This Page - Gay Christian, Gay Christians, Lesbian Christians athletic health articles on using the gym, your locker, etiquette, and more. WEBSITE CONTENTS Search by word, phrase, or topic within this Website. GAY CHRISTIAN ONLINE INDEX (Home) CONTACT ME (E-Mail Me) WELCOME (Website Background) INTRODUCTION (Website Purpose) WEBSITE EXCERPTS (Overview of the Website) A PAGE FOR STRAIGHT PEOPLE (How to Understand Gays and Lesbians, and Gay Christians.) THE CAUSE OF HOMOSEXUALITY (What Makes Someone Gay or Lesbian; Theories and Causes Explored; The Real Cause Finally Revealed) THE "SPOT THE GAY" GAME (How to Tell If "Someone" Is Gay or Lesbian - Game One; How to Tell If "You" Are Gay or Lesbian - Game Two) MY AUTO- BIOGRAPHY (Youth, Marriage And Religious Service, Name Change, Coming Out, Current Life, And Monthly Updates) HOW TO BE A GAY CHRISTIAN (Despite What You've Been Told) TRUE VERSES FALSE CHRISTIANITY (True Spirituality) GOOD NEWS (SCRIPTURES FOR THE GAY CHRISTIAN) (Helpful Scriptures For Life) HOW TO BE GAY! GAY CHRISTIAN SELF-ESTEEM (Build Healthy Self-Esteem: Adult Development, Sources And Effects Of Dysfunction, False Guilt And Shame, Misinformation About Homosexuality, Coping Skills, Destructive Behaviors, Sexual Compulsion, Relationship Development, Coming Out, Inner-Healing, Self-Love, Self-Image, Self-Actualization, Christian Principles For Life, etc.) OPEN LETTERS (Common Letters And Replies: What Is Gay, Understanding Scripture, Gay Stereotypes, Is Change Possible, Coming Out, My Spouse Is Gay, Battered Spouse, Sex, Relationship, Masturbation, Pornography, Finding A Church, Afraid Of Rejection, Being Found Out, Does God Reject Me, My Parent Is Gay, A Spouse Leaves, Church Problems, Ben You’re Cute, etc.) LIVING THE GAY CHRISTIAN LIFE (Salvation, Baptism, Sanctification, Holiness, Sin, Forgiveness, Communion, Sacraments, Prayer, Fasting, Scripture Study, Giving, Witnessing, Serving, Ethics, Dating & Relationships, Sexual Ethics, Following Jesus - The Challenges and Responsibilities of Relationship, etc.) GAY CHRISTIAN RELATIONSHIPS (Gay And Married, Gay Dating And Relationships, Friends, Choosing A Church, Being Christian In The Gay World, Following Jesus - The Challenges and Responsibilities of Relationship, etc.) COMING OUT AS A GAY OR LESBIAN CHRISTIAN (Defining Sexual Orientation, Misinformation About Sexual Orientation, The Consequences of Living in the Closet, Who You Are and Can Be, Coming Out Internally, Before Coming Out Externally, Coming Out Externally, Beyond Coming Out, etc.) SAME-SEX MARRIAGE CEREMONY (Traditional Marriage Ceremony for Catholic or Protestant Christians; Format, Suggested Music, Scriptures, Text, etc.) GAY CHRISTIAN ATHLETICS (Pass Gym Class: Diet, Supplements, Sleep, Sex, Body Care, Clothes, The Gym, The LockerRoom, Etiquette, Exercise Plans) REFERENCED AND RECOMMENDED BOOKS (Gay & Lesbian, Christianity, Coming Out, Relationships, Marriage, Parenting, Youth, Psychology, Health, Humor, etc.) OTHER INTERNET LINKS (Gay & Lesbian, Christianity, Resources, Coming Out, Marriage, Psychology, Parenting, Youth, Health, Relationships, etc.) MY MUSIC (Music Composed and Published) MY POETRY (Yes, Most Are Romantic) THANK YOU (Thank You For Being Here) SUPPORT THIS WEBSITE (Contact Me, Or Donate Online) HOW TO GET THESE ARTICLES (You may receive articles by donation, which can be either mailed to you, or the article file saved to your computer; multiple copies available, too.) Copyright 2012-1997. All Rights Reserved. BBCB. USA. Website Featured On... Cable News Network British Broadcasting Corporation Graphics & Music Used Are Believed Public Domain Unless Otherwise Noted. Some Graphics Courtesy Of... This page hosted by...

Gay Christian Online Michelangelo "Ignudo" Sistine Chapel MY ATHLETIC LIFE Personal Progress Report MY ATHLETIC LIFE History BODY CARE Body Composition, Diet BODY CARE Fluids, Protein, Carbohydrates, Fat BODY CARE Fiber, Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements, Sleep, Sex USING THE GYM Etiquette USING THE GYM Your Locker, Gym Etiquette YOUR WORK OUT Tips: Form, Breathe, Repetitions/Sets, Breaks YOUR WORK OUT Tips: Warm Up, Cardio-Exercises BODY CARE Drugs, Piercings, Tattoos, Skin Care, Eyes, Nose, Eyebrows, Ears, Lips BODY CARE Body Hair, Shaving, Scalp, Hair, Bathing, Nails, Feet, Hands, Teeth, Breath BODY CARE Clothes, Hats, Shoes, Gym Clothes CHOOSING A GYM Costs, Location, What Is Offered, etc. EXERCISES Chest, Back EXERCISES Shoulders, Arms EXERCISES Arms, Forearms, Legs, Butt EXERCISES Legs, Butt, Stomach; Exercise Plans From Beginner to Advanced BEST OF ATHLETIC AND OTHER PICTURES Collection of Pictures From These Pages ON TO PAGE ELEVEN BACK TO PAGE NINE END OF THIS PAGE HOME firmly believe we are triune, just like God. God is Father, Son, and Spirit. We are Spirit, Soul, and Body. We often devote our lives to our soul and body, forgetting the spirit. But, those of us who are Gay or Lesbian Christians, we sometimes forget the body, too. All three must be in balance. So, make sure your body is as healthy as your spirit and your soul. eople write me now and then and complain about "certain pictures" on the website, pictures of people, and pictures of ME "supposedly" unclothed. They think it is not Christian, or sinful, and I have a problem. I remind them WHY these pictures appear. The photographs used here relate to the topic discussed, to show the muscle groups involved, or to show athletic development. People see what they see; I sometimes believe their objections actually reveal their true hearts. So, I remind you, too, to have a proper and healthy perspective on art and photography, for rarely are they the problem; instead, the problem lies in the heart of the viewer. DID YOU HONESTLY ARRIVE AT THIS WEBSITE PAGE AFTER DOING AN INTERNET SEARCH TO SEE PEOPLE UNCLOTHED? IF SO, THAT IS NOT THE PURPOSE OF THIS WEBSITE, NOR THIS ARTICLE... However, Welcome Anyway... I hope you will learn from this article. Thanks, Ben HOME began by dragging all my gear back and forth, with my change of clothing every day, putting it in a locker, and then hauling it all back home. That lasted a month. Then I rented a locker. Some Gyms let you use your own locks; others provide them. I slowly began to fill my locker with all my toiletries and a small hair dryer. Although most Gyms provide body and hair soap shampoos in the showers, I bring my own from home, in travel size, so my body is used to the same things. Always lock your locker! Do not lose your things to theft. Unlike these guys, I'm not very good at keeping a towel tied around my waist. Everytime I try, it falls off. So, I bought a Velcro shower-wrap that I wear to and from the shower, in the sauna, etc. It's kept in my locker, along with my shower shoes, swimsuit, weight-lifting gloves, radio/headphones set, hair dryer and toiletries. Now the only gear I haul to the Gym is the clothes I plan to wear to work, and when I leave I take home the work out clothes I wore that day. Locker room changing areas can be small, cramped. Give room so other people can change clothes, lay out their gear, etc. Keep the area around your locker clean and neat; do not be a "locker room pig," and that applies to the ladies, too. Learn how to get dressed and undressed in a small space. Do this even on days the locker room is not crowded. and chat with me about a gym locker. HOME Etiquette in the Gym Work Out Areas, Locker Rooms, Showers, Saunas, Hot Tubs, etc. s a Gay Christian in a gym, seeing someone unclothed is a part of gym life. You are in an environment devoted to the human body, health, and fitness. More than likely you will see and be around unclothed people of the same gender. You may accidentally see someone with no clothes on who is of the opposite gender. A woman may accidentally expose a breast while lifting weights. You may walk by a guy on the floor doing his stomach exercises, and noticed he had an erection. You may see a guy wearing shorts lying on a bench, accidentally see up the leg, and notice he is wearing nothing underneath. Oops. Some gyms have group showers. So, you are obviously going to see unclothed people. Other gyms have individual showers. Thus, there may be fewer occasions when you may see someone undressed. Either way, whether group or individual showers, you will have to learn how to get used to it, respect other people, and keep your thoughts in their proper place. One of my Gym's women employees thought the men's locker room was empty, went in to retrieve wet towels, and saw me stepping out of the shower totally bare. My locker is right inside the men's locker room door, so people in the hot tub room across the hall may see me while dressing or undressing. In the locker room, two unclothed women may be standing around having a discussion about bench pressing techniques. No matter how well you wrap a towel around your waist, it may fall off while walking around. In proper context, none of these things have to be embarrassing, nor be viewed as something sexual. I was never unclothed around anyone until I was suddenly thrust into Gym class with forty other guys in school. It was just expected, considered normal. But, now I’ve discovered my son doesn’t have to take a shower in Gym class anymore. How long that’s been a policy I don’t know, but if for several years, then we have a whole generation of men and women who are not used to being unclothed around each other. I notice more and more men who are "pee shy," they avoid urinals all together, and head straight for the stalls. I also see men shy about changing clothes or being completely bare in front of other men; they wrap a towel around their waist, then take off their underwear and head to the showers. It seems men are not as comfortable being unclothed around each other as they used to be. Is this due to gay men? Are straight men uncomfortable being completely bare around other men who might be gay? Possibly. For whatever reasons, not many men are undressed in locker rooms anymore. Neither are women. In most Gyms, more women no longer use the women's locker rooms at all; they just work out, then leave for home to shower and change clothes. But, there are some people who are a little bit too comfortable being completely unclothed. In my gym's locker room, we have several sinks and mirrors, where men can shave, comb their hair, and brush their teeth, etc. Most men use them while either clothed, or wrapped in a towel. But, there is one man who stands there using the sink to shave, dry his hair, etc. the whole time totally care. Try to be undressed only when you need to be bare. It is not uncommon for men to get an erection while working out, or in the locker room. It has nothing to do with sexual arousal. The rubbing friction from gym clothes while riding a stationary bicycle, lifting weights, soaping and drying off in the shower can cause this. It has happened to me, and I have seen it happen to other men, too. It is normal; so do not be embarrassed. If you see it, do not assume nor read into it what may not be the case. Be respectful. Do not confuse friendship touching with sexual orientation. Men, more than women, sometimes assume physical touch means something sexual. It may just mean friendship and support in sports and athletic goals. Do not stare, either. I see people staring at good-looking athletes in the locker room, even in the weight or exercise rooms. It is rude. You can admire someone, be inspired by someone, even compliment someone, but do not stare. I have had conversations in the hot tub, and locker room while undressed with other undressed men; focus on the conversation, nothing more. How the Gym physical lay out is set up will determine the degree of viewing people unclothed, too. The Gym my partner joined has separate men and women locker rooms, with their own whirlpools, saunas, and steam rooms. So, people use those areas completely bare. Some Gyms have "common showers," one large room with multiple showerheads; so, to actually shower means being totally bare in front of others. The Gym I use has mixed gender shared whirlpools, saunas, and steam rooms; so, you have to either wear a towel or swimwear to use them. Also, the showers are individual, with shower curtains. So, people in my Gym are completely undressed only briefly, while dressing, or drying off. Some gym locker rooms, exercise areas, saunas, hot tubs, and whirlpools are mixed gender (male and female), others are same sex (male only or female only). Know your gym rules before you enter, and dress appropriately for the culture or background of other gym patrons; not everyone may want to see more of you than needed or desired. Even if you are in an area alone, or even if the area is same gender only, that does not mean you may or should be undressed. While in these areas, you should not assume other patrons are gay or lesbian, interested in you, see you as anything other than another gym patron; neither should you be using the gym's facilities just to socialize, find a date or lover (if you make a friend or end up on a date, let it be a happy accident). Respect the privacy of other patrons; some do not want to chat or socialize while working out, or using these areas. For example, my gym's sauna is mixed gender. I might be able to wear my towel loose or open, if I am alone or with other men who do not object. But, I should never sit completely without the towel, in case a woman were to walk in... unless she didn't object, HaHa. Have the right attitude, and use the gym's facilities correctly. You are here for your health; friendship and dating is secondary, and you should show responsible behavior while in the locker room, exercise areas, sauna, hot tub, or whirlpool. The funniest thing about my Gym is the whirlpool area, shared by men and women. You can sit in the whirlpool and see halfway into the men’s locker room, but not into the women's locker room. So, the men bunch up at the hidden end of the locker room, leaving empty the benches and lockers visible from the door. After several months of trying to dress in the crowded area, I decided to be brave and proud, and moved to a locker visible from the door. The women in the whirlpool can look all they want. All the men think I am very brave. I can understand how being unclothed in a gym can be difficult for someone who is gay or lesbian; perhaps, more difficult for gay men, since men in general may be more visually stimulated than women (someone who is straight is not able to change clothes in the locker room of people of the opposite sex). So, here you are, in a gym, wanting to work out, develop your body, and all around you are very good looking bodies, often parading completely bare in front of you, of the same gender. It is important to remember, unless you are in an actual gay (or lesbian) gym, the majority of people in the gym and locker rooms are straight, heterosexual, not gay or lesbian, homosexual. People tell me stories similar to yours, wondering if it means something. In most all cases, it does not. Whatever being undressed happens, whatever supposedly sexual things happen, they should not be misunderstood or misconstrued. This confusion is similar, in many respects, to experiences of gay male adolescence. Some adolescent teenage young men sometimes briefly "play" with each other, part of learning about themselves, their bodies, and each other. They quickly move on to developing friendships and dating the opposite sex. What about the gay teenager, who took part in the same activity? He may confuse what happened with love, thinking the person was actually interested in him, wanting to date him, etc. So, it is important to keep things in perspective, not read into the event more than it really is. "Horseplay" may sometimes occur in the locker room or gym. Horseplay might be slapping someone on the butt, fake wrestling, sexual teasings, snapping someone with a towel, pulling away a towel or pulling down underwear to reveal the body, etc. These are not "signals" of interest or sexual arousal, nor are they sexually motivated nor implied. They often are intended to denote friendship, acceptance, part of the group. They generally are harmless; however, if they make you feel uncomfortable, such activities are unwelcome to you, you have the right to speak up, make your feelings known, and ask others to respect your wishes and personal space. European, Australians, South Americans, and African gays and lesbians find this whole topic amusing; for them, culturally, being undressed is not unusual, nor a problem. They often share the same bathrooms and dressing areas, families are bare at the beach, and shampoo and soap television commercials or advertisements show the whole unclothed body. They are able to view the bare body for its artistic beauty, health, and vitality separate from anything sexual or sexually stimulating. North Americans, Asians, and Middle Easterners have more difficulty doing this, culturally are not exposed to very much complete body viewing, see being unclothed as sexual or something taboo. Each of the pictures used in my website were chosen specifically to emphasize the points discussed, religious classical art, or as an example of some health or physical work out activity. Yet, people write me complaining about some pictures, or they write and ask me if I will send them a picture because they think the person in the picture is "hot." What you read or see in these pictures, or your gym and locker room is your choice. You should be able to make the right responsible choice and recognize where you are, why you and others are in the gym and locker room, and keep things in perspective. If you cannot, then you might need to do some rethinking about your values and ethics, and maybe some dysfunctions or hang-ups you have acquired. Admire and honor what you see, be respectful of others, who they are, and why they are at the gym, too. Learn to be able to view an unclothed body, wherever you see it, within its implied perspective; whether it be sexual or not, be responsible in your reactions. and chat with me about gym etiquette. See Also: Books: Athletic, Health, Medical. Remember, you are a Gay Christian. So, guys try to keep your thoughts above the waist; or, above the neck for you ladies, HaHa. et's continue with actual work out tips, form, breathe, repetitions/sets, breaks... Copyright 2012-2002. BBCB. All Rights Reserved. USA. Number of People Who Have Visited This Page DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ THIS, BUT WANT TO? You may receive articles from Gay Christian Online by donation through PayPal. Articles may either be mailed to you, or the article file saved to your computer; multiple copies available, too. To receive an article, Click Here... How To Get An Article HELP SUPPORT THIS WEBSITE If this Website has blessed you, please consider supporting it. You may donate instantly using PayPal online payment service. 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