Morning Gym Ettiquete

[SurgicalSteel]

I was wondering what most people do who go to the gym in the morning before work. On the one hand, I don't really want to be all smelly and already feel gross when I go to the gym, especially if there are other people there (meeting more people is an ulterior motive for me). But on the other hand, it seems wasteful and kind of silly to shower, gym, then shower again before going to work. Or is that just what people who use public gyms do?

[poxic]

The few times I managed to get myself to the gym before work, I would quick-shower before (soap up but don't wash hair), then full-shower after. That seemed to work.

[Izawwlgood]

Are you interested in meeting people for dating potential? Because the gym seems a strange place to do that.

[SurgicalSteel]

No, there's a small gym in my apartment complex and I'd just like to meet some of the other residents and makes some friends outside of work. But why do you think the gym is a strange place for that? I've heard advice that says otherwise (though I've never tried it).

I like your idea poxic, I'll try it tomorrow.

[Izawwlgood]

It's not an absolute; I've definitely met people in college at the gym that I became friends with, but generally speaking, I'd say the gym is for working out, and it's fine to be friendly and social, but most people I know who go to gyms, and indeed, most of the people that I interact with at gyms, are more interested in working out than making plans to go grab drinks later. They'll be friendly and maybe chat briefly between sets, but I think it's mildly akin to going to a movie, and hoping to meet people after the film waiting around the lobby to talk about the flick and become friends.

Especially people who go in the morning, my guess would be they are there to get a workout in, not to meet new people. You mentioned that it was in your building complex though, so maybe it's a bit of a different dynamic. However, showering for the gym means working out isn't your prime motivation; if I was at a gym doing my stuff and was approached by someone who was only there looking to snag a phone number or a date, I'd probably be pretty put off.

[SurgicalSteel]

All good points I will take into consideration. I shouldn't have said "ulterior" though, maybe more like "secondary." My main concern was not being that weird guy at the gym who looks like he's homeless and does he even live here how'd he get a key? I've never used a gym before so I have no idea what people's mentalities are when they're there. Thanks for the insight.

[Save Point]

Last summer I was consistently at the gym at 5 am (when it opened.) I absolutely did not shower beforehand. Screw that. I would be clean for a whopping ten minute drive and then gross and sweaty again. Coupled with the fact that my hair expands when it gets wet, making it harder to put up, there's just no way. I don't see a point at all.

As for meeting people, that's fine. I never went to the gym for dating, though I have met people that have led to some dates. By and large though, and this is especially true at a gym off campus and thus full of (usually) demographics much younger or much older than me, you're only going to make gym buddies, and you'll rarely spend time with them outside of the gym. When I was in high school, I likened it to Fight Club, because I'd see people I regularly held conversations with at the gym in, say, the mall. And I'd give the head nod - the acknowledgement that I know and recognize them - but hardly ever spoke to them outside of that context. But, like I said, outside of an on-campus gym, most people I met were not in my age group one way or the other.

And that was at night. Most people working out in the morning are in a time crunch. They need to get to work or take the kids to school. Conversations aren't a no-no but they're less likely to occur and, if they do, bear in mind that it's not the end of the day.

[Ulc]

All good points I will take into consideration. I shouldn't have said "ulterior" though, maybe more like "secondary." My main concern was not being that weird guy at the gym who looks like he's homeless and does he even live here how'd he get a key? I've never used a gym before so I have no idea what people's mentalities are when they're there. Thanks for the insight.

If you're concerned about this, why not start using it in the morning, quick wash the worst of the nights sweat away before going down there, look if there is anyone else at all, and if there is, what is their etiquette?

Personally I'd consider it a waste of my time to wash before going to the gym, and I have never done so - about 15 min. after I arrive, odds are that my t-shirt will be soaked through to the point where I have to wring it when I take it off.

[Izawwlgood]

If you want to meet new people in your apartment, why not post signs about arranging a BBQ or something?
But to address your original question; getting 'clean' before going to the gym is like holding an umbrella overhead in the rain while swimming in an outdoor pool.

[Spambot5546]

My thing was always to just throw some deodorant on and brush my teeth before hitting the gym, so I don't smell completely awful until I start working out. In my experience if I'm talking to someone at the gym and they're sweaty and smelly I just assume they've been working out and don't consider it a reflection on their personal hygiene.

[shocklocks]

If I had a shower right before I worked out I would sweat like a beast during my sets.

[folkhero]

If you want to meet new people in your apartment, why not post signs about arranging a BBQ or something?

For some people, it's easier to casually meet people one or two at a time, instead of a dozen or more all at once at an event where you're kinda responsible for everyone having a good time.

[Evengeduld]

I don't shower before I go to the gym in the morning. But then again I do have the key to the gym of my athletics club meaning I'm there all alone and can be sweaty and smelly as much as I like.

[Solt]

Shower before sleeping and change your sheets more often? I never understood people who are ok with rolling around in their own sweat, accumulated dead skin cells, and the day's dirt for 8 hours straight just because they'll take a shower before interacting with anyone.

[poxic]

The shower-at-night vs. shower-at-morning debate usually boils down to the day job. If you sit in an office all day, you shower in the morning to wash off the night smells. You're still fairly clean at night, so no problem sleeping that way.

If you do physical labour during the day, you shower at night because you're sweaty and gross when you get home. You're clean at bedtime, so you go to bed that way and get up not much different (at least, not different enough to matter by the time you've been at work for an hour or less).

[Shro]

I like to shower in the morning before the gym, or at least the night before. Shower meaning a cursory soap up and rinse. In my experience, I think there's a difference in the smell of "clean" sweat vs "old" sweat, and I much prefer the former. And sometimes in the cold weather, I like to sauna when I get to the gym to warm up, and if I'm getting that naked anyway, I might as well rinse at the gym beforehand. This also makes sure I don't experience as many skin problems, as sweating onto dirty skin tends to aggravate acne/blackheads/etc in my case.

[Sleeper]

I usually shower AFTER the gym, unless I'm going swimming at the gym. In which case, I shower AT the gym first, then go home and shower again after the after-swimming sets.