Gym – A WRITER'S GOTTA WRITE

There was a pre-metrosexual-era internet “street quiz” called “Gay or Eurotrash?” It presented a picture of a “stylish” guy, and you had to guess whether he was gay or “just European.” It was all tongue-in-cheek, but funny. At least the first 20 times “playing.”

I’ve been thinking about that quiz the past couple of days at Planet Fitness, where I’ve seen several pairs of guys at various times on various days working out together—a few of which seemed just a little too “stylish” (think those very short workout shorts with the slits up the sides) or a little too “well groomed” (think highly coiffed hair with lots of products in it) or standing just a little too “close” for spotting.

They’ve made me think of a variation on that game that I’d call “Workout Buddies or Husbands?”

Workout Buddies or Husbands

Exercise check-in

02/22/202502/17/2025 by John

I’m getting real sick and tired of food having calories.

#PlanetFitness #Strengthening #Core #Back #UpperBody

Exercise check-in

02/22/202502/16/2025 by John

One day I hope to have a family to match the serving size I eat.

#PlanetFitness #Cardio #30MinutesElliptical #15MinutesTreadmill

I earned a “get out of jail free” card by working out today, on my usual day off. I’ll skip a day on either Wednesday or Thursday of this week, if the predicted bad weather actually comes through.

Judgy-Judgerson to a whole new level

02/17/202502/15/2025 by John

Spent some time today during my upper-body workout at Planet Fitness reflecting on how I became such a rule-follower and resisting the very strong urge I have to police the rule-breakers, telling myself, “You don’t work here,” “This has nothing to do with you,” and “Finish your own workout and get out of here.”

Background

Planet Fitness has a rule stating that no sandals or flip flops (or basically any open-toed shoes) are allowed on the gym floor.

There was a guy there tonight in flip flops — who happened to be hot, which made it extra challenging for me not to keep looking at him — doing free weights and the multi-station workout machines.

Here are all the thoughts I had over the course of the 45 minutes I was there:

“I wonder why no front-desk workers have told him that he can’t be working out in those because it’s a safety hazard.”

“Why hasn’t that digital sign on the monitors throughout the gym come up to that slide that says, “Flip flops are great at the beach. But they are a hazard at the gym. And not allowed.”

“That guy would never just happen to walk by the monitors at a time when that one slide was showing anyway, much less be looking at it — or care.”

Once when he walked right by me, I thought hard: “Don’t do it. Don’t say anything. Man, he’s hot.”

“I wonder if I alerted the front desk people to him, if they would actually approach him.”

“I wonder if I did alert the front desk to the situation, and they didn’t approach the guy, and then the guy dropped a weight on his foot and sued Planet Fitness…”

Bless my absolute mess.