Germans at the Gym


I assumed that Germans would wear essentially the same thing to the gym as Americans, so I was surprised when friends kept asking, “what do they wear to the gym?” My pithy response is either “Lederhosen!” or “Jackboots and a helmet with a spike on it.”

A more accurate answer for women would be, “The same thing they wore yesterday.” Since I tend to workout at the same time everyday (around 7pm), I see the “regulars” almost everyday. And the women almost always wear the exact same outfit every time I see them. Either that or they have several pairs of identical pants. I don’t know if they wash obsessively, or if they’re funky, but I’m not sure I want to know. The typical outfit is a lycra top to show some belly (nothing wrong with that) and biker shorts or equally tight workout pants. Sometimes they vary this by wearing a light jacket or a polo shirt over the ensemble. That classes it up, let me tell you.

As for the men, let’s just say Charlie Gaddy circa 2000 would fit right in. Running tights or biker shorts with nothing covering them? Why not? The boldest fashion statement is the regular who wears what appear to be hot pants to run. Imagine the John Stockton's shorts from his NBA career, but shorter, skintight and made of lycra. I'll leave you with that mental picture.