Male Bonding2
For those who like to explore the concept and dynamics of male bonding. Men are socialized in different ways in different societies, and so many men would like to have close male friendships, yet after spending time establishing a career, primary relationship and live in general, find themselves without close male friends. Many of us want male friends with whom we can share openly without...
- created by AZdesertman
UPTIGHT GYMS VS RELAXED GYMS - Makes a Difference in Male Bonding?
Return to DiscussionsI wanted to explore more of this topic of uptight gyms vs relaxed gyms. There was anothertopic in this discussion group that briefly touched on this but i wanted to know your thoughtsabout this. I recently signed up at a new gym. The reason i liked them was bc they're open 24 hoursand i can go anytime i want. But one thing i was *Really* surprised at was thatthis gym not only has a lockerroom area but when you enter the shower area thereare empty stalls to change in across from the showers. It was definitely designed to reduce any nudity. I'm half expecting to find peopleshowering in a suit and tie. The LA Fitness in Pasadena & Alhambra don't have those extremes, but there is stillsome uptightness there. It wasn't until i visited an LA Fitness in Downey & the Equinox in Pasadena that i noticeeveryone at those gyms are very friendly and even more so - *Social*. Then i noticed the lockerooms.. everyone is running around naked.. talking while showering,or sitting naked in the hot tub. it was awesome. and it was funny because i felt more at home.Unfortunately one is too far, and the other is too expensive. Has anyone else had any experiences like this? What is your experience at your gym?Chris
I was just talking to a guy in the sauna about this yesterday. I belong to LA Fitness and the one I normally go to is fairly modest....a few guys will be wrapped in just a towel in the sauna, and most close the shower curtains to their stall while showering. Rarely will you see some guy walking naked to the sinks, water fountain or mirrors. I had a late meeting yesterday so stopped into a different LA Fitness, and it was much more casual about nudity. Nothing really blatently odd, but just guys treating nudity in a lockerroom as normal. I chatted with a guy in the sauna who was fully naked and sat on a corner of his towel, as was I. I saw about half of the men walking from the lockerroom to the showers walking nude with a towel over their shoulders. It was so refreshing (and to me, normal) to see that, rather than so many guys trying to cover up and/or do the towel dance, afraid that another guy might actually see that they have a dick and balls. I may have to divert to this gym more often.
I go to a local athletic club, not a chain, and the men's lockerroom is open-- gang showers, jacuzzi, steam room, and sauna. As I indicated in the other thread about this topic, I have noted that younger (under 30) men tend to be far more modest than we older guys (50+). Some of those younger guys wear bathing suits all the time in the steam room.
i agree about the younger guys feeling more skiddish about nuditywhich i find odd because they're more relaxed about sexuality.i've heard and read about drunk straight buddies offering each otherbro jobs ( a blow job from a straight buddy) so i find it funnythey draw the line at simple nudity.. but to each their own
I go to a local athletic club, not a chain, and themen's lockerroom is open-- gang showers, jacuzzi, steam room, andsauna. As I indicated in the other thread about this topic, I havenoted that younger (under 30) men tend to be far more modest thanwe older guys (50+). Some of those younger guys wear bathing suitsall the time in the steam room.
i agree about the younger guys feeling more skiddish about
nuditywhich i find odd because they're more relaxed about
sexuality.i've heard and read about drunk straight buddies offering
each otherbro jobs ( a blow job from a straight buddy) so i find it
funnythey draw the line at simple nudity.. but to each their
own
Exactly. This is a generation that "sexts" pictures of their naked
body parts to each other. As we discussed in the other thread, it's
likely that the change in rules about showering after gym class
means that, unless they are on an athletic team at school, these
young men have had no experience being nude in front of dozens or
even hundreds of other young men.
There's no more gym class... so no more showering. And all the
home schooling has taken away themandatory nudity amongst
fellow classmates away. No surprise there's so much towel
dancing going on!
I recently started a new job at the state university in town and they offer staff and faculty memberships at the large health and aquatics center on campus. The old building was added onto and almost doubled in size, so there is a 'new' locker room and an older one. As I understand it, the students are mostly assigned to the new area and staff and faculty have lockers in the older one. I think the newer shower area has cubicles with curtains. I was happy about being given a locker in the older one because it has a big open shower area with shower heads on big metal poles throughout the room, and there is a sauna and steam room across from the sinks. I was even happier to find that nudity is accepted in the locker area, the showers of course, and also in the steam and sauna. I've been there a few times now and many walk between lockers, showers and steam and sauna with their towel wrapped around them, but some days nearly half do it naked. It's about the same ratio in the steam room when I've been there; predictably, younger guys tend to wear a towel or swim trunks, shorts or maybe compression shorts in the sauna and steam room, but for the more mature guys it's literally "old school" with no need for all the false modesty, and no one seems to care. I've been pleased to see that some of the young swimmers join right in, too - maybe they have had more of the sports team shared showering experience through high school. It's summer now, so it will be interesting to see if much changes as the main school year begins in fall. I feel so good to have found this place, especially after 16 years as a member of a health club chain that gradually moved from 90 percent nudity in the lockers and wet areas to almost complete towel coverups. This is as it should be - guys doing what they choose according to their comfort level.
I go to a few different gyms on my work travels and one where I live. The tone is different in each one but I decided to just be the relaxed naked guy in the locker room and wet areas, regardless of what anybody else is doing. Sometimes I am the only naked one. But I figure that the others are never going to grow into any comfort with nudity in the locker room if somebody isn't there to show the way.
Well said, I am the same way and try to encourage the guys to use the facility the correct way. Most don't have a clue about showering before entering the pool, steam, sauna and hot tub and also in between each one. I think the main problem with it is these guys mind never grew up as there body did and having it beat in their head that you never let anyone see you naked by their parents
Can't say that I have been to the gym lately, but I will relate this story. A coworker came over for dinner to catch up on my travels. He knows I am a nudist, but I thought with the work connection, it might be a bit much to be nude while he was here. But after he got here it came up and so I asked him, " would it bother you if I had greeted you nude" His response was " I see Jeff and Matt (two other coworkers) nude at the Y everyday, so it would be no big deal" The next time he came I was bare. And to him it was no big deal. So at least here in small town Indiana, the showers at the local Y are such that guys see each other in the buff.
I belong to the Y and have been to several in the Chicago area. It seems that the older ones with old school gang showers cater to casual nudity and the newer ones (outlying suburbs with younger professionals) cater more to uptight towel dancers. The fit younger men are almost always casual nudists, so I think the towel dance with younger men has a lot to do with body image.
i've been hearing thatthere are korean spas in downtown L.A.and everyone not only hangs out naked,but is encouraged to do so...my buddy went with his boss and saidthe towels are tiny so that you see dongand ass no matter what!i think i'm going to start doin that to getback into a nude welcoming environment
I was in a LA Fitness near my office and after my workout I went for a shower then to the dry sauna. I went in naked and sat on my towel. Two guys were there and one got up and walked out. A minute later a LA Fitness guy came in and told me to cover myself out of respect. The two guys were from Afghanistan - Muslims. They were offended by nudity and reported me.