A few weeks ago, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson posted yet another sweat-drenched, muscle-crushing leg workout video—but I noticed something important when I reviewed the tape to write a story to highlight the routine.
That he shared the workout footage was not in itself remarkable. Johnson’s various Iron Paradise gyms are his favorite spot to talk to his fans, and he’s always happy to share his progress as he pumps up for whatever super-swole role he’s shooting at the time. The important feature of this particular video was his outfit. Johnson was wearing leggings without a pair of shorts on top—a move that many men, for whatever reason, are too meek to make.
This look highlighted Johnson’s willingness to spurn conventions in favor of comfort and performance—none other than JJ Watt called the look a “bold move” in the comments section. I’ve discussed the leggings dilemma at length, advocating for guys who want to feel free and unencumbered to ditch the shorts when they hit the gym. But we missed one important factor of this particular post in our coverage, which, as it turns out, was part of a larger trend: the dick towel.
As Jezebel‘s Tracy Clark-Flory notes in a deep-dive investigation, Johnson had a hand towel draped over his crotchal region, ostensibly to cover the bulge that so many men are sensitive to showing in public. “Once I noticed this accouterment, I couldn’t stop noticing it in the many pictures that followed,” she writes. “Are dick towels a thing? If so, why? Whence? Wherefore?”
This is a good and smart question. Originally, I did note that the towel is a solution for dudes who want to feel less exposed in our original coverage—but is that really why Johnson was using it? To cover his own Johnson?
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Thankfully, after the publication of the investigation, the big man himself weighed in.
Hi Tracy, I keep my towel there regardless of what kind of workout pants/shorts I’m wearing because Im always sweating and I’m constantly wiping them and reapplying chalk to my hands. But “dick towel” is my new favorite term that I will break out on date nights 😂🥃🥃
Turns out, Johnson says he’s a heavy sweater and needs a towel to wipe the grime off his hands mid-workout. Since we’ve seen photos of him sans towel and he doesn’t seem to be too apprehensive about sharing his Herculean body, he’s probably not putting up a front.
Other guys who try to pull off the look might not have the same excuse, so they should take a look at themselves in the mirror and ask why they feel like the world can’t handle a little bulge. If you can’t come up with a good answer for yourself, ditch the ditch towel too next time you hit the gym. Take The Rock’s advice and save it for date night instead.
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