The Gym

I always find it amazing how many men put 'the gym' (numerous times) as a regular activity, sport and pass-time on their profile. When I am at the gym I often spend most of my spare energy (that which is not being used on exercise) screening out other people and avoiding eye contact. When I have paid attention I always find the experience interesting to say the least. 

I mean sure, a fit and healthy male is fantastic... I am just not convinced the people I see at the gym fall into this category. I don't know about all gyms, but the one I go to has four sorts of men attending (okay 5 if you include a small miscellaneous category). These include 'The Oldies', 'The Professionals', 'The Tradies' and 'The Roiders'.

Setting the scene

My gym is one of those low budget chain gyms where you pay a low fee per week and get unlimited access to cardio and weight machines. There are no classes, no child care facilities, 2 showers and minimal staff. There is a TV showing the latest music clips on each of the 4 walls (except during the olympics or something else such as a football match where 2 screens play this instead) and a few gym mats lying around for floor work.

As for me, I am one of those people that goes red at the first sign of exercise. My heart rate shoots up quickly (it scared me the first time I used a heart rate monitor) and even if not huffing and puffing I certainly show signs of unattractive sweaty flushing. I was privileged as a child in primary school to be called 'beetroot' and 'tomato face' every time I had to participate in a sport (I also used to blush dramatically when lying or embarrassed but luckily high school trained me out of the worst of it). Consequently I have never been a huge fan of exercising, at least not in front of others. I prefer to go to the gym when it is quiet. I go first thing in the morning before work, but have been known to go during the day, the afternoon and across the weekend. So what about those men?

The Oldies

These are the older guys who have probably been told to attend the gym by their GP (to increase vitality or reduce the risk or impact of diabetes). These guys usually come in during the day or in the late morning. They are most likely retired or working part time. They work out (but never too hard) and they leave. These guys are a little too old for me.

The Professionals

The second type are the professionals. These guys pop in directly before or after work, sometimes with their partners. They arrive or leave in a suit. They are fit and healthy and don't hang around. They are not interested in socialising at the gym or spending any more time than necessary. These guys are my type but the wedding band that usually accompanies them identifies them as 'already taken'.

The Tradies

These guys can be sporadic in their gym use. They are often wearing old clothes or inappropriate combinations (whatever clothes they can find on the day,e.g. trade pants and boots). These guys like weights and can often be found sitting around with The Roiders (see below).

The Roiders

The Roiders are the guys with arms that are far too big for their body. They are usually at the gym in the afternoon from around 4pm. They huff, grunt and moan as they flex their muscles for each other and check themselves out in the mirror. (I watched a guy pose in front of the mirror for 10 minutes once... he flexed and admired himself from every angle, doing all but kissing his own muscles. He was so engaged with himself he didn't notice me looking!). They sit around and watch each other without much conversation and when they finish, they continue to sit around the gym for another hour or so. Now I am not saying that these guys actually take steroids but if they did some of the common side effects include permanent liver damage, acne, aggressiveness, heart problems, infertility and diabetes. None of these things (especially when self-inflicted) are appealing in a partner.

A side note on proportion
I like a man who looks relatively normal. My preferences lean towards healthier males who are not too large or too skinny. I don't mind a bit of tub but just not too much of it. In all my years I have never thought to myself 'Wow, what big muscles he has, I must get me some of that' or 'Geeze that guy looks hot with those extra large arms on his small frame'.

What I have thought is "I wonder if you can see how odd you look with those oversized arms", "Can you see yourself?!" or "I bet it is expensive to get shirts to fit you properly with those ridiculous arms". I guess muscles aren't my thing.

So maybe my gym isn't the usual gym experience out there. Unfortunately my experience leads me to view 'the gym' when written in profiles as something that is not all that desirable. I don't want someone who is pumped up or who enjoys spending hours and hours in a sweat lab (I just don't enjoy the gym that much). Looks and physical fitness all fade. All it takes is a sports injury or a broken leg. When this happens I just hope these guys have something else to replace the gym with.

In summary I don't see the gym as a great 'interest', a place to pick up, or a place to hang out. If someone is spending that much time working on their physique, what things in life are they sacrificing in its place?