Kegel Routine Advice

Hi there,

So, I’ve been thinking about how to maximise strength, size, and endurance in the pelvic floor muscles, and was wondering if anyone with a bit of knowledge or experience could chime in. Basically, I want to know what a good routine may be, currently, and what I should ultimately be aiming for.

I started by following the newbie routine guide of 10 minutes, 2 days on, 1 off, with 5 second contractions. It’s been about 6 weeks since I started and I still use this as a minimum kegel routine, but I will often do more, such as:

10 min of 5 second contractions
10 min of holding the contraction non-stop

Or

20 min of 5 second contractions

In the past two weeks, I’ve stopped a few orgasms, when I’ve gone past the PONR while edging, by squeezing hard until the sensation leaves. I would love to master the art of a dry orgasm, and if I’m not mistaken, these may be dry orgasms.

TL;DR

What have you found or believe to be the best way to enhance the pelvic floor muscles past the newbie routine? If you’ve experienced dry orgasms, could you share how that came about?

Hey justalilbit,

I am interested in this one aswell, I’ve been doing kegels regularly for a few months, it is not like I am focused so much on kegels, but they are done more than just ocasionally. I have past that 5 secs hold, these days I rather hold for a minute or longer, I am not sure if this has any point, is it effective of quite opposite, but it makes sense that you need to have a stronger muscle to be able to hold longer squezes.

I am actually trying to master reverse kegels, but I can’t really isolate the muscle itself.

Hey Jason,

I’ve started researching reverse kegels recently. I haven’t incorporate them yet. I’ll post here if I’ve got any info that seems fitting to you. Feel free to do the same. I’d love to hear any wee gems regarding any kind of kegel. Cheers!

I’ve done a lot of resistance training for my body in the past (weights, etc.) and I think there are parallels considering we are working a muscle. So, it seems that in order to increase strength and endurance, we must either add resistance or time. I’m not sure how we could add resistance, so I think focusing on different contractions and differing times seems best. I’m really working on that mind-muscle connection right now, and I think I have a lot of work to do, as I mostly feel the the squeeze in my butt currently lol

I will certainly do that, sir.

I have much experience in weightlifting and fitness world as well. Working out makes you feel better inside and outside, I would recommend it to anyone.

Well regarding the kegels, you can add resistance by squezing pc or bc muscle harder than usually. During my regular kegel routine I am never holding for as strong as I can, there is always some space left to hold stronger and harder. That said, ofcourse with that intensity I will not be able to hold as long as I usually do.

I think we should do both types of exercises. For example one day moderate intensity and longer holds. Another day strong, hard hold for a shorter duration of single hold. (I hope you follow me since I’m struggling to express myself better than this :D )

I think you will always feel a little bit of exercise taking effect in the butt aswell, that’s where mind-muscle connection might come in handy. One of the most important things while isolating that muscle is to be able to breath completely normaly and not to use our abs to aid the hold at all. I can do that with kegels easy, but reverse kegels are a quite tricky here.

I am trying to find some links, really good read and I will update here if I manage to find them.

So I have two articles from pegym, first will be about kegels, second about reverse kegels. First one is pretty much said what we already know, anyway it is worth to remind ourselves however. Second one is very interesting and useful, if you have time take a look if you haven’t some time before.

regular kegels basics

reverse kegels

Yes, varying holds or squeezes seem ideal, such as you mentioned with long holds one day and short holds another. Short squeezes seem more strength related, and long holds more endurance related. Much like if you were to do squats; 3 vs 50 reps.

I tried reverse kegels for the first time just now, and my abs were pushing as well. I’m not sure how to get them out of it but I suppose I will work it out with time, or perhaps it’s fine to squeeze them as well? I might be able to take them out as my reverse kegel gets stronger and I can isolate. But for now it doesn’t seem like a big deal.

Great. I’ll read these now. Thank you.

Well, being very busy these days I do not have time to commit and focus on improving reverse kegels, but they are tricky for me, alot. Can’t do rev. keg. without abs contraction or without holding my breath, but I believe the point is not to include those two in correct performed kegel. ( I have to read that article again )

Reverse kegels are about relaxing and stretching the muscle, not about making him stronger (opposed of regular kegels).

My friend, seems like we have much to learn, you and me :D

The most effective routine for me was finding the shortest routine possible that felt like it was working the muscle and very slowly work up from there. I started with a 5 minute routine that included different length reps/holds and got up to 10-15 minutes but I think when I was doing 15 it was overkill (for me at least.) I’ve fallen off my kegel routine recently because my PIs have been so good since starting back up but an example of what I did would be something like: 30 1 second reps, 30 second break, 30 2 second reps, 30 second break, 10 10 second holds, 30 second break, 15 reverse kegels, etc.

These numbers aren’t actually accurate to what I was doing but it was all about changing up the times and avoiding feelings of strain at all cost. From my personal experience if I felt any soreness/fatigue/overworked feeling after a kegel routine I did too much. The best results for me happened when after a session I could feel the muscle was more present, like I had more control over it, but it wasn’t tender or sore feeling.

Hi Velhung,

You make great points but I have to disagree with overtraining. I don’t feel that you can do too much, as it’s a muscle we can’t place external resistance on. As with exercise for other muscles in the body, I’m of the train of thought that overtraining doesn’t exist, bar injury. And it would be very hard to injure the pelvic floor muscles as we can’t add weights. Muscles tend to adapt to any stressor.

In saying this, it’s theoretical as I don’t have empirical evidence, albeit that supporting other muscle groups, but not the pelvic floor in particular. Let me know what you think. Cheers.

We certainly have much to learn! But with time and effort, we’ll get there. After reading more about reverse kegels, I do see the importance in them, and will incorporate them into my routine somehow. However, as much as I try, I can’t do a reverse kegel without tightening my abs. I’m not convinced yet that this is a bad thing but I will research until I’m sure either way.

I assume the point is not to hold (push) strong like we do with regular kegels, if we focus on relaxing into reverse kegels in that case we maybe do not need to contract abs, and maybe that is all it is actually, will read some more this weekend hopefully.

My opinion is that you can overtrain pelvic floor muscles.

I am surprised there is nobody to tell us something more from personal experience on this subject, we could use those thoughts.

Cheers.