You know that the majority of men in the YMCA locker room cover up with towel to and from the shower? Some even do the towel dance when getting dressed. Lord, help us!
Yesterday was a welcomed exception. The majority of the guys in the locker room walked naked to and from the shower, even shaved naked at the sinks, many of them str8 men, a few of them in their upper 20's and low 30's. I smiled to myself feeling a sense of pride. I'm sure today and most days in the future will fall back to a misguided sense of modesty, but I take yesterday as a win
Tom
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- TD
Tom DFeb 11, 2025When I showered at the gym, I always stripped at my locker, carried my towel to the shower, showered, dried off, returned to my locker, got my razor, comb, deodorant, etc., put my towel on the edge of a sink, and shaved and did my other grooming nude. A few others did also, but most wore underwear or a towel around their waist for shaving. One day there were 4 shaving nude and 3 covered. I was happy that the majority were nude for once.
ReactReply - MI
MikeFeb 11, 2025I typically have the same feelings of disappointment at my gym. Midwest men seem to be horribly prudish. Fortunately the presence of the Mayo Clinic here in Rochester brings in enough non-midwest members to make me feel at home staying naked..
ReactReply - MIMikeFeb 11, 2025
I typically have the same feelings of disappointment at my gym. Midwest men seem to be horribly prudish. Fortunately the presence of the Mayo Clinic here in Rochester brings in enough non-midwest members to make me feel at home staying naked..
ReactReply - EU
eupraxiusFeb 11, 2025it's not just the midwest. i live in lower manhttan, one of the most politically and culturally liberal areas of the country and i'm the only one who is ever naked in the gym locker room, with only 2 exceptions in the past 4 years i've been going there. my previous gym was slightly different, but it's been this way for about 20 years. when i was working [up to 2007] i used to go the gym at lunch hour and everyone was naked in the locker room. it was no big deal to be naked with co-workers who also went at lunch hour. i've heard many theories about why this changed but none convinces me. when i see fit young men at the local nude beach i always wonder what they do at their gyms.ReactReply - NI
NigelFeb 11, 2025Over here in the UK its very similar with all but a few covering up whilst trying to get dressed, is does make me laugh how people struggle to hide their genitals whilst getting changed, i am one of a very few who strip off and walk naked to the shower and back carrying a towel, and walking around the changing room naked
ReactReply - TA
TallerFeb 11, 2025I just joined a new high end gym in the Atlanta suburbs. Full shower/steam/sauna situation. I was chatting with a buddy in the steam room and he says "you're bold... " gesturing to my uncovered crotch. He explained they had modesty rules posted in the wet area. Members are asked to remain covered. And guys really do follow that rule... lots of guys in shorts/underwear in the steam room. Very tight towel dancing to avoid any peekaboos. It's wild. Meanwhile... literally as we are having this conversation, the guy in the corner of the steam room with his towel strategically covering and exposing himself at the same time is jerking off, and eventually climaxes right there in the steamroom. BUT... he has a towel on and the fully naked person who can't hide anything is the problem. I do not get it.
ReactReply - EUeupraxiusFeb 12, 2025
@ Taller: it's called hypocrisy and lets them go to church on sunday.
ReactReply - MEMemberFeb 12, 2025
I live in Northwest Ohio and belong to the YMCA with my wife. And i am proud to be a semi-smoothy ( pubic region and back fully shaved everywhere else trimmed)
I proudly walk to and from the shower. Just carrying my towel and soaps. I used to get a lot of strange looks. Especially from older gentlemen, being fully shaved. Don't below, but not so much anymore. As younger generations have started to pick up on the freedom of being smooth, i never mind it, people staring or giving me confused. LooksI was just there to take a shower after working out lol!ReactReply - MEMemberFeb 12, 2025
I live in Northwest Ohio and belong to the YMCA with my wife. And i am proud to be a semi-smoothy ( pubic region and back fully shaved everywhere else trimmed)
I proudly walk to and from the shower. Just carrying my towel and soaps. I used to get a lot of strange looks. Especially from older gentlemen, being fully shaved. Don't below, but not so much anymore. As younger generations have started to pick up on the freedom of being smooth, i never mind it, people staring or giving me confused. LooksI was just there to take a shower after working out lol!ReactReply - MEMemberFeb 12, 2025[quote]I live in Northwest Ohio and belong to the YMCA with my wife. And i am proud to be a semi-smoothy ( pubic region and back fully shaved everywhere else trimmed) I proudly walk to and from the shower. Just carrying my towel and soaps. I used to get a lot of strange looks. Especially from older gentlemen, being fully shaved. Down below, but not so much anymore. As younger generations have started to pick up on the freedom of being smooth, i never mind it, people staring or giving me confused. LooksI was just there to take a shower after working out lol![/quote]ReactReply
- TDTom DFeb 12, 2025[quote]I live in Northwest Ohio and belong to the YMCA with my wife. And i am proud to be a semi-smoothy ( pubic region and back fully shaved everywhere else trimmed) I proudly walk to and from the shower. Just carrying my towel and soaps. I used to get a lot of strange looks. Especially from older gentlemen, being fully shaved. Don't below, but not so much anymore. As younger generations have started to pick up on the freedom of being smooth, i never mind it, people staring or giving me confused. LooksI was just there to take a shower after working out lol![/quote] It seems to me that the younger generation is less comfortable being nude in the locker room or seeing others who are than the older members. Do you believe being shaved reverses this?ReactReply
- MEMemberFeb 16, 2025
Possibly. You think the younger generation being more woke would make a difference?And they wouldn't care as much, but I guess being shaved kind of levels the playing field, if that makes any sense?
ReactReply - TRTravelcruiserNCFeb 17, 2025
At my Y no one does the towel dance. We have a very few that will shower in shorts but then they will take them off at their locker to change clothes. The steam, sauna, and hot tub is mostly used naked.
ReactReply - TDTom DFeb 17, 2025[quote]Possibly. You think the younger generation being more woke would make a difference?And they wouldn't care as much, but I guess being shaved kind of levels the playing field, if that makes any sense?[/quote] I think that it is more that the older generation grew up in a culture where communal male nudity was common.ReactReply
- SP
SpaceCadet77Feb 17, 2025All of the YMCAs in my area seem to have very rigidly enforced rules against any sort of nudity in the locker rooms, changing areas, and definitely in the sauna (if they even have one). Both of the nearest Ys actually have posted signs stating "ANY STATE OF UNDRESS WHICH EXPOSES SKIN FROM WAIST TO KNEE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED AT ANY TIME AND WILL RESULT IN EXPULSION AND FORFEITURE OF MEMBERSHIP" There are also signs stating that a swim suit is required in the shower. These Ys only have individual shower stalls with curtains that are to be clipped with a hook-and-eye mechanism near the top and bottom of the shower curtain. There is only one YMCA, approximately 60 miles away, that has a sauna. I understand that they require shorts to be worn in the sauna which is only accessible during defined "adults only" hours.
I don't think this level of restrictions are because of "bad behavior", I think it's truly just a societal/cultural fear or prudishness. It's really sad that our larger community has gone to that extreme.
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