Free weight lifting system

A free weight lifting system comprising:

• elongated lifting bar means having upper and lower surfaces and opposed ends for selectively receiving and supporting weights to be lifted and an inboard region to be gripped by the weight lifter;
• support means including:
• a first pair of spaced apart upright members positioned in a first longitudinally extending plane;
• and
• a second pair of spaced apart upright members positioned in a second longitudinally extending plane, said first and second longitudinally extending planes being laterally spaced apart and generally parallel;
• and
• yieldable means mounted on said support means, said yieldable means including:
• first elastic cord means extending between said first pair of upright members;
• and
• second elastic cord means extending between said second pair of upright members;
• said first and second elastic cord means being selectively engageable in one instance by said upper surface at spaced locations for imparting progressively increasing resistance to the weight lifter as said lifting bar means is raised by the weight lifter;
• said first and second elastic cord means being selectively engageable in another instance by said lower surface at spaced locations for imparting progressively increasing assistance to the weight lifter as said lifting bar means is lowered by the weight lifter.

A free weight lifting system comprising:

• elongated lifting bar means having upper and lower surfaces and opposed ends for selectively receiving and supporting weights to be lifted and an inboard region to be gripped by the weight lifter;
• support means including:
• a first pair of spaced apart upright members positioned in a first plane, said first pair including a fore upright member and an aft upright member;
• and
• a second pair of spaced apart upright members positioned in a second plane, said first pair including a fore upright member and an aft upright member, said first and second planes being spaced apart and generally parallel;
• and
• yieldable means mounted on said support means, said yieldable means including:
• upper pulley means rotatably mounted on each of said aft upright members;
• lower pulley means rotatably mounted on each of said aft upright members;
• first and second elongate cord means each extending between proximal and distal ends and intermediate said proximal ends being operably engaged with an associated one of said pulley means, said proximal end being attached to an associated one of said fore upright members, said distal end being attached to an associated platform for receiving a plurality of weights thereon;
• said cord means being engageable with said lower pulleys only when said lower surfaces of said lifting bar are caused to engage said cord means;
• and
• said cord means engageable with both said upper and lower pulleys when said upper surfaces of said lifting bar are caused to engage said cord means;
• said cord means being selectively engageable in one instance by said upper surface of said elongated lifting bar at spaced locations for imparting progressively increasing resistance to the weight lifter as said lifting bar means is raised by the weight lifter;
• said cord means being selectively engageable in another instance by said lower surface of said elongated lifting bar at spaced locations for imparting progressively increasing assistance to the weight lifter as said lifting bar means is lowered by the weight lifter.