Watching the Spandex people

It always amazes me the people who go thru life without looking around them. I spend five to six hours a week at my gym trying to not become a middle aged blob. I sweat, I gasp for air, I make horrible faces while struggling with the weight machines and I watch the Spandex people.
If you've never spent much time at a gym or never paid attention while you were there then the Spandex people might have escaped you. These aren't regular folks, because no one can act normal while clad in workout gear, red in the face and sweating. Spandex people are a lot like nudists in their attitudes. You cannot be in a aerobics class looking at a line of bouncing rumps of all sexes knowing there's a line of people behind you watching your rump for an hour or more and keep your same body attitudes. Workout gear, even baggy sweats doesn't let you hide like regular clothes. If you're flabby, we know it, if you're toned, we know it.
I myself am a 40+ yr old rounded woman with more grey hair than brown these days. I can and have gotten onto eliptical machines beside nubile 19 yr old perky boobed blond with less than 2% body fat. One day I was surrounded by a cheerleading squad and their bevy of teenage male admirers. Before I became a true Spandex person I would have never been able to stand comfortably in their midst let alone been bouncing up and down in a sports bra and spandex shorts. I am now a true Spandex person.
It doesn't take wearing Spandex to be a Spandex person. One of the weight lifters I chat with regularly works out in cut off sweat pants held up with suspenders because he lost the string. It's not unusual at all to see him in the Ab class surrounded by a dozen ladies doing the routines along with them. They are all Spandex people and accept him with smiles every day.
Sadly there are so many people who can't see the Spandex way. They come in and try not to getting sweaty or look at the people who are. We call them fanners, because they so seldom put any effort into what they are do they are just moving a little air around. They roll their eyes at the fat lady struggling on the assisted chin machine, me, or the ancient old guy in equally ancient shorts on the rowing machine. He's 87 with perfect blood pressure, damn low cholestrol and he can still bench press 30lbs more than he weighs. He's my idol.
Some non Spandexers do really work out. One guy I call, Mr. Cologne, is ultra buff and really puts in the hours to keep himself up. He never talks to anyone, but is quick to flex if any females less than 20 and good enough looking cast an eye his way. Someday he will become like Toupee guy, well over 60, still trying to look hip for the very young ladies, but just as willing to show off to himself in the big mirrors. To me neither of them is good looking.
Good looking and ultra cute is the burly logger who once called out to his buddies, "Hey watch this!" Then squatted down to do a dead lift and completely ripped out the back of his shorts with his back end pointed at the full spinning class. He turned bright red, but instead of getting upset or just running he whipped off his shirt to cover his rear then did a pretty good strip tease imitation all the way to the locker room. He is a true Spandex person.