Originally Posted by Jeffro278
Thank you guys so much, its really heartening knowing that so many people have had success with this stuff. I am seeing a therapist currently, but its really hard to speak to them about stuff like this because its so awkward. I also wanted to know what some of you did after the 3 months of newbie routine. Should I look into getting a bath-mate, an extender, or a hanging tool to make sure I continue to have gains after the initial nooby gains? Did any of you take extended breaks, or have a lull in your regiment for some reason and still be able to get to where you are somewhat content with yourself? I ask this because I’m worried that if I do reach goals that I set I will get content and lose the gains that I worked so hard to get. Another reason I am kind of worried about starting PE is because I currently live in a dorm, making it hard to get the privacy needed to get a full session in. I was wondering if it would be better for me to focus on weight loss until I reach my goal of 200 lbs, and then starting PE when I am on break so I understand more of what to expect in how long a session should last and what is needed to be done. I guess I am not sure if I should just throw myself into it with the newbie routine and worry about what to do after 3 months later, or should I try and plan it out now then see how my body reacts to the beginner routine and adjust from there.
Questions in order:
1. I personally wouldn’t recommend picking up any tools for a while. The way I went about PE was sticking strictly to manual exercises and modifying the Noobie Routine to fit my needs as my body adjusted to the exercises (adding reps, incorporating different exercises, etc). However, this is very important, everyone’s experience is entirely unique. The biggest drawback with manual exercises is that you are not going to be able to use any sort of precise measurement, you just have to feel it out *ba dum tss*
But in all seriousness, if you get a bunch of stuff and you’re in a dorm I think you’d use more time trying to make sure nobody found your stash rather than using it. I personally just invested in a bathmate so don’t think I’m saying “ONLY MANUAL ROUTINES, TOOLS ARE BAD”. If you do end up going with a manual routine be very careful when you start and don’t try to rush into anything.
2. I went from about 5.4-6.8(ish) my first run in PE before taking a break. It wasn’t like I intentionally stopped at one exact moment just fell away from it for a while. In my experience my gains stuck around and when I got back to my routine however many months (years?) later my unit needed to be properly conditioned to get back in the swing of things but felt much more solid because the gains settled (at least that’s how I’d explain it).
You’ll find with certain things, like pumping, that temporary gains are more common than permanent gains. Look into the anatomical side of PE and try to see what you can figure out about your own anatomy because understanding what you’re working with makes it way easier and gives you a better idea of how to avoid injuries or potential warning signs.
ALSO, there’s a theory around here somewhere that taking an extended break from PE leads to your unit being “deconditioned”. I won’t bother getting in depth because there’s a massive post by thoughtfulgold that goes into this but basically if you take an extended break and then come back and work back into PE, you might experience some easier gains when you get back into a regular routine.
3. If you’ll be better able to work on your PE routine in the coming months once you’re out of the dorms then I would really focus on weight loss as your main priority. This will probably get you in a good headspace of sticking to a routine which is hugely important because people forget PE is just as much about your mindset as it is actually doing the exercises.
