A system for providing programmed training or exercise apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of exercise apparatus units disposed at respective exercising sites;
- a portable medium having a portable memory for storing instructions and performance data relative to a personalized program which includes a series of exercises performed or to be performed by a respective user by use of said exercise apparatus units;
- a central unit disposed at a site remote from said exercising sites and operative independently of said exercise apparatus unit, said central unit having a first processor, and a first bi-directional data transfer means operatively associated with said first processor, for writing and reading data relative to said personalized program, and for initiating and modifying the instructions of said program;
- said first bi-directional data means being arranged to read data from and write data to send portable memory upon occurrence of removable association of said portable medium with said first bi-directional data transfer means;
- a plurality of stations, each collocated with a respective one of said exercise apparatus units;
- each of said stations including a second processor and a second bi-directional data transfer means operatively associated with the respective said second processor, for writing and reading data relative to said personalized program;
- each said second bi-directional data transfer means being arranged to read instruction data from and write performance data to said portable memory relative to the respective exercise apparatus unit upon occurrence of removable association of said portable medium with the respective said second bi-directional data transfer means, for providing as input to the respective station instruction data present in the portable memory relative to the exercise to be performed by the user using the respective exercise apparatus unit collocated with the respective station and for receiving as output from the respective second processor performance data relative to an exercise completed by the user using the respective exercise apparatus unit collocated with the respective station;
- said first processing means being arranged to modify said instruction data in reaction to said performance data output, as transferred to said first processor by removable association of said portable medium with said first bi-directional data transfer means;
- and
- said portable medium being arranged to be operatively and physically disconnected from said first bi-directional data transfer means when operationally removably associated with any second bi-directional data transfer means, and to be operationally and physically disconnected from all said second bi-directional data transfer means when operationally removably associated with said first bi-directional data transfer means.