By Jean Jitomir
No matter how dedicated you are to your workouts, there are clear benefits to dating fellow gym-rats. A regular exerciser respects herself enough to take care of her body and well-being, she will have a more toned body and be on a constant endorphin high—what’s not to love? When a fit gym chick catches your eye, avoid these five approaches, unless of course you enjoy looking like an ass.
5. Giving an off-beat compliment that may be taken the wrong way
e.g.
“Dude, her arms are bigger than yours!”
You’ve embarrassed your friend and have not scored any points with the lady of interest—don’t go there.
4. Interrupting the exercise itself in any way
Clearly, you should not interrupt anyone in the middle of a set; your approach will not be welcomed. If you want to talk to her before the workout is done, at least wait until the set is over. Better yet, catch her at the drinking fountain.
DO NOT under any circumstances trap a woman on a piece of cardio equipment. For those of us who take our cardio seriously, it is not fluff time where conversations are welcome. Furthermore, she will not appreciate that you have taken advantage of her immobile position.
3. Unsolicited advice
If she wanted to know, she would have asked. Further, you never know if the woman is highly educated in exercise and is doing a modified version of the exercise for a reason. A woman will not be grateful for your bestowing of expertise. Unless your approach is purely motivated by safety concerns, leave the instruction to the trainers.
2. Saying anything sexual, lewd or otherwise in poor taste
Pet names, sexual jokes, and blatant advances will only work for one kind of encounter. You are far more likely to piss a woman off than take her breath away. Rewire the connection running from your package to your mouth through your brain; you’ll have more success.
1. Touching of any kind
I once had a man come up to me in the middle of some cable bicep curls, grab my muscle, and make some inane comment. It was the worst gym advance of all time and also violated points 5, 4 and 2. It was a total bust. He made an impression, but only because I fantasized about ending his life for the following 2-3 hours.
Try this Instead
So what’s a poor love-struck gym fellow to do?
1. Stretching Mat
As long as she is not is the middle of an ab set, an introduction or well-timed joke on the stretching mat is a good way to initiate conversation. If she noticed you at all, has the time to chat, and is not exceedingly reserved, she will engage you.
2. Group Exercise Class
Men stand out in group exercise classes. If your lady of interest is taking one, join in if you can stomach it. You will have more ground to stand on, since 1) She has already noticed you; and 2) You have a common interest, sort of ;-)
3. Ask for a spot
Not on a squat! If the weight is not too heavy, asking for a spot is an excellent way to initiate contact. She must be standing kind of close to you already, however. It is not cool to trek halfway across the gym past 50 other qualified people. Even if it’s a somewhat transparent approach, your request must appear reasonable and not be inconvenient given her workout.
If she is lifting heavy without help, offering a spot is fine too.
4. Give a genuine and well-timed compliment or, if you are funny, deliver a good joke.
The best compliment you can give will be exercise or performance-based. However, it should not be an improvement you’ve noticed over time. For instance, “great lift” after a max attempt is a perfect compliment. On the other hand,