The world of sports and fitness is ultra-competitive. Athletes pursue every type of advantage to perform and feel their best. People try everything from advanced workout formulas to performance enhancing “supplements” to gain that competitive edge. Many harmful side effects emerge from some of these tactics, but there are still some that promote the health of athletes while maximizing performance.
TITIN Tech is revolutionizing the sports apparel industry with their flagship product the Titin Force – the world’s only weighted compression gear. The three part HyperGravity System contains an inner-shirt, which has 14 strategically placed pockets that hold fit-right, hydro-gel inserts throughout the upper body. They are held snugly to the torso and upper arms with a moisture-wicking compression shirt, the third part of the system. This gives eight pounds of added resistance designed to build the body and gain speed, strength, and endurance.
Along with the shirt system, TITIN Tech has also launched the TITIN Force Shorts System that uses the same three part HyperGravity technology. The shorts focus on the hamstrings, glutes, and thighs, adding five pounds of weight on the muscles of the target areas.
The pockets on the inner-shirt/shorts give proper weight distribution to the entire body, as opposed to placing most of the weight on the shoulders.
“The placement of our weights ensures that the joints and the muscles are working together,” said Patrick Whaley, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TITIN Tech. “Because the joints are load-free, muscle fiber is built faster, which means that you see an immediate effect on your body when you remove the weighted system.”
The medical grade gel inserts are the same density as muscle tissue making the body think it’s an internal rather than an external load. This allows for proper form and posture during strenuous workouts.
The outer moisture-wicking compression shirt not only works to hold the weighted gel inserts in place, but also promote blood circulation. The Compression shirt also contains anti-microbial technology, keeping it clean and free from unwanted microorganisms.
The hypergravity training program does not decrease mobility. The design of TITIN Force allows for it to be worn during workouts that include running, jumping, lifting, throwing, or swinging with 100 percent natural movements.
Weight training has had proven benefits for athletes. However, prior products such as ankle weights and wrist weights put a lot of strain on the joints and ligaments; and usually hinder mobility and proper workout technique. TITIN Force works with the human body, putting the weight on the muscles, reducing stress on joints, while optimizing performance and functionability.
Using the body’s natural rebuilding process of creating muscle fibers when placed under additional weight, TITIN’s design isolates fast-twitch muscle fibers for increased fiber recruitment. The added weight resistance during workouts help strengthen muscles and tendons alike, enabling athletes to increase their calorie burn, vertical leap, and endurance, while pushing their speed to peak performance.
The TITIN Force is also a recovery system as it much as it is a training system. The hydrogel weight inserts can be manipulated in multiple ways to give athletes added treatment.The gel can be heated up for heat therapy that surrounds the upper body. The gel can also be frozen and act as a mobile ice bath. These features help heal sore muscles and speed recovery time.
The therapeutic design and weighted apparel ideas stem from the experiences of the Founder.
Whaley, mechanical engineer out of Georgia Tech, had an idea to change the apparel industry at an early age. As a skinny boy, he used to put extra books into his backpack to try and build muscle. He drew sketches and eventually build some prototypes with money he had earned in his spare time.
It wasn’t until after he was shot at point blank range during an armed robbery in 2009, that Whaley pushed to bring his childhood idea to life. The bullet punctured his lung, liver, and nicked a major artery before exiting through his back. The weakened Whaley used his prototype to help speed his recovery and it worked.
Shortly after, in 2010, he officially launched TITIN Tech and actively develops new products, while sharing his testimonial around the nation.
A future product to be released in the Spring of 2015 is TITINFit, which is specifically designed for female athletes. TITIN Tykes will help children train without stunting their growth or damaging their spine. Finally, TITIN RX will be specially designed for rehabilitation purposes and will be used by WBC Group, a U.S. medical distribution company.
There are many athletes, including NFL and MLS players, CrossFit competitors, boxing and UFC fighters, that sponsor TITIN Tech. However, TITIN Tech used a crowdfunding approach, giving its customers an opportunity to help make the product. Their Kickstarter campaign goal was set at 100,000. On June 11, they exceeded their goal raising 117,315 from 576 different sources.