The present invention relates generally to weightlifting suits for individuals who lift weights for pleasure, exercise or in competition, and more particularly, to a relatively comfortable weightlifting suit which reduces the sliding of the suit on the legs of the individual during a lift to provide increased support and stability.
During powerlifting competitions, and oftentimes during general weightlifting exercises, a lifter wears a specially designed weightlifting suit to provide increased support and stability for the weightlifter's body such that a maximum amount of weight can be safely lifted. Since powerlifting is considered a specialized activity within the extensive genre of weightlifting, the term weightlifting should be considered to include powerlifting and any other exercises in which weights are lifted.
In an effort to ensure fair and uniform weightlifting competitions, national and international governing bodies have adopted rules and regulations which set forth provisions governing the design and construction of weightlifting suits. For example, the 1993 United States Powerlifting Federation Pocket Rule Book, at Section II, page 5, includes rules governing the construction of the crotch, the appearance of the suit, alterations to the suit, and the length of the suit legs.
Typically, lifting suits are fabricated from a sturdy, somewhat stiff, heavy fabric which has a very small degree of stretch. However, to provide the appropriate support and assistance to the lifter, the fabric must have good comeback or springback. In other words, the fabric must readily, and rather forcefully, return to its original shape after being stretched.
A weightlifting suit is normally worn very tight on the lifter to provide the desired support during a lift, such as a squat or deadlift. The tightness and the properties of the suit material have a pulling or pushing effect on the body which tends to force the lifter into an erect position. This force aids the lifter during a squat or deadlift since the lifter, in each instance, ascends from a crouched position into a standing position. Further, such weightlifting suits have been shown to reduce the chance of injury by providing added support and stability to the muscles during the lifting movement.
To assure the most efficient transfer of the comeback force generated by the suit to the lifter, the suit must remain fixed to the body of the lifter throughout the lift However during a lift, conventional weightlifting suits typically slip and slide on the lifter. For instance, during the descent into a full squat position or a starting deadlift position, the legs of the weightlifting suit tend to slide upward on the legs of the lifter towards the buttocks. This sliding action causes looseness or slack in the hip and buttocks area of the lifter and, thus reduces the effectiveness of the suit. Since the hips and buttocks area is the main hinge point of the body during the squat and deadlift, support in this area is critical to maximum performance of these lifts.
Various attempts have been made to increase the comeback force generated by a weightlifting suit during a lift. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,194, issued to Alaniz et al., discloses a weightlifting suit having a plurality of seams which create a harness or supporting seat into which the lifter sits during a squatting movement. The seams are preferably constructed of overlap material from contiguous fabric panels and are, therefore, twice as thick as the single ply material of the suit. This permits the seams to store more energy during the lifting movement. However, neither Alaniz et al. nor any other prior weightlifting suits have been designed to reduce the loss in support and stability due to slipping and sliding of the suit in preparation for and during a lift.
It is thus apparent that a need exits for a weightlifting suit which reduces the slipping and sliding of the on the legs of the lifter to provide increased support and stability while providing a comfortable fit.