First day at the USF gym

[sylvar]

I went to the USF gym tonight and got acquainted with the rules. No denim, only closed-toe shoes, use the towels (they provide 'em), and if you want a treadmill or arc trainer downstairs, you sign up for timeslots.

I spent 25 minutes on the arc trainer, which really gave my legs a workout. It's sort of like an elliptical trainer, only it's approximately the bottom half of the ellipse, back and forth.

Then I went to the locker room and had a shower. This was the first time I've ever actually showered nude in a public shower with no curtains. (The sole concession to modesty was a wall with a fairly narrow doorway separating the benches and hooks from the wet zone.)

Serious replies only, since I lack context to identify humor: was I within social norms? I can't judge by reactions since I didn't see anyone while I was nude. I'm going to get a lock for the temporary use of a locker for my gear, so in what order do most people stash, undress, and shower? Are people going to think I'm rude if I disrobe entirely at the locker, wrap a towel around my waist, leave it hanging on a hook, and shower nude, then reverse the process? I'm much more concerned with not offending people than with the idea that someone might look at my body and like it a lot or dislike it a lot.

I'm happy that for the first time in my life I feel comfortable enough in my skin to take off my clothes and not care very much if any strangers were looking. I don't think any guys at my high school actually used the showers during the normal phys ed period. (mattyo3000, you went to the same school -- what do you remember? cardinalximinez, you went to high school at the same time in the same county -- what do you remember?)

Hmm. Now I need some smaller workout shorts -- the ones I've been using are about to stop staying up with an iPod on the waistband. And I need a padlock, too...

Comments

[toddmichael.livejournal.com]

I think what you did was fine. People seem to have no shame in locker rooms, with parading around nude.

Nobody really used the showers in my gym classes either. (Thank god!)

[tally-cat.livejournal.com]

I've always done it that way - when I was comfortable enough to shower at the gym. Sure, I'm a different gender, but I think shower etiquette is kind of universal.

[trunkbutt.livejournal.com]

At my YMCA, the ladies walk around buck naked in the locker room. They stand at the hair dryer counter brushing and drying their hair without any clothes on. It's like nude city in there!

[ximinez]

The important thing to remember here is that high school and middle school are not real.

In high school, for whatever crazy reason, they left showering as an option - so almost nobody did.

In middle school, it was required, so everybody kept their shorts on, wrapped a towel around their waist, stuck their head under the running water and walked out. Coach saw wet hair, checked you off the list, and you were done.

Kids are cruel, petty, immature and stupid as all shit. You aren't going to encounter that mindset very often in an "adult" (or college-level, IMHO) gym.

[h-postmortemus.livejournal.com]

Dude, seriously, you are worrying way too much about it. As long as you stick to the locker room and shower area, no one is going to give a shit. Just don't go around touching other people sans clothing and abstain from blatant grabbing of the crown jewels (occasional scratching is fine).

Since 99% of humans are ugly as sin when naked (no, really... We just think we look nice!), very few people have the balls to openly mock someone else without their clothes on. Kids don't know better, they're too stupid to realize how dumbass they really are.