hinged movement about a second pivot axis, and said two sections being connected to one another at the ends thereof opposite said first and second pivot axes for hinged movement relative to one another about a third pivot axis so that when the user is operatively seated upon the seat with his leg operatively supported by the leg-supporting means and the seat is moved forwardly and rearwardly relative to the frame, said two sections hingedly move relative to one another, said one section hingedly moves relative to the seat and said other section hingedly moves relative to the frame in a manner effecting a folding and unfolding of the two sections and a bending of the user's leg supported by the leg-supporting means at the waist and at the knee; and handgrip means fixed in a stationary condition with respect to said frame and at about the same horizontal level as the chest of the user when the user is seated upon the seat enabling the user to push and pull upon the handgrip means with his arms to alternately extend his arms from and pull in his arms toward his chest as his hands are maintained at about chest level and to effect forward and rearward movement of the seat along the frame as the user's hands move away from and toward the user's chest and the direction of pressure applied upon the handgrip means from the hands is generally parallel to the direction of movement of the seat along the frame so that the action of the user's upper body simulates a rowing action and so that the hinged movement of said two sections of the leg-supporting means effects a bending of his supported leg at the waist and knee.