The following review by Sarah Barber features OMORPHO – Unique Weighted Apparel for Resistance Training. Product was provided for the test and review at no charge.
Back in February, I shared some of the benefits of training with weights and weighted packs or vests. If you’re interested in boosting your trail running strength, there are fantastic options from many brands, including Go Ruck and Hyperwear.
I recently explored another completely novel approach to adding weight to my workout from a brand called OMORPHO. OMORPHO specializes in Gravity Sportswear, literally putting the “mass” in their massive array of weighted training apparel and vests.
OMORPHO: Form fitting and tailored
Their signature range of G-Wear features multiple styles of shirts, shorts, and tights tailored for both men and women. The catch? Every item has varying amounts of OMORPHO’s trademark MicroLoad: evenly distributed sewn-in or bonded weight pods that are both flexible and body-contouring so that the additional pounds on your frame are barely noticeable.
Each form-fitting garment in the line of training apparel is made with integrated weights ranging from 1-3 pounds. The weights are dispersed around the arms, torso, and legs to challenge the associated muscles in all planes of movement. Meanwhile, the fabric is soft and stretchy, with zero inhibition of motion.
To some eyes, the exterior pattern of heavy-but-tiny spheres on the sportswear evokes a futuristic look akin to a Marvel comic superhero suit or maybe a Storm Trooper base layer. Wilder imaginations probably see a new level of kink for full contact indoor sports (giggle).
No matter what you think about its appearance, the concept is awesome. G-Wear is incredibly effective when it comes to inducing a greater training load than what’s achievable without it. And it does so while comfortably blending into the background of your chosen activity—including trail running!
The test
Since I’ve been prioritizing recovery after a long run on pavement in Boston, I outsources test driving the men’s G-Top2 LS (weighted with just one pound of MicroLoad) and the men’s G-Tight 2 (1.5 pounds of extra mass) to my very athletic older brother. This beast of a human with whom I enjoy at least a handful of shared genes put the weighted attire through multiple runs and hikes ranging from 1-3 hours. He reported that it was striking how effectively the system worked to subtly yet effectively overload his musculoskeletal structure during training. Because the weights are centered on large muscle groups rather than at the distal ends of the limbs, the extra strain is minimized. This makes it an outstanding approach to adding beneficial resistance without overtaxing one’s joints.
In contrast to a weight vest or ruck-style pack, adding mass farther out on the appendages contributes to increased muscle tension in multiple planes of movement. It’s 3-dimensional: fore and aft, side to side, up and down. Every movement of your arms and legs in every direction requires a little more work, and the work adds up to a surprisingly fatiguing training load.
Unlike the G-Wear, a weight vest centers the added mass over the core and legs, loading the lower extremities in what amounts to a mostly vertical dimension. Accordingly, a pack or vest is great for heavier weight, but those higher loads can be crippling for longer or faster runs, not to mention an increased risk of injury. I mean, show me someone running hill intervals wearing a ruck, and I’ll show you someone sidelined on the couch for a week.
Packs and vests are fantastic, and I’ll keep using them, but adding the OMORPHO apparel to my arsenal represents a different kind of leveling up. By expanding the range of what I can do more regularly, I’ll get that much more benefit to my bone density, strength, raw power, and fatigue resistance.
Wear it
Another feature of the G-Wear is that you just . . . you know, wear it. It’s part of your clothing selection for the workout. You don’t have to get dressed and then also put on a pack or vest. Slickly and simply incorporate G-Wear into your training outfit, then realize the added training load without even thinking about it. The increased mass doesn’t sound like very much on paper, but it adds up, especially during dynamic movement like trail running.The fabric is comfortable and breathable enough to be worn in most conditions. According to OMORPHO, it’s machine washable and doesn’t require any special care.
Check it out. And level up!
Editor’s Note: Read more of ATRA gear wrangler and trail runner Sarah Barber‘s articles and reviews here.
