Really? You are wearing that to the gym?

So everyone goes to the gym now and then. I personally belong to a New York Sports Club which is fantastic because they have tons of machines and TVs on all the cardio machines. Makes working out that much easier. But I am not writing about my love of mini televisions on top of treadmills. That is simply a given. I have a separate bone to pick on this stormy Monday…

I wake up early on this day off from work and figure I will head to my gym to get a good work out. After throwing on some old athletic shorts and a long sleeve Under Armour shirt I got running a race a while back, I am jogging the 1+ miles to my gym (it is so nice inside its worth the jog). Since most everyone else has off from work it’s kinda crowded at 10:30AM. A lot of people probably had the same idea as me in getting a workout in during the AM. But this morning, more than any other gym trip, I was so blown away by what some people wear to the gym.

I will acknowledge that I live in Hoboken, NJ where there tends to be a lot more NJ Italians (no offense to anyone), but this morning was just ridiculous. There I was in front of the dumbbells and there are surrounding me dressed like morons. Let me elaborate. I have shorts, sneakers and an old long sleeve shirt on. Nothing special. Now and then I will wear a sleeveless shirt when I go to the gym and readily admit that I check myself out when I do bicep curls – call it natural vanity of a pasty white kid. But the guys this morning were ridiculous. Abercrombie and Armani track pants – OK maybe not that bad. Track pants are track pants and comfortable nonetheless. But designer t-shirts that are 2 sizes two small with gold chains hanging from their neck? If not that, then pre-cut sleevless t-shirts from Abercrombie. Even more accentuated by those trendy military hats, sweat bands on each forearm, a cell phone clipped to the pants and the newest Ipod on a designer armband…absolutely ridiculous. Is this a gym or a runway during fashion week???

No one sweats so much lifting weights that they need armbands. And is 1 hour too long to go without having your cell phone handy?? Are the paparazzi coming to the gym, thus requiring the best of dressing?? Are clothes that meaningless to you that you wear Armani to the gym?? Most of all the irks me is that these gym fashionistas spend over an hour in the gym, but only do 3 or 4 exercises because the majority of their time is spent flirting with girls or bull-shitting with their buddies. Granted these goofballs pay the same monthly fee that I do and have equal right to work out, but for God’s sake – quite dressing like wannabe European models…you don’t look cool…you look like a jackass.

Post Script
Women are also prone to dressing like jackasses at the gym when they wear matching velvet tracksuits in pastel colors, hoop earrings, or too much makeup. It happens, but for the most part they dress the part and sometimes look damnn hot


Brrr….Beer