1. Answer: c. “Unless you are really funny and drop a pickup line in an ironic way, skip it,” says Andrea Syrtash lifestyle coach and host of the online show On Dating. “Women prefer to be approached with a warm smile and a simple introduction.” Talk about a show you’ve seen or a book you’ve read—that’s a better conversation starter than “What’s your sign?”
2. Answer: All of the above. Women look for men who have something upstairs. Can you hold a conversation and lead one? Can you dress like you know how to match and take a chance at style? And do you walk around like you know you’re a man but don’t have to tell everyone? Answer yes to all and the women will follow.
3. Answer: b or c. “If you come over and give her a lesson, she’ll feel patronized and stupid,” says Evan Katz, coauthor of Why You’re Still Single. “But if you happen to be working out next to her and offer a simple instruction that feels organic—like ‘Keep your back straight’ or ‘Don't go all the way down because it isn’t good for you’—you will come across as thoughtful and can segue into a real conversation.” Women these days are just as training-savvy as men, so they may even be able to show you a thing or two. Ask them if your form is right and it may throw them off just enough to be charming.
4. Answer: a. “If she’s smiling and looking away, that’s your perfect invitation in,” says Katz. But if the smile isn’t there, the treadmill just might work. “You can’t get beat up on a treadmill, and she’s a pretty captive audience if she’s doing six miles per hour at five degrees.”
5. Answer: d. There’s nothing wrong with a little grunt to work your way through a sticking point, but when you’re exhorting “Die, Satan, die!” with every rep, you’ve gone from hunk to half-wit. One corrections officer even got his gym membership revoked at a gym in Wappingers Falls, New York, for grunting too loudly. You can’t pick up anyone at a gym if you can’t get in!
– Eric Butterman
