Variable stride exercise device with ramp

An exercise apparatus comprising:

• a framework;
• at least one ramp assembly mounted to said framework, said at least one ramp assembly comprising a ramp having a front end, a rear end, and a first radius, and a guide member having a front end, a rear end, and a second radius, said guide member being positioned below and extending substantially along the length of said ramp, wherein said rear end of said guide member is separated from said rear end of said ramp by a first distance, and wherein said front end of said guide member is separated from said front end of said ramp by a second distance, said second distance being greater than said first distance;
• and
• a pair of foot support assemblies, each foot support assembly being movably coupled to said at least one ramp assembly, wherein a first foot support assembly of said pair of foot support assemblies is movably coupled to said ramp and said guide member.

An exercise apparatus comprising:

• a framework;
• a first ramp assembly mounted to said framework, said first ramp assembly comprising a first ramp having a front portion, a rear portion, and a first curvature and a first guide member having a front portion, a rear portion, and a second curvature, said first ramp being positioned above and extending along the length of said first guide member, wherein said rear portion of said first guide member is separated from said rear portion of said first ramp by a first distance, and wherein said front portion of said first guide member is separated from said front portion of said first ramp by a second distance, said second distance being greater than said first distance;
• a second ramp assembly mounted to said framework, said second ramp assembly comprising a second ramp having a front portion, a rear portion, and a first curvature and a second guide member having a front portion, a rear portion, and a second curvature, said second ramp being positioned above and extending along the length of said second guide member, wherein said rear portion of said second guide member is separated from said rear portion of said second ramp by said first distance, and wherein said front portion of said second guide member is separated from said front portion of said second ramp by said second distance;
• and
• a pair of foot support assemblies, one foot support assembly being movably coupled to said first ramp and to said first guide member, and the other of said foot support assemblies being movably coupled to said second ramp and to said second guide member.

An exercise apparatus comprising:

• a framework;
• at least one curved ramp assembly mounted to said framework, said at least one curved ramp assembly including a substantially horizontal portion and a substantially vertical portion;
• a pair of foot support assemblies, each foot support assembly being movably coupled to said at least one curved ramp assembly;
• a foot location control assembly coupled to said pair of foot support assemblies and configured to selectively constrain the movement of said foot support assemblies to be within said substantially horizontal portion of said at least one ramp assembly when in a first configuration and to constrain the movement of said foot support assemblies to be within said substantially vertical portion of said at least one ramp assembly when in a second configuration, wherein said foot location control assembly can change between said first and second configurations without movement of said at least one curved ramp relative to said framework.

An exercise apparatus comprising:

• a framework;
• at least one ramp assembly mounted to said framework, said at least one ramp assembly including a curved configuration;
• a pair of foot support assemblies, each foot support assembly being movably coupled to said at least one ramp assembly;
• and
• a resistance assembly coupled to said foot support assemblies so as to provide resistance against movement of said foot support assemblies by a user, wherein said resistance assembly is mounted to a cable and pulley system comprising a pulley sled, said pulley sled being adjustable with respect to said framework, wherein adjustment of said pulley sled with respect to said framework enables adjustment of a lower terminus and an upper terminus of each foot support assembly of said pair of foot support assemblies, wherein the upper terminus and the lower terminus can be adjusted during exercise without altering the stride length.

An exercise apparatus comprising:

• a framework including a front portion and a rear portion;
• at least one ramp assembly mounted to said framework, each ramp assembly including a curved configuration;
• first and second foot support assemblies, each foot support assembly having a front end and a rear end, each foot support assembly being movably coupled to said at least one ramp assembly;
• and
• a flexible coupling mechanism being configured to couple said first foot support assembly to said second foot support assembly, said flexible coupling mechanism including a first cable and pulley system and a second cable and pulley system, said first cable and pulley system configured to adjust an upper terminus and a lower terminus of said first and second foot support assemblies and to couple said front end of each of said first and second foot support assemblies to said front portion of said framework, and said second cable and pulley system configured to couple said rear end of each of said first and second foot support assemblies to said rear portion of said framework, wherein the upper terminus and the lower terminus can be adjusted during exercise without altering the stride length, wherein adjustment of the upper terminus and the lower terminus alters a stride path of said first and second foot support assemblies.

An exercise apparatus comprising:

• a framework;
• at least one ramp assembly mounted to said framework, said at least one ramp assembly including an upper ramp defining a first curve extending between a first end and a second end of said upper ramp and a lower guide member defining a second curve extending between a first end and a second end of said lower guide member, wherein said lower guide member is positioned below and extends substantially along the length of said upper ramp, wherein said first end of said lower guide member is separated from said first end of said upper ramp by a first distance, and wherein said second end of said lower guide member is separated from said second end of said upper ramp by a second distance, said second distance being greater than said first distance;
• a pair of foot support assemblies movably mounted to said at least one ramp assembly, wherein a first foot support assembly of said pair of foot support assemblies is movably coupled to said ramp and said guide member;
• wherein a maximum length of the movement of said foot support assemblies is substantially the entire length of said at least one ramp assembly;
• and
• wherein a shape of the movement of said foot support assemblies is substantially the shape of said first curve.

An exercise apparatus comprising:

• a framework;
• at least one ramp assembly mounted to said framework, said at least one ramp assembly including a curved configuration;
• first and second foot support assemblies, each foot support assembly having a front end and a rear end, each foot support assembly comprising a foot support platform and a foot platform bracket pivotally connected to said foot support platform, each foot support assembly being movably coupled to said at least one ramp assembly;
• a resistance and adjustment assembly including a first cable and pulley system interconnecting said front end of said first foot support assembly to said front end of said second foot support assembly so as to provide resistance against movement of said first and second foot support assemblies by a user, said resistance and adjustment assembly adapted to selectively adjust an upper terminus and a lower terminus of said first and second foot support assemblies, wherein the upper terminus and the lower terminus can be adjusted during exercise without altering the stride length, wherein adjustment of the upper terminus and the lower terminus alters a stride path of said first and second foot support assemblies;
• and
• a flexible coupling mechanism including a second cable and pulley system linking said rear end of said first foot support assembly to said framework and linking said rear end of said second foot support assembly to said framework.

An exercise apparatus comprising:

• a framework comprising a frame and a ramp assembly, said ramp assembly comprising at least one ramp, said at least one curved ramp having a first end and an opposing second end;
• a pair of foot support assemblies, wherein each foot support assembly is movably coupled to said ramp assembly;
• and
• means for adjusting the neutral body position of a user with respect to a support surface and for selectively adjusting an upper terminus and a lower terminus of each foot support assembly of said pair of foot support assemblies, wherein the upper terminus and the lower terminus can be adjusted during exercise without altering the stride length, wherein adjustment of the upper terminus and the lower terminus alters a stride path of said first and second foot support assemblies.

An exercise apparatus comprising:

• a framework comprising a frame and a ramp assembly, said ramp assembly comprising at least one ramp, said at least one curved ramp having a first end and an opposing second end;
• a pair of foot support assemblies, each foot support assembly being movably coupled to said ramp assembly;
• and
• an adjustment assembly configured to selectively alter the neutral body position of a user with respect to a support surface, said adjustment assembly being selectively operable to alter an upper terminus and a lower terminus of each foot support assembly of said pair of foot support assemblies, wherein the upper terminus and the lower terminus can be altered during exercise without altering the stride length, wherein adjustment of the upper terminus and the lower terminus alters a stride path of said first and second foot support assemblies.