Bench press apparatus

DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is the object of this invention to provide a bench press apparatus with a lifting apparatus confined to a single machine.
This machine not only lifts the barbell weight away from the body, but also is activated from a user activated switch, thereby providing the user with substantially complete bench press exercise machine which lifts the barbell weight away from the exercise user's body.
A further objective of the instant invention is to provide a self-contained knee activated switch to lift the conventional barbell weights away from a user in distress or physical exhaustion.
It is not uncommon for bench press users to realize that they cannot lift the barbell weights any more, yet the barbell weight is burdened upon the user in a helpless prone position.
The instant invention provides greater benefits than traditional bench press machines and eliminates the above mentioned risk of being caught under a weight which one cannot further lift up.
A lifting means is provided to allow the user to lift the weight in a substantially vertical position, if he or she so desire.
This will eliminate muscle and cardiovascular injury caused by the arm lifting the weights away from the user's chest when the user is in distress or exhausted in a vulnerable supine position.
This allows even individuals already inflicted with the above mentioned trapped supine position to stop their weight lifting fitness program without pain or any further injury.
A knee activated switch means permits the lifting motion to be commenced with the minimum of physical stress.
The lifting effort required to overcome the force that lifts the barbell away from the user creates benefits not found in conventional bench press devices.
To lift the weights, a chain hoist is looped around a series of pulleys.
When a motor affixed to one end of the chain is activated by the knee activated switch, the chain is pulled so that the pulleys rotate counter clockwise, thereby lifting the load of the barbell weights upward