Column Overheard ...
At the Gym: Issue #20

Ever hear something horrible and/or hilarious at the gym? Send your submissions to OverheardSP at gmail. Or submit for future editions about games.

There is an older guy at my gym, I would guess early 50s or so, who is often using the treadmill at the same time I am. Lots of people hold a bottle of water or Gatorade or their cell phone or iPod when they're running, but this guy holds — and eats — a candy bar. Usually Snickers.

I'm not the kind of person to normally butt into someone else's business, but he was running one machine over from me yesterday and I couldn't help myself: "Having a snack?" I said. "My doctor said I needed to exercise and improve my diet," he said huffing along between bites. "I figured I could only realistically do one."

- Karen

My gym is in part of town with a great, diverse mix of people. I don't really know the exact term for this person at my gym — transgender, transexual, or transvestite — but it's a person who was born with male genitals and now dresses as a woman. He uses the women's locker room to get changed. The few times I've seen him in there, he always wears a sort of tight, wrapped underwear to conceal his bulge. It almost looks like Ace bandage underwear. Recently an older woman saw him in there and, not realizing he was actually a man, pointed at his crotch and said: "Ouch. Groin pull, huh?" He responded: "Something like that." I love my gym.

- Gina

I recently went out on a date with a guy from my gym and we hooked up after at his place. I used his shower and noticed that the towel on the towel bar was from our gym. I opened up his bathroom closet and there were a couple dozen more gym towels in there. Yes, he stocked his apartment bathroom with stolen gym towels. I didn't see him anymore after that.

- Sharon

A guy at my gym asked me to spot him on the bench. I had 250 pounds on the bar. He situated himself underneath on the bench and said: "Okay, lift it off." I said: "What?" He said: "Lift it off, man. I'm ready." Confused, I said: "I think you're supposed to do that. I'm just supposed to, you know, help if you need it." He sat up and said: "Never mind. I'll just get someone else." I walked away and then saw the exact same scenario play out with someone else. The guy ended up doing chest work on a machine, looking very pissed.

- Matt

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Send your "Overheard At The Game" or "Overheard At The Gym" stories to OverheardSP at gmail.