Why do guys walk around the locker room naked (responsibility, men, adult)

[elnina]

What about sauna? People sit naked there...
Some gym have pool and/or sauna facility. Often people sit in a sauna, then take a shower and go to the pool.
They leave the sauna and go to take shower - naked, then put on swimming shorts or whatever.
Geez... what's wrong with being naked??

[ogre]

This thread makes me realize that it's been some years since I last worked out at a gym. At that time it still seemed to be the norm for guys to move through the locker room naked as they walked to and from the communal shower. It calls my attention to the time that has passed since I last went to a gym, if there has been this big change so that this is now a big deal.

Originally Posted by jgn2013

Back in the day, boys typically got naked in the locker room after P.E. or other physical activity so that they could take showers and clean up. That didn't generally happen in my school unless you played a varsity sport that had morning practices.

Consequently, I think most younger men aren't accustomed to being around a bunch of naked men. Older men grew up this way, so it's normal for them. They're used to a more communal environment.

Jgn2013 explains this well. I think it's totally a generational thing. Since it used to be commonplace for boys to be naked in the locker room while changing and showering, men past a certain age are accustomed to this, so they view it as normal and are comfortable in this situation.

Of course I'm talking about just changing, showering, and getting out. I'm kind of wondering whether there really are these guys who just walk circles around the locker room, naked, for a couple of hours at a time, but if there's really any truth to that, then that's very, very odd.

Originally Posted by 2nd trick op

The practice of nude swimming began to die out in the late Sixties and was practically extinct by 1980. High-school showers lasted only a few years longer. Immigrant students from nations where a greater ethic of modesty was the rule were one factor, but I also suspect that the rapidly-growing number f boys raised in single-parent homes under Momma's standards was a major influence.

Originally Posted by villageidiot1

\It is different today. I've subbed in 5 different school districts for P.E. and I coach basketball. Kids do not take showers after gym class and rarely take showers after basketball games. In the 1960s and 70s, basketball teams wore sports jackets and ties to games, now they travel to away games in warmups

These are a couple of examples out of several posts about just not showering after a workout. I often sweat quite a bit when I work out. I would feel uncomfortable going through the rest of my day in sweaty clothes if I didn't shower after a workout, and others might find it kind of unpleasant to be in my presence. Being that I grew up when it was the norm for guys to be naked in each other's presence while they changed and showered in the locker room, I find it kind of prudish to go so far, with this new modesty that has apparently taken hold, so that you'd rather go around sweaty after a workout than be naked in front of other guys for the time it took to get clean. Again, apparently that's a generational thing.

Originally Posted by ChuteTheMall

Outside of a specific nudist facility, naked gentlemen wrap a towel around.

One example out of several posts about wearing a towel. Being a product of that past era, I've never seen the problem with walking to and from the shower naked. One thing's for sure, even with the new standards, I wouldn't want to wear a towel to the shower and then dry off afterward with the same towel that had gotten sweaty while I had it wrapped around myself before I'd showered. If people really get so upset about this these days, well maybe if there were plenty of hooks to hang towels from, I could see wearing one towel to the shower and taking another for drying off afterward.

Still, if I started working out at a gym again, having people get squeamish about guys being naked in the locker room while they just changed and showered, well, that attitude would take some getting used to. As I said above, being that I'm a product of that past era, to me it actually seems a bit prudish for guys to get upset about that.

[ciceropolo]

This thread's theme song.... inspired by Oh-Eve and Tourian's comments


Let It All Hang Out - The Hombres 1967 - YouTube

I agree with this being more a cultural generational thing, combined with the tendency for men as they age to become less concerned about what others think of them, thus they act that way. Now, spending an extraordinary amount of time in nude state wandering the locker room is strange, but I don't hang around locker rooms so I can't speak to trying to understand this behavior.

As a slow physically maturing youth I'd be first in first out as often as I could. Men's locker room at school was communal showers, never had a problem with it - you'd just go in clean yourself and go. There was little time to shower, dry, dress and go to another class.

I did note that those who tended to linger in nude state while being loud and boisterous (in school) tended to be the (early physical maturation rate) athletes, who liked to show off their physical prowess. So, I surmise there was something going on in regards to ego self image boosting and possibly posturing to show physical dominance over others. Rahm Emanuel's infamous shower intimidation bullying tactics on NY Congressman Eric Massa also comes to mind.

As an adult when I've been in locker rooms I still do same. I do my thing get in get out. I don't have any desire to hang out in locker rooms, as they usually smell bad. I don't have problem with being naked around other men as needed, but I'm only there to do my business of showering, cleaning, drying, changing - it is not a preferred location for discussing things.

I gather this is mostly a generational / cultural thing combined with the nature of men's public restrooms from youth due to having urinals and stalls. I.e. men acculturate from boyhood to being visible to peers while using the facilities (and talking in a more exposed environment), while women are not as they all have stalls for doing their *business*. I think this is one of the subtle differences that leads - over time - to the dynamic of how the genders associate in locker rooms. Not pretending to know how all women are in locker rooms, but it would seem to carry over to a more general sense of respecting privacy / modesty versus that which the OP seems to connote occurs in the male locker room environment.

[Yakscsd]

Originally Posted by jay5835

Worthless without pictures.

This is a family forum and I took great care to keep it PG. Not only would that be taken down as soon as I put it up, but it would be creepy to know guys like you were using my picture for God knows what.

Originally Posted by HansProof

Much like a 9yo boy to a man? You do realize the most tell tail sign of a pedophile is the urge to dominate other's especially while naked? I'm comfortable being naked and I have nothing to hide. I'm not the biggest nor smallest. Like most normal men, I go about my business in the locker room not being ashamed of being naked but also being considerate. The urge to dominate while naked has deeper roots. Many kid-touchers like the control they now feel, control they didn't have while being dominated when they were younger.

That's a pretty offensive comment, frankly I think the comment should be deleted as alledging someone is a pedophile is a serious issue. As to the content, your ignorance of traits and "signs" is laughable. Sometimes its better to not try and say something when you kn ow nothing. The fact that I get a laugh out of men who squirm because they are uncomfortable is just funny. You say you are well adjusted, and that's great. But so many men aren't. The looks and responses are classic, but that's where it ends. Only your twisted mind took it beyond.

[elnina]

I think this thread has nothing to do with Fitness/Exercise anymore. Will be moved to Psychology Forum.

[hunterseat]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

I'm pretty certain some guys get off on it ...

^ this (where's the little barfing smiley?)

[Tall Traveler]

Yeah it's invariably older obese men that hang around and b.s. while naked. I'm not sure why they do this. I don't enjoy it and wish they would cover up.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by mbuszu

It's cultural for the older generation of men; they don't have the hangups that the younger generation has.

Exactly. Not sure how and when it changed.

[Rickawd]

Regarding the comment from Tall Traveler on obese men in the locker room, I would just like to say that the skimpy towels that they offer don't come near to being sufficient to wrap around me, I am not ashamed of being large, and the writer needs to examine his reasons for such a strong hostile reaction to body types that he does not find to be aesthetically pleasing.

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

Exactly. What I think is weird is how "private" younger guys are. Why so so uneasy about being seen naked? The gyms I have been in (including pools) have one big shower with many shower heads instead of private stalls.

It probably comes from them being raised by women instead of men. I remember being surprised that the girl's locker room at my high school had private showers. Women have a really screwed up body image.