A simulated stair climbing-type exercise apparatus is provided having a frame, a resistance member, a transmission, a drive belt, a right pedal assembly, a left pedal assembly and a track mounted to the frame to provide a user with a vertically reciprocating exercise movement. The right pedal assembly, operating independently of the left pedal assembly, oscillates between an upper position at rest and a lower position under the weight of the user. The left pedal assembly, operating independently of the right pedal assembly, oscillates between an upper position at rest and a lower position under the weight of the user. The pedal assemblies remain parallel to a support surface throughout their entire range of motion, as the pedal assemblies travel from their upper position to their lower position on the tracks which can be either linear or curved.

A simulated stair climbing-type exercise apparatus is provided having a frame, a resistance member, a transmission, a drive belt, a right pedal assembly, a left pedal assembly and a track mounted to the frame to provide a user with a vertically reciprocating exercise movement. The right pedal assembly, operating independently of the left pedal assembly and having a set of rollers engaged with the track, oscillates between an upper position at rest and a lower position under the weight of the user. The left pedal assembly, operating independently of the right pedal assembly and having a set of rollers engaged with the track, oscillates between an upper position at rest and a lower position under the weight of the user. The pedal assemblies remain parallel to a support surface throughout their entire range of motion, as the pedal assemblies travel from their upper position to their lower position.

A simulated stair climbing-type exercise apparatus is provided having a frame, a resistance member, a transmission, a drive belt, a right pedal assembly, a left pedal assembly and a track mounted to the frame to provide a user with a vertically reciprocating exercise movement. The right pedal assembly, operating independently of the left pedal assembly and having a set of rollers engaged with the track, oscillates between an upper position at rest and a lower position under the weight of the user. The left pedal assembly, operating independently of the right pedal assembly and having a set of rollers engaged with the track, oscillates between an upper position at rest and a lower position under the weight of the user. The pedal assemblies remain parallel to a support surface throughout their entire range of motion, as the pedal assemblies travel from their upper position to their lower position.

An exercise trainer having a frame with a flywheel supported on the frame and first and second crank arms having a common axle on the flywheel. A first foot link and a second foot link are respectively connected to the crank arms for pivotal reciprocating movement. The links have channel tracks and an elongated tunnel. Bearing surfaces support the first foot links rearwardly and engage the channels. Foot pedals are mounted on the foot links for relative movement on the foot links. A flexible member such as a belt, cable, or chain is connected to the foot pedal. A lower portion of the flexible member is connected to a fixed location or ground on the frame. A forward and rearward rotational support such as a pulley receives the flexible member defining a lower portion wrapping around the pulleys and connected to the frame. The pulleys are mounted in the tunnel to provide movement of the foot pedals greater than twice the length of the crank arm.

An exercise machine is described which is entirely self-contained without any source of outside power. A rechargeable battery is used to maintain the exercise system operative for a time-out period. At all other times the machine is powered by the user. The machine is compact, light, rigid and sized to fit through a standard doorway. The entire exercise machine is provided with a wrap-around handrail into which a display input/output unit has been integrally provided. The exercise machine or stepper utilizes a dynamically controllable load or alternator which is controlled by a computer circuit to maintain the power input into the exercise machine or to maintain metabolically energy consumption rate within a user of the exercise machine at a predetermined, approximately constant level, regardless of the speed of stepping or the actual or effective weight of the user. The alternator is dynamically controlled by pulse width modulating its field coils. The power output by the generator is sensed by monitoring the alternator's output current and voltage. Additional load control is achieved by dissipating part of the alternator current in a dissipative load when the alternator voltage reaches a predetermined maximum set point.