GB2314279A - A weighted wrist exercise garment - Google Patents

Abstract

An exercise garment comprises a cuff portion 2, for encircling a user's wrist, linked to a thumb portion 2, for encircling the user's thumb, and a weight carrying portion 12. The cuff portion 2 may extend at least along the lower part of the user's forearm. Towelling material 10 may be provided around the edges of the cuff portion 2 to provide comfort for the user. The weight carrying potion 12 is provided over the upper side of the wrist to which one or more weight packs may be releasably fastened. A strap 14 may be fastened at one end to the cuff portion 2 and may be wrapped over and around a weight pack or packs to improve the security of fastening of weight pack or packs to the exercise garments. Carrying portion 12 and weight packs may be covered in a releasable fastener material such as hook and loop material.

Description

WEIGHTED EXERCISE GARMENT This invention relates to an exercise garment for fitting around the wrist of a user, on which weights can be carried. In a further aspect, the invention also relates to weights to be carried by the garment The invention provides an exercise garment comprising a cuff portion for encircling the wrist of a user, a thumb portion connected to the cuff portion for encircling at least the base of the thumb of the user and a weightcarrying portion. The cuff portion preferably extends far enough to encircle at least a lower part of the user's forearm and is advantageously restrained by the thumb portion from moving relative to the user's wrist, either longitudinally or circumferentially. In addition, the cuff may be advantageously be made of an elastic material, such as neoprene, and be a snug fit around the wrist so as to reduce relative motion.

The garment may be lined with an absorbent, or soft, material, such as towelling, to improve comfort during use. The garment may be constructed as a continuous band encircling the wrist, as in a preferred embodiment, or may comprise a separable joint, preferably at the underside of the wrist, which can be fastened to close the cuff portion around the wrist.

The weight-carrying portion of the garment may comprise an integral weight or weights but, in a preferred embodiment, the garment carries no integral weights and a separate weight or weights may be attached to the weightcarrying portion. Advantageously the weight-carrying portion comprises an area of a releasable fastener material, such as hook-and-loop fastener material or Velcro (RTM), for carrying a weight or weight pack which comprises a corresponding section of a releasable fastener material.

In a preferred embodiment the garment includes a strap extending from one side of the cuff-portion and comprising a releasable fastener material. The strap can advantageously be wrapped over a separate weight pack or packs attached to the weight-carrying portion to improve the security of attachment of the weight packs(s) and/or to improve the fit of the cuff portion. To this end the outer surface of the or each weight pack preferably comprises a section of releasable fastener material for fastening to the strap. If the strap is pulled tight as it is fastened, it can secure the weight pack(s) and also adjust the fit of the cuff portion around the users wrist. This effect may be enhanced if the strap is long enough to pass over the weight pack(s) and be fastened at its free end to the cuff portion.

To improve comfort the garment may be made of a breathable material such as breathable neoprene or it may be provided with a cut-out portion or portions. For example a cut-out portion or portions may be defined in the cuff portion over the lower wrist of the user, opposite the weight-carrying portion, to enhance ventilation.

A further aspect of the invention provides a weight pack having two opposed surfaces provided with a releasable fastener material, so that one surface can be fastened to a weight-carrying portion of an exercise garment provided with a corresponding releasable fastener material, and the second surface can be fastened to a further weight pack provided with a corresponding releasable fastener material. Advantageously, the further weight pack may be of similar construction so that a stack of several similar weight packs may be fastened together.

This means that a set of similar weight packs may be used either singly or in combination to attach any desired weight (any multiple of the basic weight of a weight pack if all are of the same weight) to an exercise garment.

Weight packs of different weights may alternatively be provided. Packs of different weights may advantageously be marked accordingly, such as by colourcoding.

Advantageously, the weight pack of the invention has two relatively large, smooth, opposed surfaces of releasable fastener material to improve fastening between garments and weight packs. Advantageously the thickness of the weight pack, between the opposed surfaces, is small compared to the dimensions of the opposed surfaces.

Preferably the weight pack is flexible, for example being constructed so as to contain two or more individual weights within an articulated weight-carrier, such as a fabric carrier having weight-receiving pockets. In a preferred embodiment the weight pack comprises a plurality of elongate weights, for example of lead, or plasticencased lead, held in parallel, elongate pockets in a fabric carrier. Particularly preferably the fabric carrier is formed entirely of releasable fastener material sewn or bonded accordingly.

A set of weight packs according to this aspect of the invention may thus advantageously be used in combination with any exercise garment, such as a garment to be worn on the body or the legs, provided with weightcarrying portions of releasable fastener material.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the drawings in which; Figure 1 shows a garment according to a first embodiment in position on the left wrist of a user viewed from the underside of the wrist; Figure 2 shows the embodiment of figure 1 viewed from the upper side of the wrist; Figure 3 is a side view of the embodiment of figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a weight pack according to the invention; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the underside of the weight pack of figure 4; Figure 6 is a transverse section of the weight pack of figures 4 and 5; Figure 7 is a cross section of the weight pack of figures 4 to 6; Figure 8 shows the garment of figures 1 to 3 viewed from the "hand" end; Figure 9 shows the garment of figure 8 carrying one weight pack; Figure 10 shows the garment of figure 9 carrying two weight packs; and, Figure 11 shows a garment according to a second embodiment of the invention.

The garment of the first embodiment, as illustrated in figures 1 to 3, comprises a cuff portion 2 and a thumb portion 4 formed from a neoprene sheet material. The neoprene is cut and sewn or bonded along a seam 6 to form a continuous band encircling the wrist of the user. The seam 6 is placed at the underside of the wrist to avoid rubbing or other discomfort. The seam is thus placed opposite the weight-carrying area, as described below.

It should be noted that figure 1 views the garment from the underside of the wrist and therefore shows the palm 8 of the user's hand, while figure 2 views the garment from the upper side of the wrist, and therefore shows the back 9 of the user's hand. In both cases the user's left hand is shown. A garment for the right hand is a mirror image of that for the left hand.

The neoprene material has a towelling lining, which extends around the edges 10 of the garment.

Over the upper side of the wrist, the outer surface of the cuff portion is covered by a sheet of releasable fastener material 12 such as Velcro (RTM). This forms the weight-carrying area of the garment. A strap 14 of a corresponding piece of releasable fastener material is fastened at one end to one side of the cuff portion.

In a second embodiment of the garment of the invention, illustrated in figure 11, openings or cut-out portions 16 are provided in the cuff portion at the underside of the wrist of the user and at the base of the thumb portion. Other portions of the second embodiment illustrated in figure 11 are the same as those describe in relation to figures 1 to 3 and are numbered correspondingly.

Figures 4 to 7 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the weight pack according to a further aspect of the invention. The weight pack 20 is approximately square in plan view and substantially flat. The pack comprises weights 22 contained in a weight-carrier formed entirely from releasable fastener material. In the case of a hook-and-loop fastener material, one square surface 24 of the pack 20 is of "hook" material and the opposite surface 26 is of "loop" material. The opposite surfaces are sewn or bonded at a seam 28 around the periphery of the weight pack. (Each pack could be made entirely of "hook" material or of "loop" material but then the weight packs in a stack of packs would have to be of alternate types).

Figure 6 and 7 are sectional views illustrating the internal structure of the weight pack. The pack comprises four, relatively flat, elongate weights, each having a lead core 30 encased in a PVC coating 32. The material of the weight carrier is sewn or bonded along three internal seams 34 to form a row of four parallel pockets, each for retaining a weight. The assembled weight pack is thus articulated, and therefore flexible, in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the weights. In practice, because the weights are made of soft lead, the pack also has a smaller amount of flexibility along the direction of the weight axes. Increased flexibility may be attained by introducing articulation in two perpendicular directions, for example by using small, square weights held in a square grid of weight pockets.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 illustrate the application of a weight pack or packs to the exercise garments of the first and second embodiments. Figure 8 shows a garment carrying no weights, figure 9 shows the garment carrying one weight pack and figure 10 shows the garment carrying two weight packs. Each figure shows a left hand garment viewed from the "hand" end thereof. The weight-carrying area 12 is therefore uppermost in each drawing. In figure 9, one weight pack 20 has been placed on the weight-carrying portion 12 of the garment. The weight pack is oriented such that the weights within the pack are parallel to the user's wrist, so that the weight pack can be bent around the wrist. The releasable fastener material on the underside of the weight pack is fastened to the corresponding material on the weight-carrying area of the garment. This retains the weight pack during exercise but, for added security, the strap 14 is pulled over the top of the weight pack and its releasable fastener material fastened to the upper surface of the weight pack.

As shown in figure 9, the strap 14 may be sufficiently long that its free end can be fastened to the weightcarrying portion of the garment beside the weight pack.

In figure 10, a second weight pack has been added on top of the first so that the two weight packs are fastened together by the releasable fastener material thereon. The arrangement is otherwise the same as in figure 9 For enhancing exercise with minimum risk of injury, it is proposed that each weight pack has a mass of between about 50 grams and about 100 grams, such as about 85 grams (3or). Depending on the requirements of the user, more than two weight packs may be used.

Although the drawings in this application indicate the use of a releasable fastener material in which two different surfaces are required, such as hook-and-loop fastener material, a symmetrical releasable fastener system would be advantageous. Such a system would allow the weight packs to be made of only one type of material and to be fastened in any orientation to each other and to the exercise garment.

Claims (30)

1. An exercise garment comprising a cuff portion for encircling the wrist of a user, a thumb portion connected to the cuff portion for encircling at least the base of the thumb of the user, and a weight-carrying portion.

2. An exercise garment according to claim 1, in which the cuff portion extends far enough to encircle at least a lower part of the user's forearm.

3. An exercise garment according to claim 1 or 2, in which the garment is restrained by the thumb portion from moving relative to the user's wrist during use.

4. An exercise garment according to claim 1,2 or 3, comprising or made of an elastic material so as to be a snug fit around the wrist.

5. An exercise garment according to any preceding claim, comprising a comfort-enhancing absorbent, or soft, lining.

6. An exercise garment according to any preceding claim, constructed as a continuous band for encircling the wrist.

7. An exercise garment according to any of claims 1 to 5, incorporating a separable joint which can be fastened to close the cuff portion around the wrist.

8. An exercise garment according to claim 7, in which the separable joint is at the underside of the wrist.

9. An exercise garment according to any preceding claim, in which the weight-carrying portion comprises an integral weight.

10. An exercise garment to any preceding claim, in which a separate weight or weight pack is releasably fastenable to the weight-carrying portion.

11. An exercise garment according to claim 10, in which the weight-carrying portion comprises an area of a releasable fastener material.

12. An exercise garment according to any preceding claim, comprising a strap extending from one side of the cuff portion for wrapping over a separate weight pack to improve the security of attachment of the weight pack and/or to improve the fit of the cuff portion on the user's wrist.

13. An exercise garment according to claim 12, in which the strap is releasably fastenable to an outer surface of a weight pack.

14. An exercise garment according to claim 12 or 13, in which the strap has a free end which is releasably fastenable to the cuff.

15. An exercise garment according to any preceding claim, which comprises a breathable material.

16. An exercise garment according to any preceding claim, in which a cut-out portion or portions is or are defined in the garment for ventilation.

17. An exercise garment according to claim 16, in which a cut-out portion is defined in the cuff portion opposite the weight-carrying portion.

18. An exercise garment according to claim 16 or 17, in which a cut-out portion is defined in the thumb portion.

19. A weight pack comprising two opposed surfaces provided with a releasable fastener material, so that one surface can be fastened to a weight-carrying portion of an exercise garment and the second surface can be fastened to a further weight pack provided with a corresponding releasable fastener material.

20. A weight pack according to claim 19, constructed so that a stack of two or more such packs, which may be of the same or different weights, may be fastened together for attaching any desired weight to an exercise garment.

21. A weight pack according to claim 19 or 20, which is colour coded according to its weight.

22. A weight pack according to claim 19, 20 or 21, in which the two opposed surfaces are relatively large, the thickness of the pack between the opposed surfaces being small compared with the dimensions of the opposed surfaces.

23. A weight pack according to any of claims 14 to 22, which is flexible, for example being constructed so as to contain two or more individual weights in an articulated weight carrier.

24. A weight pack according to any of claims 19 to 23, comprising a plurality of elongate weights held in a weight carrier comprising a plurality of parallel, elongate pockets.

25. A weight pack according to any of claims 19 to 24, comprising an outer weight carrier formed substantially entirely of a releasable fastener material.

26. A set of weight packs of the same or different weights, each pack being constructed according to any of claims 19 to 25.

27. An exercise set comprising one or more exercise garments according to any of claims 1 to 18 and one or more weight packs according to any of claims 19 to 26.

28. An exercise garment substantially as described herein, with reference to the drawings.

29. A weight pack substantially as described herein, with reference to the drawings.

30. A set of weight packs substantially as described herein, with reference to the drawings.