GYM TALK

“Get a spot?”

I heard this request yesterday at the gym. As the overbuilt muscle was directing the request towards me I stepped up to the incline bench. I’ve been in this gym everyday at the same time with this same guy. Yet I had no idea who he was, due to my lack of social skills and philosophy of get in, get done, get out. He struck up a conversation whilst pressing ungodly amounts of iron down to his chest. Together a couple more reps were pressed out then with the bar back in its holder then overbuilt muscle struck up a conversation.

After a couple of minutes of discussing the gym and other routine topics he stated that he had me figured out, either I was a get in, get it done, get out guy or a raging asshole. I retorted that I was both and had him figured out as a Sociology Major at DU, but apologized if I’ve been ignoring him.

I always ignore everyone at the gym, going back to high school weight lifting class. This is primarily because I don’t want to be perceived as “that gay guy that leers at dudes”. I acknowledge this is because I stick to my own business and it’s a gym, not a bar. But am I really still forcing upon myself self perceived homophobia? Am I still caught in the loathing of being perceived as an effeminate fairy? When I was young it was self-preservation. One wrong look and I could get pounded. Now I out weight most guys.

I guess at this point I could be a little friendlier. I can also release the survival skills I built in high school.

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