Don't Eat and Shit At Favorite Gym

A close friend of mine once told me not to eat and shit at one's workplace. For those who have no idea what I'm referring to, it means that one simply does not date your colleagues or even engage in any extracurricular activities with said c's or affiliated people from work. Mixing your work life and personal life will be hell.

So, I've been following this piece of advise faithfully. Considering the fact that I used to be a part-time tutor and wine consultant and my only options are either the divorced dads of my students or the sleazebags at the wine shops, I don't really have much difficulty resisting them.

However, what's the golden rule when it comes to your favorite workout spot?

I loved my gym ever since I joined it a few months back and discovered that it is a gym where one actually has the option of working out in your raggediest- looking clothes and no one will judge you or throw you a dirty/sympathetic look if you can't complete a 100 push ups at a go. (Have you ever seen the people at Fitness First, Orchard? They looked like they only ever owned Stella McCartney's workout clothes.) But that's not the point here.

The point is, there are a lot of hot guys with toned and absolutely lust-worthy bodies at my gym. And they are very generous with dispensing tips on toning various parts of your body- the calf, biceps, forearms, back muscles.. Some will offer to discuss the pros and cons of certain exercises over dinner and more than one had offered to pace me while jogging outdoors. (I politely declined with the excuse that I loved running alone without distractions but the comeback was that he'll pace me by running behind me instead.???)

I need to state now that I don't discriminate against hooking up at the gym.

I've heard a lot about people meeting their soul mates at the gym. They totally bonded over the leg flexing machines and the water cooler talking about the size of their calf muscles.

Oh heck it. What the hell am I doing still talking about this and not doing anything about it? The people at the gym are just HOT. Am I mad to say no?

But after much pondering and consideration (and even soul-searching within my shallow self), I figured it's just not worth it. Isn't it going to be extremely awkward to bump into him if it doesn't work out after all? It helps if they decide to void their membership at said gym after a few bad dates but what about the trainer there? (Yes, he was one of the two to offer to 'pace' me.) He is certainly going to be a fixture there.

And I'm not going to refund my membership!!
I know I'll be totally self- conscious around them later.
And I can't afford to be distracted by previous bad dates when I'm pushing weights/ running on the treadmill!

So, as hot as he is and as impressed as I am with his martial arts training (Aikido, Thai boxing, Taekwondo and Karate), I'm going to have to decline. I still favored being able to dress in my $2 T-shirt and FBT shorts at a gem of a gym over the hot dudes.