8 years no gain, advice on rethinking of routine
After many years of PE and lurking on this site, I finally decided to write my first post. The motivation behind this post is, as the header reveals, many years of PE without any gains, and I am hoping to receive some suggestions on what to do next.
Some background info:
I started PE in 2008 without any knowledge of Thundersplace or any other PE sites, as I recall I might have been tempted by some kind of online advertisement. I remember buying the JES Extender and receiving an attached CD which contained video material on jelqing exercises. I used the JES Extender on average 4 hours a day 5 days a week for one year. I did some minor jelqing in the shower, but I have no records on how much it was and as I remember it the time amount I spend on it was very limited. After one year, without gaining any real progress, I stopped with PE. My ‘break’ lasted 2 years and in 2011 I returned after stumbling across Thundersplace and it was like a whole new world opened, as my insecurity was still very much present during the two year break, and even lead me to consider surgery. Since then I have been a regular visitor of Thundersplace and read tons of posts. I have had periods without visiting the site but for the most part I have been keeping an eye on new trends etc. I must say that the effort people put into the Thundersplace community is really admirable !
I started with the newbie routine in 2011 and I had my first measurement (5” NBPEL * 5,1” EG) around 6 months after starting the routine. I did have a measurement from 2008 (5” NBPEL * 4,7” EG) but I do not know the reliability of it, and whether the gain was due to natural puberty gains as I was 17 years of age in 2008 or increase in EQ, even though my EQ have always been very good. Since finishing the newbie routine in 2011, my routine have been looking something like this:
2012 - 2014: 15 min stretching and 15 min jelqing 5 times a week
It should be noted that I have never done any warmup. In 2012 I used very basic techniques. I have always used porn to keep erection levels during jelqing sessions. I strive to keep erection levels at 30-70%. When stretching I have always used toilet paper to get a firm grip. From 2013 I incorporated BTC and V-stretches and squeezes when my erection level went too high during jelqing.
2015 - 2016: 10 min stretching, 10-15 min jelqing and 10 min water pumping 5 times a week
2017 – present 10 min stretching, 10 min jelqing, 10 min water pumping 5 times a week + a 2*20 mins hanging session every 2nd week on average.
I use a bathmate for the water pumping and bib hanger for the hanging. I have always been a stealth PE’er and my daily life does not permit more hanging time than I have done. Whenever I have had the privacy time I do a hanging session. Due to the inconsistency in the hanging I have only worked my way up to 7,5 lbs.
Not having gained anything since at least 2011, if ever, my stubbornness have finally concluded that something really need to change now If I am ever going to see any gains. The routine were just such an incorporated part of my life that it was just a mandatory daily task. Since 2011 my longest break from PE is 1 week when I were on holiday.
Other factors that can affect PE: I have been lifting weights almost my entire life 5-6 times a week. The last year have been decreased to 3 times a week due to having two small kids. I have eaten almost like a pro bodybuilder for many years with limited alcohol and cheat foods. I quit smoking in 2014.
I am finally ready to rethink my entire PE routine and I will really appreciate any advice. I will continue to be a stealth PE’er which of course add some constrains. I have measured my LOT for the first time (I know that it is an outdated theory) and it is 7. I have always stretched mostly straight out or down, but the LOT made me reconsider that perhaps going forward I should try and focus on a bit more of upwards stretching – I am thinking that at least it will not hurt since the current routine obviously isn’t working. I will do my first ever decon break, and I plan to start again around Christmas which will give me 9 weeks of break. Is this a proper break time? After the break I have something like this in mind:
• Week 1-6: Newbie routine. Add heat warmup to routine
• After week 6: Add pumping and ADS (Xleeve) when at work.
I am working from home around one day a week where I can do hanging session, will that make sense if it is only once a week? My weekly time spend PE which is around 150-175 minutes is hard to increase due to my daily life (work, small kids, wife, gym etc.) but I do believe I can sneak in some 10 min stretching session at work on the toilet to increase my total PE time a bit.
If you are still with me after this wall of text, I will appreciate ANY advice !