An exercise apparatus 10 comprising a plurality of ergonomically contoured body pads (47, 48, 49, 50, 56, 58, 60, 64, 65), a pair of substantially identical frame arms (80) which are each removably coupled to a double cardan joint (100). Particularly, each respective double cardan joint (100) is coupled to a center beam (28) which rotates to a respective side upon a user actuating a respective one of the pair of frame arms (80), thereby affording a user a substantially safe exercise that is conducted in both a compression and a tensile mode of motion.