Workout garment

Abstract

A workout garment comprises at least a shirt ( 10; 110 ) having a chest region ( 14; 114 ), a back region ( 16; 116 ), and a waist region ( 18; 118 ). The garment has a plurality of restrictor bands ( 24 to 30; 124 to 130 ) of elastic material extending, in use, over muscles of the body to be worked, whereby during activity involving movement which stretches said muscles the bands are stretched to provide resistance against said movement. The bands are integrated into the garment and include a two bands ( 24, 26; 124, 126 ) which extend continuously across the chest region and cross over in the chest region, and two bands ( 28, 30; 128, 130 ) which extend continuously across the back region and cross over in the back region. The crossover ( 36; 136 ) in the chest region is positioned higher than the crossover ( 38; 138 ) in the back region.

1 . A workout garment comprising at least a shirt having a chest region, a back region, and a waist region, and having a plurality of restrictor bands of elastic material extending, in use, over muscles of the body to be worked, whereby during activity involving movement which stretches said muscles the bands are stretched to provide resistance against said movement, the bands being integrated into the garment and comprising two bands which extend continuously across the chest region and cross over in the chest region, and two bands which extend continuously across the back region and cross over in the back region, characterized in that the crossover in the chest region is positioned higher than the crossover in the back region. 
   
   
       2 . A workout garment according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the chest bands is joined respectively to one or the other of the back bands in the waist region. 
   
   
       3 . A workout garment according to  claim 2 , wherein the bands are joined to each other in the waist region at a location behind a nominal dividing line between the chest and back regions. 
   
   
       4 . A workout garment according to any preceding claim, wherein each band is secured to the garment by means of stitching and/or adhesive. 
   
   
       5 . A workout garment according to  claim 4 , wherein each band is secured to the garment by means of cross-stitching. 
   
   
       6 . A workout garment according to  claim 4  or  5 , wherein each band is secured to the garment by means of stitching using elastic thread. 
   
   
       7 . A workout garment according to  claim 4 , wherein the adhesive is stretchable. 
   
   
       8 . A workout garment according to any preceding claim, wherein the bands are secured to each other at the crossovers. 
   
   
       9 . A workout garment according to any preceding claim, wherein the elasticity of the material from which the garment is formed is greater than the elasticity of the restrictor bands. 
   
   
       10 . A workout garment according to any preceding claim, wherein the bands are thicker than the material of which the garment is formed. 
   
   
       11 . A workout garment according to any preceding claim, wherein the restrictor bands have a width of between 1.0 cm and 5.0 cm. 
   
   
       12 . A workout garment according to any preceding claim, wherein the garment is formed of a compressive material. 
   
   
       13 . A workout garment according to any preceding claim, wherein the shirt includes left and right sleeves and the bands comprise:
 a first chest band which extends continuously from the wrist opening of the left sleeve along the left sleeve and across the chest region to the waist region on the right side of the shirt, and a second chest band which extends continuously from the wrist opening of the right sleeve along the right sleeve and across the chest region to the waist region on the left side of the shirt, so that the first and second chest bands form the crossover in the chest region; and   a first back band which extends continuously from the wrist opening of the left sleeve along the left sleeve and across the back region to the waist region on the right side of the shirt, and a second back band which extends continuously from the wrist opening of the right sleeve along the right sleeve and across the back region to the waist region on the left side of the shirt, so that the first and second back bands form the crossover in the back region.   
   
   
       14 . A workout garment according to  claim 13  wherein the back bands extend around the elbow joints to allow for movement thereof. 
   
   
       15 . A workout garment according to any preceding claim, in the form of a workout suit additionally comprising pants, wherein further restrictor bands extend continuously at least from the waist region of the suit to ankle openings of the pants. 
   
   
       16 . A workout garment according to  claim 15  wherein, in the pants the bands extend around the knee joints to allow for movement of the knee joints. 
   
   
       17 . A workout garment according to  claim 15  or  16 , wherein the pants are integral with the shirt. 
   
   
       18 . A workout garment according to  claim 17 , wherein said further restrictor bands extend continuously from wrist openings of the suit to ankle openings of the suit. 
   
   
       19 . A workout garment according to  claim 18 , wherein one band extends continuously from the left wrist opening to the right ankle opening, while another band extends continuously from the right wrist opening to the left ankle opening. 
   
   
       20 . A workout garment according to  claim 15  or  16 , in the form of a workout suit having pants non-integral with the shirt, with hook and loop type fastenings between the pants and the shirt.