Tech suits, or technical racing suits, are high-performance swimsuits designed to reduce drag and increase muscle compression.That said, the highly compressive nature of race suits make themnotorious for being a pain to put on.
As a general guideline, most men's tech suits can be put on in around 15-20 minutes tops. Women's tech suits, because there is more fabric and shoulder straps to contend with, take quite a bit longer at around 30-45 minutes to geton.
So, howdo you put on a techsuit?
How to Put on a RaceSuit in 6 Steps
1. Make sure you are completely dry.
2. Flip the leg grippers and insert one foot at a timethrough the neck of the suit.
3.Alternating legs,gently pull the suit up 1-2 cm at a time. Make sure your tech suit is properly aligned, so it does not accidentally tear due to more strain on certain areas of the suit. Check that each leg gripper is sitting at roughly the same height on your upper legs above your knees, and that the seams are aligned and taping running as intended.
Tip: Avoid using fingernails!
4. Slowlyease the suit over your hips. This is the hardest part so be patient.Make sure you are pulling the fabric just below the waistband with your fingertips, not your nails. Avoidgrippingonlythe waistband to pull the suit as this can cause a tear.
For men's jammer race suits, you can continue to step 6.
5. For women's kneeskin race suits, now is the time to pull the suit up your torso and over your chest. Do this slowly much like before. It should be easier than getting the suit over your hips. Once the suit is sitting just below your armpits, gently pull each strapover your shoulder, one arm at a time. This is most likely going to require some maneuvering as tech suits are very compressive. You can also ask a teammate to help you pull the straps up.
6. Check that all the seams and taping is aligned correctly for optimal performance. Flip the leg grippers down and you're ready to race!
Check the video below to watch how to put on a technical racing suit!
