After designing the OMORPHO G-Vest, we immediately wanted to apply MicroLoad™ to other types of weighted fitness gear. The result is our G-Wear collection, which includes weighted tops and bottoms, from long sleeves to tanks, tights and shorts for both men and women. All of our OMORPHO weighted workout gear places small amounts of distributed weight across the body to increase the effectiveness of your training and help you realize greater results.
As I’ve written before, our OMORPHO design process is cross-functional and involves both our engineering and innovation teams. We balance a focus on the mechanics of our products with beauty and aesthetics in order to be compelling and connect with consumers on an emotional level.
From research to ideation, prototyping and delivering, we’ve learned a lot from working on weighted fitness gear. Here’s a look behind the design of OMORPHO G-Wear.
Research
Our ongoing research into MicroLoad™ confirmed that more weight isn’t always better when it comes to training. Small weights can yield big results, and wearable resistance training with small amounts of targeted, distributed weight can help you better reach your fitness goals.
Imagine getting an extra boost in your workout by simply changing what you wear to hike, walk your dog, do yoga, play a sport or train at the gym. That’s the power of MicroLoad™ , and by using it in wearable form, you get to stay both natural and dynamic in your movement or activity. Connecting these dots affirmed to us that we could augment our weighted vest with a collection of weighted fitness apparel, and that’s how we started work on OMORPHO G-Wear.
Ideating
As was the case with the OMORPHO G-Vest, we realized that innovation was greatly needed in weighted fitness gear. It didn’t exist on the broader market, which presented a dream opportunity to truly create from scratch. We stood in front of a blank canvas, and our emotions ranged from excitement to anxiety.
We knew right away that we wanted the G-Wear collection to have the benefits of MicroLoad™ while also looking cool and attracting intrigue. Our ideating included a lot of questions at first. Will the textile be able to hold weight without sagging? How much weight can you load on each garment? Will each piece still feel comfortable in motion? Can we make the apparel breathable enough? By asking these questions, we were able to create solutions for a brand-new fitness product category.
Prototyping
I liken innovation to a windy road, and at times, you may be required to make some U-turns. You have to use your imagination, try things and see what sticks. Our culture at OMORPHO encourages brainstorming and sharing ideas that might seem crazy at first.
We quickly prototyped a few garments, and of course, some didn’t work right away. We connected with a vendor who was willing to work through the conceptual idea with us, and we quickly created general fabric panels and basic garments to prove the idea. Over time, it started to look very promising, and our iterations began to meet our performance expectations. The MicroLoad™ had the effect we were hoping for, and while the garments don’t look heavy by design, they have the full sensation of weight when you pick them up.
Delivering
We had established a design language for the OMORPHO G-Vest using metal spheres, so the aesthetic for G-Wear followed suit. We repeated the round, geometric and organic shapes to create an even surface while adhering to the principles of MicroLoad™ . Every element and material choice in our products exists for a reason.
The most important part of delivering the product was mapping out where and how weight was placed. We followed the muscles and anatomy of the human body to place more weight where one’s biggest muscles are working. We did this in a way that would support the natural movement of the body and avoid chafing. The design process ends with styling, which to me is what takes the product from 85% to 100% ready.
Doing all of the above required a lot of organization and coordination to make OMORPHO G-Wear new and exciting from a visual perspective. Once you put on the product, you realize that OMORPHO moves in harmony with your body to help you reach your fitness goals, big or small. At the end of the day, as we say, small weights can yield big results!
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