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chinups for everyone

Helium balloons attached to harness
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Experience the moon right here on earth!

Attaching a few dozen helium-filled balloons to someone would lessen their weight, thereby allowing them to do limitless chin-ups/pushups. Balloons could be gradually released to make the exercise more difficult. They could also be added for upside-down chin-ups, requiring the balloons to be attached only to the user's ankles. This of course would require considerably more balloons.

Another application of this technology could allow people to bound along effortlessly in 10-foot strides. The effect would be like a trampoline or bungee cord with the added benefit of limitless horizontal motion.

Initially trials should be conducted with animals such as rats and apes. Perhaps a kangaroo.

turks, May 16 2002

Larry Walters, lawn chair balloonist http://www.urbanleg...air_balloonist.html
Los Angeles, 1982; often mentioned in connection with the Darwin Awards. Walters did not receive a Darwin Award (since he survived). He committed suicide in 1993. [jutta, May 22 2002]

Helium Bubble Wrap http://www.halfbake...ium_20Bubble_20Wrap
Helium makes everything better [jivetalkinrobot, Oct 17 2004]

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       Or, you could jump in a swimming pool. Just a suggestion.
yamahito, May 16 2002
  

       Why don't you try it and see really how many balloons you're going to need?
waugsqueke, May 16 2002
  

       "They could also be added for upside-down chin-ups, requiring the balloons to be attached only to the user's ankles. This of course would require considerably more balloons."   

       Because people weight more when upsidedown.
phoenix, May 16 2002
  

       I seem to remember a story in the Darwin awards where a guy in L.A. tried this.   

       Phoenix, it _would_ take considerably more balloons to create enough lifting force to pull you upwards by your ankles and thus have to pull yourself back down. I think that was the 'reverse chin-up' idea.
RayfordSteele, May 16 2002
  

       Hmm, the upside down chin-up's seems like a really bad idea. So you have enough force to counter act your weight, then you want to make it hard, clearly one more baloon won't make a difference, so you say, double the balloons so that upside down chin-ups are slightly harder than regular ones. Oops, you let go of the bar. How do I get down now. look how fast that ground is moving away.
PK, May 16 2002
  

       PK, simply attach a safety rope, or do it indoors. That blood rushing to your head thing might be a problem, though.
RayfordSteele, May 23 2002
  

       many a time have i wondered why no-one uses helium to its full benefits. why not have a bag with a helium-filled pocket in it so that when you fill it with your shopping, you can easily carry the bag home? simple! sick of expensive postal costs? why not add a helium balloon to your package, thus reducing its weight and therefore reducing its cost! why do performance car companies not engineer a helium tank that is attatched to a car to reduce its weight and thus increase its speed? how bout a large helium bag that can be placed under any object to help it be lifted? why do the fire department fill those lifting bags with air, why not helium? why have none of these been invented yet? am i the only one who thinks of this stuff? why am i not rich yet? someone stop me asking questions moosemuffman@hotmail.com
moosemuffman, Aug 28 2003
  

       The problem, [moosemuffman], is that helium is not dense enough to make any real difference in a small volume. As for the postal bubble-wrap filled with helium, someone already had the idea [see linky]. You are not rich because you have not done your homework.
jivetalkinrobot, Aug 29 2003
  
      
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