This is an odd post for me to write. All my life I have worn swim briefs and not given them a second thought. I am not a “bigger guy” and occasionally wear them and it’s not a big deal to me. It’s usually in a place that its friendly for all guys to wear them. Not just the muscle guy. And no one really cares either! However, I’m joining a gym and doing some lower impact exercising. This is due to feet issues that hopefully will be cured!
I initially thought of swimming. I love to swim and used to be on a masters team years ago. I sat down and was planning everything I need to get back into the pool. When the swim brief came up I was like NO. Being in a friendly place or pool is one thing in a gym, It didn’t send me into a panic but more dread. I started to look at Jammers. You know those bike short looking ones that Olympic swimmers wear. But, the highest they went up too is a 38-inch waist. Right now I’m a 42-inch waist and want to get down to a 36-inch waist. So I found Jeffrey Scott who makes custom Meggings and he will make me a jammer style suit.
I had to sit down and think why would I wear a swim brief at a “gay pool” or friends but not to a gym. I mean here I sit preaching guys should wear them and I”m bailing on the notion. It has a lot to do with body image. Which can be a bitch. We all have our issues with it. No matter if we are a bear or a bodybuilder. At times we aren’t happy. I am planning to make changes and live a better life. UNB has always been my “safe” place where I feel most comfortable. We are a group of amazing guys that span ages, sexual orientations, and races. We support each other and I have met some of the most amazing people from UNB.
This safe place for me doesn’t carry over to a gym. It’s a foreign territory to me. I haven’t worked out in over 10 years. The reason it’s not a safe place is I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s intimidating to just walk in and not know what to do and get into a routine. Once I am in it, I’m good. We have to start with what we are comfortable with and push the boundaries when getting comfortable. That is my plan.
My goal is to get back into a swim brief to swim laps. I prefer them swimming laps for exercise. Board shorts or regular shorts suck. I will keep you posted on my journey. I just needed a bit of therapy and share this with you guys. I try to be 100% honest with you guys. So know, even I have issues wearing a swim brief. How do you guys overcome body image issues?
9 Comments
I was on my high school swim team and I continue to swim for exercise. Only thing I have ever worn is a swim brief, except on days the coach would make us wear drag such as board shorts. Almost every guy at the pool I go to wears a swim brief during lap swim.
Just do it. You’re over thinking this way too much. The day you show up in briefs guess what? The sky will not fall, the earth will continue to turn, and while a few people will notice, they will look and then go back to whatever they were talking about before. Life is short, please yourself. You sound like a reasonable person who knows time and place limits so with that in mind, put on a speedo style or water polo suit and feel good.
I do a fair bit of swimming and workouts in the gym. My gym is not stuffy about what we wear so I always wear my swim briefs which have half inch sides and a tie cord to ensure that they stay in place. I always wear tiny swim briefs as daily underwear. These are comfortable to wear and look good in lycra with very bright colours. In my case swim briefs are ever practical as I have not got a right leg and my hip is under developed. With nothing on that side these mini briefs are totally practical. I have been an amputee for many years and use crutches full time. I am confident in how I look so for those with both legs, give them a try.
The gym I go to stays open all night so if i go, I use the pool in a thong if I’m alone or I will ask anyone else there if they mind (only once has anyone said they did so I keep my brief on.) I have used floor equipment at other times while wearing a swim brief and a t-shirt as not to make a big deal about the brief.
Now I know I am not on my own in wearing very small swimming trunks for the gym, the pool and as daily underwear. I have always worn briefs and since the age of nine, I have used very skimpy swim briefs and thongs, never with more than 1 inch sides lycra material and always with drawstrings, Colourful, comfortable and totally necessary plus the practical consideration that like you Jason I am an amputee, no left leg, no stump and a very high amputation from my hip bone. Baggy shorts for me look and feel ridiculous. Since I spend a lot of time at my parents home in Benidorm, I tend to go out and about in tee shirt and swim briefs. Many teenagers dress this way during the summer so I am not unusual. True I am in a minority as having only one leg but I had no choice in this. My briefs are certainly very tight and micro but decent and the looks I get no longer trouble me as they once did. I enjoy being comfortable and go with friends to the beach, gym etc. The lads mostly wear briefs all the time so I fit in naturally. Ok, only one leg (I have never had a false leg) and I have to rely on my crutches totally but I can get about very successfully and the curious can please themselves. Teenager with one leg, crutches and micro briefs!!!!!! Disability be blowed and nice briefs. On we go.
I recently joined a gym to specifically use it for swimming. The first few times I wore a jammer as all the other guys were in similar or baggy trunks. One day a guy walks out of the locker room into the pool area in a black speedo brief. The next week I decided I would take the plunge and wear a brief. I sat down on the pool deck and discretely removed my shorts and slid into the pool in a brief. As time has passed I have walked straight from the locker room to the pool in a brief. Today I wore a speedo solar 1” brief. The freedom in the pool is amazing. Once you do it, it becomes easier.
For me it has been an incremental thing. I started with board shorts, showed up at several different times and days of the week. Once I got a bit braver I moved to a shorter swim short then jammers with a black base and wide color pattern stripe. So far I am the only male in something form fitting, except for once, someone else in a flat black jammer. It definitely is a bit of a peer-norming thing. If I saw other guys in tight swimwear it would make things a lot easier. Being a bit larger and older makes it definitely more of a social pressure thing.
Having worn swim briefs all of my life I just find it the natural way to swim ,sunbathe, workout or just chill and pose.
I have only ever worn Speedo style swimwear , it is the only sensible swimwear for swimming and sunbathing.Because of the style of them I am more encouraged to work out and keep fit so that I can look good in my speedos at the beach and pool. I am 69 and still get compliments from both sexes on how I look in them.