Stairclimbing and upper body, exercise apparatus

Apparatus usable for stair-climbing simulation and upper body exercise comprising:

• a base;
• left and right pedals mounted with respect to said base to permit movement between an upper position and a lower, rearward position;
• means for opposing motion of said pedals from said upper position to said lower position;
• mean for urging said pedal means from said lower to said upper position;
• a left handle mounted with respect to said base to permit movement between a first and a second position;
• a right handle mounted with respect to said base to permit movement between third and a fourth position, said movement between said first and second positions being substantially independent from said movement between said third and said fourth positions.

Apparatus usable for stair-climbing simulation and upper body exercise comprising:

• a base;
• a left pedal mounted with respect to said base to be movable between a first pedal position and a second pedal position, said second position being below said first pedal position;
• a right pedal mounted with respect to said base to be movable between a third pedal position and a fourth pedal position, said third position being below said fourth pedal position, said movement between said first and second pedal positions being substantially independent from said movement between said third and said fourth positions;
• a left handle mounted with respect to said base to permit movement between a first and a second position;
• and
• a right handle mounted with respect to said base to permit movement between a third and a fourth position.

Apparatus usable for stair-climbing simulation and upper body exercise comprising:

• a base;
• left and right pedals;
• means for movably mounting said pedals with respect to said base to permit movement between an upper position and a lower, rearward position;
• left and right handles;
• means for movably mounting said handles with respect to said base to permit movement between a first and a second position;
• shaft means rotationally mounted with respect to said base;
• means for converting said movement of at least one of said left and right pedals to rotational movement of said shaft means to define a first ratio between distance traveled by said pedal and angular velocity of said shaft means;
• means for converting said movement of at least one of said left and right handles to rotational movement of said shaft means to define a second ratio between distance traveled by said handle and angular velocity of said shaft means, said second ratio being greater than said first ratio.

Apparatus usable for stair-climbing simulation and upper body exercise comprising:

• a base;
• left and right pedals;
• means for movably mounting said pedals with respect to said base to permit movement between an upper position and a lower, rearward position;
• means for providing a first force opposing motion of said pedals from said upper position to said lower position;
• mean for urging said pedal means from said lower to said upper position;
• left and right handles;
• means for movably mounting said handles with respect to said base to permit movement between a first and a second position;
• means for sensing a quantity related to the amount of calories expended in said movement of said handles, independent of calories expended in said movement of said pedals, and for displaying a quantity related to said amount of calories expended in said movement of said handles.

An exercise apparatus for simultaneously conducting stair-climbing exercise and upper-body exercise, comprising:

• a base;
• left and right pedals;
• left and right pedal arms for movably connecting said pedals to said base to permit movement between an upper position and a lower, rearward position, said movement of said left pedal being independent from said movement of said right pedal;
• left and right handles;
• left and right handle arms for movably connecting said handles to said base to permit movement between first and second positions, said movement of said left handle being independent of said movement of said right handle and also being independent from said movement of said pedals;
• a shaft;
• means for transmitting said movement of said pedals to said shaft to cause rotation of said shaft during said movement from said upper position to said lower position to define a first ratio between distance traveled by said pedals and angular velocity of said shaft;
• means for transmitting said movement of said handles to said shaft to cause rotation of said shaft during said movement from said first position to said second position to define a second ratio between distance traveled by said handles and angular velocity of said shaft, said second ratio being greater than said first ratio;
• means for urging said pedals from said lower position to said upper position;
• and
• means for selectively braking said rotation of said shaft to produce substantially isokinetic exercise.

Apparatus usable for stair-climbing simulation comprising:

• a base;
• left and right pedals;
• means for movably mounting said pedals with respect to said base to permit movement between an upper position and a lower, rearward position;
• means for providing a first force opposing motion of said pedals from said upper position to said lower position;
• means for providing a second force urging said pedal means from said lower to said upper position;
• means for sensing a first quantity related to the amount of calories expended in said movement of said pedal means from said upper position to said lower position;
• means for providing a binary code related to the magnitude of said second force;
• means for using said first quantity and said signal to provide a third quantity related to an amount of calories expended offset by an amount of work done using said second force;
• and
• means for displaying a quantity related to said third quantity.