Total Body Strengthening and Toning Workstation and Method of Using Same

An exercise apparatus to effect muscle strengthening and toning in a user, the apparatus comprising,

• a seat having a seat back support for supporting said user's spine in an exercising position thereagainst, the back support being fixedly positioned inclined in a downwardly sloping direction from vertical at an angle selected at between about 10° and 60°,
• a lower frame assembly actuable by said user to effect leg muscle exercises, the lower frame assembly including a foot support which is reciprocally movable relative to the seat between a first position, wherein said foot support is engagable by said user's feet with said user's legs bent, and a second position moved away and downwardly relative to the seat, wherein said foot support is engagable by said user's feet with said legs in a generally outstretched position,
• a first resistance mechanism coupled to the lower frame assembly and operable to provide a user selected resistance to foot support movement,
• an arm exercising assembly actuable to exercise arm muscles of said user when in the exercising position, the arm exercising assembly including a reciprocally movable member which is selectively movable by said user's hands and/or arms from an initial rest position and a displaced position moved therefrom in a direction. oriented at between about 80° to about 280° relative to the downward sloping direction of the back support,
• a second resistance mechanism coupled to said arm exercising assembly and operable to provide a user selected resistance to movement of said reciprocally movable member independent from said first resistance mechanism, and
• with the seat back support inclined from vertical in said exercising position, the foot support being engagable by said user's feet, and said arm exercising assembly being engageably by said user's arms or hands, whereby said user may simultaneously activate said lower frame assembly and said arm exercise assembly.

An exercise apparatus operable to effect simultaneous arm, leg and core muscle group exercises in a user, the apparatus comprising,

• a seat having a seat back support for supporting said user's spine in an exercising position, the back support being oriented in a downward inclined first direction relative to vertical at an angle selected at between about 10° and 60°,
• a lower frame assembly actuable by said user to effect leg muscle exercises, the lower frame assembly including a foot pedal which is engagable by the soles of said user's feet in reciprocal movement relative to the seat between a first rest position to a second position moved downwardly therefrom,
• a first resistance mechanism coupled to the lower frame assembly to provide a selected resistance to foot support movement towards the second position,
• an arm exercising assembly actuable to exercise arm muscles of said user when in the exercising position, the arm exercising assembly including a reciprocally movable member which is selectively movable by said user's hands and/or arms between an initial rest position and a displaced position moved therefrom in a second direction oriented at between 80° and 280° relative to the first direction, and
• a second resistance mechanism coupled to said arm exercising assembly to provide a selected resistance to the movement of reciprocally movable member towards the displaced position independent of said first resistance mechanism,
• whereby positioning the apparatus to support the user in the exercising position with said user's spine is in juxtaposed contact with said seat back inclined relative to vertical whereby said user's feet concurrently engage said foot pedal while said user's hands and/or arms engaging said arm exercising assembly,
• whereby engagement of said foot pedal with the soles of said user's feet, moves said foot support between the first and second positions, with the first resistance mechanism and foot support providing a resistance leg force to said user's legs,
• said reciprocally movable member being movable simultaneously with said foot pedal from said initial rest position to said displaced position by engagement with said user's hands and/or arms, and with the second resistance mechanism and reciprocally movable member providing a resistance arm force to said user's hands and/or arms in a direction generally opposite to the second direction.