Patent Publication Number: US-10306931-B2

Title: Gradual tilt sleeve support shirt

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The subject matter described herein relates to a shirt or garment which covers the upper torso of a wearer. Specifically, embodiments described herein are directed to a support shirt providing support along the chest and shoulder regions of the wearer, and having a gradual tilt of the sleeves along an axis extending across the chest and front portions of the sleeves. The support shirt is useful for a variety of sporting or work activities where support of the chest and shoulders is desired, such as, for example, a bench press shirt for weightlifting, a shirt for mountain climbing, or a rodeo rider&#39;s shirt. 
     Bench press shirts aid in providing an increase in the amount of weight a bench presser can lift as well as providing increased safety to the bench presser. Typically, bench press shirts are made of materials with high tensile strength such as double knit polyester, canvas, or denim which are designed to fit the wearer tightly. Such bench press shirts have portions covering the sleeves and chest which may provide tightness during lifting. Bench press shirts can also be made of spandex type fabric and be effective for support. As distinguished from ordinary shirts or t-shirts, bench press shirts have at least one area of increased support/strength, designed to augment movement of a body part by increased strength of material and/or compression. 
     In a bench pressing exercise, a weightlifter lies substantially flat on his back, with arms upraised. The exercise involves lowering a weight to the chest and then pushing it vertically upward until the arms are straight. The tautness of the fabric in the bench press shirt provides assistance and increased support for the underlying muscles, thereby allowing the weightlifter to lift more weight. 
     Weightlifting shirts typically provide a peak area of support during a bench press, referred to as the “support bubble.” Typically, the lifter tries to push the weight vertically upward in line with the support bubble of the bench press shirt. Shirt and lifter do not always have the perfect peak support area, so the lifter adjusts the bar path as much as possible to coincide with the peak of the shirt&#39;s support bubble. Moreover, the lifter can adjust the fitting position of the shirt to match the lifter&#39;s preferred bar path. For example, the lifter may adjust the position of the neck band of a bench press shirt, or may adjust the position of the sleeves in relation to the lifter&#39;s deltoid muscles. Lifters can also employ both techniques of adjusting the bar path in combination with adjusting the fitting position of the shirt. However, such shirts often do not provide sufficient shoulder reinforcement for the lifter during elevation and descent of a weight through the bar path. 
     Other problems exist in prior bench press shirts. During a bench press exercise, slack may exist in the material of the shirt just below the lifter&#39;s arm from the front deltoid muscle. The slack material tightens up as the bar is lowered. Additionally bench press shirts may tear or shred at the shoulder seams and neck area where the most the stress occurs. Thus, a problem that exists in the construction of prior art bench shirts is the lack of support across the shoulders of a wearer throughout the bar path of the bench press exercise. 
     Attempts have been made to provide a bench press shirt providing support in the arms and shoulders of a wearer. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,235 describes a shirt wherein the circumference and tightness of the area across the upper torso is less than that of the area around the waist. U.S. Pat. No. 8,578,517 describes an athletic garment wherein seams twist the garment fabric and sleeves. 
     Other shirt designs focus on the type of material and configuration of compressible fabrics used across the upper chest. Such designs employ fabric or material across the upper portion of the shirt which fails to reinforce the shoulders of a wearer during the bench press exercise. Additionally, such designs fail to solve the problem of preventing slack or fabric tearing. Therefore, a need still exists in the art for a shirt which provides support across the shoulders and chest of the wearer throughout elevation and descent of the weight through the bar path of a bench press exercise. There is also a need for a shirt that provides support across the shoulders and chest of a wearer for a variety of sporting or work activities. 
     SUMMARY 
     This need is addressed by embodiments of the present invention which provide a shirt that provides support through the shoulders and across the chest of the wearer throughout the bar path of a bench press exercise. Embodiments of the present invention also provide a gradual curvature or tilt of the sleeves of the support shirt toward the chest of the wearer. The gradual curvature or tilt of the sleeves provides additional support and prevents slack from occurring along the sleeves during weightlifting or other athletic or work activities. 
     In one embodiment, a support shirt has a shirt body having at least one section comprised of a supporting fabric extending across the upper torso of the wearer. Respective front and back sleeve portions are also comprised of supporting fabric and are attached to the shirt body. Preferably, the fabric comprising the shirt body and sleeves has a tensile strength sufficient to withstand the stresses and strains imposed by lifting and supporting heavy weights without fabric tearing. Each sleeve portion has at one end a sleeve opening and an opposite end which attaches to the shirt body, and in some embodiments, to a respective sleeve arm hole. The support shirt includes at least one area of increased support comprising a tilt region which extends along at least a portion of a centerline forming a curvilinear axis along an upper portion of the shirt body and extending across a front portion of the sleeves from the sleeve arm holes to the sleeve openings. This area of increased support stabilizes and provides support to the shoulders of a wearer during a lifting motion such as, for example, an upward or forward lifting motion. 
     The tilting region causes the sleeve portions, and/or the upper portion of the shirt body, to gradually curve or tilt toward the chest of the wearer, resulting in a gradual curvature along the centerline of the support shirt. In one embodiment, the tilting region comprises a plurality of darts formed on each front sleeve portion and arranged generally perpendicular to the centerline. As used herein, the terms “dart” or “darts” are used in their broad sense of, for example, an oval-shaped or diamond-shaped tapered adjustment to the fabric, gathering the fabric in the area where the dart is positioned. As used herein, a “dart” may be a fold in the fabric which is stitched together, or a dart may be a cut-out section of fabric, the opposite sides of which are gathered and stitched together to form a seam. 
     Also as used herein, the term “dart” is also meant to encompass fabric puckering, where the fabric is either gathered in small wrinkles or folds causing the fabric to draw or contract or the fabric is woven or knitted to create puckered or gathered areas. The darts which are formed may be fixed or adjustable. With respect to the latter, the darts may be made to be adjustable using zippers, Velcro®, buttons, snaps, or the like positioned on opposing sides of the cutout areas on the sleeve which form the darts. 
     Other embodiments herein include a tilting region comprising more than one dart formed on each of the front sleeve portions. Moreover, each dart may differ in length and amount of gather. The result of the use of such darts is to cause a gradual curvature of the sleeves across the centerline of the shirt, as opposed to causing axial twisting of the sleeves. 
     In other embodiments, the tilt region is located on the shirt body. For example, the dart or series of darts may be positioned across the chest of the shirt body, typically in the area between arm holes. This gathering of fabric in the chest region of the shirt causes the inward tilt of the sleeves. The darts may be formed as described above using cut-outs and stitching. Alternatively, the tilt region may be formed by gathering (puckering) the fabric into darts in either the sleeves or chest region of the shirt and laminating, for example by welding, stitching, or adhering, a strip of material over the darts. 
     In a further embodiment, the tilting region of the support shirt comprises a waveform pattern along the centerline. The sleeve portions of the support shirt include a plurality of recesses and projections which form the outer periphery of the seam. 
     The shirt body and sleeve portions of the support shirt are comprised of high tensile strength fabric. As used herein, the term “fabric” is meant to include not only woven materials, but also nonwoven materials such as, for example, substantially continuous sheets of polymeric materials. The shirt is designed to provide a taut fit when worn. The shirt body and sleeve members may be the same or of different material. Both the shirt body and sleeve members may be stretchable or non-stretchable material. The shirt body may or not have a back or a lower portion. 
     It is a feature of embodiments of the present invention to provide a support shirt with a supporting fabric across the torso of an individual. It is a further feature of embodiments of the present invention to provide a support shirt with a gradual inward curvature or tilt along a centerline forming a curvilinear axis and extending across the front portions of the sleeves. Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention can be best understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of the support shirt of one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a front view of the support shirt of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a back view of the support shirt of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a side view of the support shirt of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a top view of the support shirt of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6A  illustrates a side view showing sewn darts of a sleeve portion of the support shirt of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6B  illustrates a side view showing unsewn cut-outs in a sleeve portion of the support shirt of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6C  illustrates a perspective view of a sleeve portion showing the gradual inward curvature/tilt of the sleeve portion of  FIG. 1  along the centerline; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of a support shirt according to an alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a front view of the support shirt of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a back view of the support shirt of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a side view of the support shirt of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a top view of the support shirt of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 12A  illustrates a side view showing sewn darts of a sleeve portion of the support shirt of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 12B  illustrates a side view showing unsewn cut-outs of a sleeve portion of the support shirt of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 12C  illustrates a side view showing darts formed from the cut-outs of  FIG. 12B ; 
         FIG. 13  illustrates a perspective view of a support shirt, according to a further alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 14  illustrates a front view of the support shirt of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 15  illustrates a back view of the support shirt of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 16  illustrates a side view of the support shirt of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 17  illustrates a top view of the support shirt of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 18A  illustrates a side view showing sewn darts of a sleeve portion of the support shirt of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 18B  illustrates a side view showing unsewn cut-outs of a sleeve portion of the support shirt of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 18C  illustrates a perspective view of a sleeve portion showing the gradual curvature of the sleeve portion of the support shirt of  FIG. 13  along the centerline; 
         FIG. 19  illustrates a front view of a support shirt of yet another alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 20  illustrates patterns of the front, back, and sleeves as cut from fabric to assemble the support shirt of  FIG. 19 ; 
         FIG. 21  illustrates a front view of a support shirt of yet another alternate embodiment; 
         FIG. 22  illustrates a perspective view along the plane of the centerline of the assembled sleeve portion of the support shirt of  FIG. 19  showing the gradual curvature of the sleeve; 
         FIG. 23  illustrates a perspective view of an individual wearing a support shirt, and shows the centerline of the shirt during a bench press exercise; 
         FIG. 24  illustrates a top view of an individual wearing a support shirt, and shows the approximate centerline of the shirt during a bench press exercise; 
         FIG. 25  illustrates a side view of an individual wearing a support shirt, and shows the support bubble during a bench press exercise; 
         FIG. 26  illustrates an example of a bar path during a bench press exercise; and 
         FIG. 27  illustrates a front view of yet another embodiment of the support shirt. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , in an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a support shirt  10  comprises a shirt body  11  worn across the torso of an individual. The shirt body  11  comprises an upper shirt body  13  and lower shirt body  15 . Additionally, the shirt body  11  has a shirt front  51  and shirt back  52  joined at a body seam  53 . The shirt body  11  is comprised of a supporting fabric extending across at least upper shirt body  13 . The support shirt is sized so that the supporting fabric is taut against the wearer&#39;s body, providing support across the upper torso and shoulders of the individual. The tautness of the fabric provides increased pressure exerted across the pectoralis major and serratus anterior muscles of the wearer. During an exercise such as a bench press, the shirt body  11  provides support as the bar is raised and lowered through a bar path  33  as shown in  FIG. 26 . 
     The fabric may be comprised of stretchable or non-stretchable material. Additionally, the fabric may be single ply or multi-ply and may be comprised of: canvas fabric; polyester; spandex type fabric; nylon fabric; cotton; or any kind of fabric that holds tautness when worn. Further, the shirt body and sleeves may be comprised of polymeric material having a suitable thickness to provide the requisite tensile strength. Sleeve arm holes  17  are positioned in upper shirt body  13 , corresponding with the area of traversal of the wearer&#39;s arms. In one embodiment, the fabric comprising shirt body  11  has a tensile strength which will withstand the stresses and strains of lifting from several hundred to one thousand pounds of weight without fabric tearing. Preferably, the fabric has a tensile strength of at least about 90 psi. The type of fiber, denier, and weight of the fabric will all affect the tensile strength. 
     Sleeve openings  25  oppose the sleeve arm holes  17 . The sleeve portions  19   a ,  19   b  comprise front sleeve portions  22 , and rear sleeve portions  23  as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Sleeve portions  19   a  and  19   b  are attached to the shirt body  11  at the sleeve arm holes  17  as shown in  FIG. 2 . The sleeve portions  19   a  and  19   b  provide compression across the shoulders of the wearer corresponding to the anterior deltoid, coracobrachialis, scapulae fixer, biceps, and triceps of the wearer. The sleeve portions  19   a  and  19   b  are comprised of a high tensile strength fabric material and are designed to closely fit the arms of a wearer to provide support for the shoulders during lifting. The fabric may be comprised of stretchable or non-stretchable material. Additionally, the fabric may be single ply or multi-ply and may be comprised of: canvas fabric; polyester; spandex type fabric; nylon fabric; cotton; or any kind of fabric that holds tautness. 
     In one embodiment, the sleeve portions  19   a  and  19   b  extend in a forward direction relative to a frontal plane  4  of the shirt body  11 , and in a downward direction relative to a transverse plane  6  of the shirt body  11  as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , sleeve portions  19  have a first central angle  37  of approximately 95° relative to the frontal plane  4 . However, angle  37  may vary over a broad range depending on the desired use of the shirt. For example, angle  37  may vary between about 60° to about 180°. As shown in  FIG. 4 , sleeve portions  19   a  and  19   b  have a second central angle  39  of approximately 30° relative to the transverse plane  6  of the shirt body  11 . However, angle  39  may also vary over a broad range depending on the desired use for the shirt. For example, angle  39  may vary between an upward angle of about 45° to a downward angle of about 45° relative to transverse plane  6 . In one embodiment, the sleeve portions  19   a  and  19   b  have strengths sufficient to withstand the stresses of lifting heavy weights. 
       FIG. 25  illustrates a support bubble  35  during a bench press exercise, according to embodiments of the invention. The support bubble  35  represents an area of maximum support for the wearer of support shirt  10 . During the bench press exercise, the lifter presses the bar generally vertically upward within the support bubble  35 . Bench press shirts are designed to provide maximum support at the most natural point of pressing for the lifter, defined as the position where the lifter has pressed the weight to the position shown in  FIG. 25 , immediately beneath centerline  31 . See, e.g.,  FIG. 2 . 
     The centerline  31  delineates the longitudinal axis of the weightlifting bar as shown in, for example,  FIGS. 23 and 24 . A vertical plane extending downwardly from centerline  31 , within support bubble  35  corresponds to an area of maximum support for the shirt  10 . This area of support extends below sleeve body holes  17  and corresponds with the longitudinal axis of the bar during the bench press exercise. The plane extending downwardly from centerline  31  extends across the upper torso of the individual and the frontal shoulder areas and forms a curvilinear axis on the support shirt as shown in  FIG. 2 . According to one embodiment, the plane extending downwardly from centerline  31  extends across the bench press shirt  10  and the lifter&#39;s body above the serratus anterior and pectoralis major muscles. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the sleeve portions  19   a  and  19   b  are joined at seams  28  which are located on the rear sleeve portions  23 . A curved tilting region  27  is located on each of the sleeve portions  19   a  and  19   b  located on the front sleeve portions  22 . The tilting region  27  comprises, for example, darts  27   a  and  27   b , on the front sleeve portions  22 . The darts  27   a  and  27   b  extend substantially perpendicular to and across the centerline  31  as shown in  FIGS. 2, 6A, and 6B . 
     In this embodiment, exemplary darts  27   a  and  27   b  are formed by cutting apertures in the fabric, as shown in  FIG. 6B . It is within the scope of the present invention to include additional darts in the tilting region  27 . Typically, the apertures are diamond-shaped and are bisected by centerline  31 . Other cut-out shapes can be used as well. Generally, the darts may be from about 0.5 to about 2.0 inches long. The opposing sides of darts  27   a  and  27   b  are then gathered and stitched together as shown in  FIG. 6A . The inclusion of darts  27   a  and  27   b  cause the sleeve portions  19   a  and  19   b  to gradually curve or tilt inwardly along the outer periphery of the front sleeve portions  22 , causing a gradual curvature of centerline  31  as can be seen in greater detail in  FIG. 6C . As can be seen from  FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C , the sleeve portions  19   a  and  19   b  extend forwardly from the shirt body  11  in a path between the sleeve arm holes  17  and the sleeve openings  25 . At the point where each dart  27   a  and  27   b  is located, the path followed by the sleeve portions gradually changes and forms a series of line segments that approximate a curved path along centerline  31 . The result of the plurality of darts in the sleeve portions of the shirt is a gradual curvature or tilt of the sleeve portions as shown in  FIG. 6C  such that central angle  37  as shown in  FIG. 5 , when measured from succeeding darts  27   a ,  27   b , . . . , decreases gradually from its initial angle θ to an angle of θ−X, where X varies from 0 to about 20°. 
     In other embodiments of the invention, the darts may be formed by folding the fabric and stitching it together. A dart may also be formed by causing the fabric to pucker, where the fabric is either gathered in small wrinkles or folds. Alternatively, the darts may be formed by weaving or knitting the fabric in a manner that creates puckered or gathered areas. Any darts which are formed may be fixed or adjustable. With respect to the latter, the darts may be made to be adjustable using zippers, Velcro®, buttons, snaps, or the like positioned on opposing sides of the cutout areas on the sleeve which form the darts. 
     The fabric and structure comprising the upper shirt body  13 , lower shirt body  15 , and sleeve portions of the support shirt  10  of the embodiment differs from conventional shirts or t-shirts. As distinguished from a conventional shirt or t-shirt, the support shirt  10  has at least one area of increased support/strength, designed to augment movement of a body part by providing increased tensile strength of material and/or compression. Support shirt  10  utilizes such a supporting fabric with a greater tensile strength and thickness than ordinary shirts. Moreover, support shirt  10  utilizes fabric which utilizes compression and support across the chest area, thereby allowing support for athletic activities such as bench pressing exercises. The tilting regions  27  extend this area of support along the shoulders through the path of the plane extending downwardly from centerline  31 . Thus, support shirt  10  naturally augments motion of the wearer&#39;s arms forward from the frontal plane of the wearer&#39;s body during athletic activities such as bench press exercises. 
     The purpose of tilting regions  27  is to gradually curve or tilt sleeve portions  19  inwardly along centerline  31  as shown in  FIG. 6C . As defined herein, the terms gradually tilt and gradually curve are used to define the curvature on the periphery of sleeve portions  19   a  and  19   b  as shown in  FIGS. 6A-6C . As distinguished from twisting of the sleeves, the tilting regions  27  of the sleeve portions  19   a  and  19   b  causes the periphery of the sleeves to tilt and form a curvilinear path along centerline  31  such that a path from sleeve arm holes  17  to sleeve openings  25  follows a parallel curvilinear path to that of tilting regions  27 . As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 6A-6C , tilting regions  27  extend substantially between sleeve arm holes  17  and sleeve openings  25 , and do not cause sleeve portions  19   a  and  19   b  to twist. 
     Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof, other embodiments are also contemplated. As shown in an alternate embodiment in  FIGS. 7-12 , support shirt  110  comprises a shirt body  111 , upper shirt body  113 , lower shirt body  115 , sleeve arm holes  117  and sleeve portions  119   a  and  119   b . Additionally, the shirt body  111  has a shirt front  151  and shirt back  152  joined at a body seam  153 . The sleeve arm holes  117  are positioned near upper shirt body  113 , corresponding with the area of traversal of the wearer&#39;s arms. Sleeve openings  125  oppose the sleeve holes  117 . Sleeve portions  119   a  and  119   b  comprise front sleeve portions  122 , and rear sleeve portions  123 . A centerline  131  extends along the front sleeve portions  122  and upper shirt body  113  as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     The sleeve portions have a seam  128 , located on the front sleeve portions  122 . The seam  128  extends substantially collinear with the centerline  131 . Tilting regions  127  are located on front sleeve portions  122 . In this embodiment the tilting regions include three darts  127   a ,  127   b , and  127   c , see  FIGS. 12A and 12B , sewn such that the darts are substantially perpendicular to and bisect seams  128 . As shown in greater detail in  FIGS. 12A-12C , the darts  127   a ,  127   b , and  127   c  are formed initially as diamond-shaped cut-outs which, when gathered and sewn together, cause sleeve portions  119   a  and  119   b  to gradually tilt and curve inwardly along curved centerline  31 . 
     Sleeve portions  119   a  and  119   b  extend forwardly relative to frontal plane  104  of shirt body  111  and downwardly relative to transverse plane  106  of shirt body  111  as best shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . As shown in  FIG. 11 , sleeve portions  119   a  and  119   b  have a first central angle  137  of approximately 95° relative to frontal plane  104 . However, angle  137  may vary over a broad range depending on the desired use for the shirt. As shown in  FIG. 10 , sleeve portions  119   a  and  119   b  have a second central angle  139  of approximately 30° relative to transverse plane  106  of shirt body  111 . Again, however, such angle can vary broadly between an upward angle of about 45° and a downward angle of about 45° relative to the transverse plane. 
     A further alternate embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 13-18 . In this embodiment, support shirt  210  comprises a shirt body  211 , upper shirt body  213 , lower shirt body  215 , sleeve arm holes  217  and sleeve portions  219   a  and  219   b . Additionally, the shirt body  211  has a shirt front  251  and shirt back  252  joined at a body seam  253 . The sleeve arm holes  217  are positioned near the upper shirt body  213 , corresponding with the area of traversal of the wearer&#39;s arms. Sleeve openings  225  oppose the sleeve holes  217 . Sleeve portions  219   a  and  219   b  comprise front sleeve portions  222 , and rear sleeve portions  223 . A centerline  231  extends along the front sleeve portions  222  and upper shirt body  213  as best shown in  FIG. 14 . 
     The sleeve portions have a seam  228 , located on the rear sleeve portions  223 . Tilting regions  227  are located on each of the front sleeve portions  222 . In this embodiment, the tilting regions  227  include nine darts  227   a - 227   i  sewn such that the seams of the darts are substantially perpendicular to and bisect centerline  231 . As shown in  FIGS. 13-18 , the diamond-shaped cut-outs forming darts  227   a - 227   i  differ in length. The darts  227   a - 227   i  cause sleeve portions  219   a  and  219   b  to gradually curve or tilt inwardly along centerline  231 . By changing the length of the darts, the curvature of sleeve portions can be varied to achieve an overall desired degree of curvature. 
     Sleeve portions  219   a  and  219   b  extend in a forward direction relative to a frontal plane  204  of shirt body  211  and a downward direction relative to a transverse plane  206  of shirt body  211  as shown in  FIGS. 16 and 17 . As shown in  FIG. 17 , sleeve portions  219   a  and  219   b  have a first central angle  237  of approximately 95° relative to frontal plane  204 . As shown in  FIG. 16 , sleeve portions  219   a  and  219   b  have a second central angle  239  of approximately 30° relative to transverse plane  206 . As previously described, angles  237  and  239  may vary over a broad range depending on the desired end use for the shirt. 
     A further alternate embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 19-22 . In this embodiment, support shirt  310  comprises a shirt body  311 , a shirt front  351  and shirt back  352  joined at a body seam  353 , sleeve arm holes  317  and sleeve portions  319   a  and  319   b . Sleeve openings  325  oppose the sleeve holes  317 . The sleeve portions  319   a  and  319   b  comprise front sleeve portions  322 , and rear sleeve portions  323 . A centerline  331  extends along the front sleeve portions  322  and the upper portion of the front of the shirt as best shown in  FIG. 19 . 
     A sinusoidal waveform patterned tilting region  327  is located on each of the sleeve portions  319   a  and  319   b . Each waveform tilting region  327  comprises a coupling seam  345 . The coupling seam  345  is located on the front sleeve portions  322 , and extends in a sinusoidal waveform along the centerline  331 , as shown in  FIGS. 19-22 . The waveform tilting region  327  includes a plurality of recesses  365  and projections or lobes  367  which, when gathered and sewn together, form the periphery of the coupling seam  345  as shown in  FIG. 21 . As shown in  FIG. 21 , each projection  367  has width  373  at its distal tip which is greater than a width  371  adjacent its base. Typically, the amplitude of the waveform pattern (distance from tip to base) is from about 0.25 to about 1.5 inches, while the repeat length of the pattern may range from about 2 to about 4 inches. Alternatively, the width  373  of the distal tip of each projection  367  may be less than the width  371  adjacent the base. 
     Each projection  367  fits into a corresponding recess  365  in the waveform pattern. The sleeve portions  319   a  and  319   b  are sewn together at the coupling seam  345 . Because of the differences in width between the base and distal tip of respective projections  367 , the coupling seam  345  functions to gather the fabric and causes a gradual curvature or tilt of the sleeve portions  319   a  and  319   b , as shown in  FIG. 22 . 
       FIG. 27  illustrates yet another embodiment of the support shirt in which a support shirt  410  comprises a shirt body  411 , upper shirt body  413 , lower shirt body  415 , sleeve arm holes  417  and sleeve portions  419   a  and  419   b . The sleeve arm holes  417  are positioned near upper shirt body  413 , corresponding with the area of traversal of the wearer&#39;s arms. Sleeve openings  425  oppose the sleeve holes  417 . Sleeve portions  419   a  and  419   b  comprise front sleeve portions  422 , and rear sleeve portions  423 . A centerline  431  extends along the front sleeve portions  422  and upper shirt body  413  as shown. 
     A tilting region  427  is located on the front of shirt body  411 . In this embodiment the tilting region includes three darts  427   a ,  427   b , and  427   c , sewn such that the darts are substantially perpendicular to the vertical axis of the shirt body. The darts  427   a ,  427   b , and  427   c  are formed initially as oval or diamond-shaped cut-outs which, when gathered and sewn together, cause the front portion of the upper shirt body to gradually tilt and curve inwardly, resulting in sleeve portions  419   a  and  419   b  to also curve inwardly. Alternatively, the darts may be formed by gathering or puckering the fabric of the shirt body and secured by, for example, stitching, welding, or adhering the material. 
     The construction, material, and configuration of the elements described herein may vary. For example, the support shirt could also exist without a lower torso area, and/or without a shirt back. 
     Bench press shirts may be comprised of numerous materials including synthetic and non-synthetic fibers. The support shirt of embodiments herein provided support/and or compression during athletic activities, and therefore have greater tensile strength than conventional shirts. The support shirts may or may not have elastic properties. For example, embodiments may utilize fabrics such as neoprene or spandex. Additionally, other embodiments may comprise stretch fabric including either two-way or four-way stretch. 
     The tilting region may comprise a differing number of darts sewn into the sleeve portions. Moreover, the length of each dart may differ. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the descriptions of the specific embodiments described herein. 
     It is noted that terms like “preferably,” “commonly,” and “typically” are not utilized herein to limit the scope of the claimed invention or to imply that certain features are critical, essential, or even important to the structure or function of the claimed invention. Rather, these terms are merely intended to highlight alternative or additional features that may or may not be utilized in a particular embodiment of the present invention. 
     For the purposes of describing and defining the present invention it is noted that the term “substantially” is utilized herein to represent the inherent degree of uncertainty that may be attributed to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement, or other representation. The term “substantially” is also utilized herein to represent the degree by which a quantitative representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting in a change in the basic function of the subject matter at issue. 
     Unless the meaning is clearly to the contrary, all ranges set forth herein are deemed to be inclusive of all values within the recited range as well as the endpoints. 
     Having described the invention in detail and by reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims. More specifically, although some aspects of the present invention are identified herein as preferred or particularly advantageous, it is contemplated that the present invention is not necessarily limited to these preferred aspects of the invention.