Disclosed herein are wearable articles and methods for the manufacture and use thereof. The wearable articles can comprise compression elements, gripping elements, and support elements containing a rate-sensitive materials which can operate to prevent injury.

An abdominal exercise system including an isometric flex-board and a rear-support. The isometric flex-board includes an exterior-surface and an interior-surface, a right-side, and a left-side; with the left-side and the right-side each including slot-openings. The rear-support includes an outside-surface, an inside surface, a left-portion, and a right-portion; with the left-portion and the right-portion each including adjustment-straps that are insertable into the slot-openings on the right-side and the left-side of the isometric flex-board to removably couple the rear-support and the isometric flex-board together and provide adjustability to the abdominal exercise system for a user. The isometric flex-board and the rear-support, when coupled together, are wearable about an abdominal area of the user to provide resistance to the abdominal area to provide a muscle exercise to the user by the user flexing the abdominal area against the resistance.

An armored belt for providing armor protection to a lower torso of a wearer with an armor sheath, soft body armor disposed in the armor sheath, and at least one cinching band section of resiliently extendable material for cinching the armor sheath and the armored belt about the torso of the wearer by an elastic, contractive force of the cinching band section. Plural cinching band sections have proximal ends fixed to the armor sheath, distal ends with fastening mechanisms, and resiliently extendable body portions. Plural cinching band sections can be formed by a cinching band with a central portion fixed to the armor sheath thereby to divide the cinching band into first and second cinching band sections. Fastening portions are disposed on ends of the armor sheath, and a compressible section of the armor sheath and the body armor can be disposed at a mid-portion of the armored sheath.

This disclosure relates to a belt for wearing around a body center of an athlete while exercising, comprising a padding portion. The padding portion has a seat pad for sitting thereon, and at least one elastic portion wherein the belt has a circumferential length without the application of external force. Under the application of external force, the circumferential length of the belt can be reversibly increased by at least 8%, preferably by at least 20%, by elastic stretching of the at least one elastic portion.

A belt including a strap of synthetic rubber, wherein the strap has perforations that extend only partially through a thickness of the strap. A belt system including a protective belt including a strap of synthetic rubber and configured such that the protective belt is in direct contact with the skin of a wearer, and a functional belt worn outside the protective belt such that the protective belt is positioned between the functional belt and the wearer.

The present disclosure relates to a wetsuit that provides support for the lumbosacral region of the wearer. The wetsuit has at least one layer of foam rubber or other wetsuit material with a lumbar portion disposed in the lumbosacral region of the wearer. In certain embodiments, the wetsuit has at least one tensioning mechanism that allows the wearer to selectively change a level of support provided by the lumbar portion to the lumbosacral region of the wearer.

An adjustable ballistic garment includes a main body, a pair of extensions, and a shoulder harness. The main body includes a central panel and a pair of wings extending laterally outwardly from the central panel. The central panel and the wings are integrally formed from a single piece of a first material. The central panel may include a layer of a ballistic material disposed on a first side thereof. A first extension and a second extension each have a first side and a second side cooperating to define a conduit for receiving one of the wings of the main body. At least one of the first side and the second side includes a ballistic material. A shoulder harness is attached to at least one of the main body, the first extension, and the second extension.

A novel multi-directional flexible dynamically adjustable protection apparatus for use in protecting a user in a manner which provides relief from mechanical forces via both direct impact and mechanical forces when the user moves.

A system and method for an armor system for protecting the groin. While the system is useful for either gender, it is particularly valuable to protect male genitalia which are particularly vulnerable to damage. The system utilizes at least one, and commonly two, armor components. One armor component is a specifically designed armor plate of the type and construction common to plates in plate carriers that is generally worn external to the pants. While the plate or over armor can be used alone, in an embodiment of the system, the plate is worn over a high impact ballistic cup which is inside the pants. The cup is designed to absorb impact from the over armor against the body to further protect the groin area.

An integrated riot vest including a riot shell, a first carrier, a first envelope, and a second envelope. The riot shell having an impact resistant layer and adapted to be worn on a torso of a user with an inner side proximate the user and an opposing outer side. The first carrier having an inner side and an opposing outer side secured to the riot shell, wherein the outer side of the first carrier is proximate the inner side of the riot shell. The first envelope located between the outer side of the first carrier and the inner side of the riot shell. The second envelope formed between the inner side and the outer side of the first carrier and having a second envelope opening located on the inner side of the first carrier.