Weighted apparel systems and methods for use in personal fitness

Abstract

An article of clothing configured to be worn by a user during a personal fitness session can include: a fabric layer; and at least one weighted portion formed by either or both polyurethane (PU) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) printed on the fabric layer, the weighted portion being sufficiently heavy to provide weighted resistance to the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of clothing configured to be worn by a user during a personal fitness session, the article of clothing comprising:
 a fabric layer; and   at least one weighted portion formed by either or both polyurethane (PU) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) printed on the fabric layer, the weighted portion being sufficiently heavy to provide weighted resistance to the user.   
     
     
         2 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the article of clothing is selected from the group consisting of: a vest, a shirt, a compression shirt, a pair of pants, a pair of shorts, and a jacket. 
     
     
         3 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one weighted portion covers a majority of the surface area of the fabric layer and further. 
     
     
         4 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein the PU and/or TPU is printed such that the weight of the at least one weighted portion is distributed substantially evenly over the fabric. 
     
     
         5 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , further comprising a communication unit integrated with the article of clothing and configured to interact with a personal electronic device. 
     
     
         6 . The article of clothing of  claim 5 , wherein the communication unit includes a near field communication (NFC) device or a QR code, and further wherein the processor is configured to launch a personal fitness application responsive to the user interacting with the NFC device or QR code. 
     
     
         7 . The article of clothing of  claim 6 , wherein a processor is configured to launch a personal fitness application responsive to the user interacting with the NFC device or QR code. 
     
     
         8 . The article of clothing of  claim 7 , wherein the personal fitness application includes at least one selected from a group consisting of the following: real-time coaching, a training program, and a connection with at least one other user.