Deconditioning (decon) Breaks: How and Why?

Hi there, TG again. What comes after scheduled traumas? After a period of work you take a period of rest, right? A short rest is just rest. A long rest is a decondiontioning break. Let’s talk about what a deconditioning (decon) break is, and why you might try it.

1. What is a decon break?

A decon break is…stopping all PE for an extended period to make your dick easier to stretch and work with in the future. It isn’t a short rest period. It is a long rest to let your dick become less resistant to PE.

Some people think a decon break is a good idea. Others think it is stupid. What do you think? We don’t have medical studies published in fancy doctor journals to answer this question. Want to call a doctor on TV and ask him? They will laugh at you and hang up. (And I didn’t even try to call Dr. Oz to get his okay *laughs*)…I can’t verify any of it. However, personal experience and listening to others (plus a lot of common sense, really) helped me form my opinion.

For me, it’s the best weapon I’ve found in my PE arsenal. I honestly have no idea how people use heavy daily routines to gain and still live their lives; truthfully it scares me.

1b. How does a decon break help me in my PE journey?

First, I think that no matter what PE discipline you follow…you will toughen the penis on the journey to get gains. The effect of toughening the penis basically slows and eventually stops gains. Your penis does not like being tugged or inflated or anything else you think of so gains get slower and slower as you go along. A tough penis needs time to decondition and become more pliable and cooperative so stretching gets easier again.

Second, healing and recovery is important. Over time you build up irritations, small injuries and aches that need time for full recovery. Rest days during the week help but truly complete recovery is going to need more consecutive days off to be thorough and proper. Personally, the first few weeks back into PE from a long break seems most productive in my opinion. It’s one of the reasons I advocate a long break once in a while.

Finally, in my own experience and in that of many others…your best gains are made on days off. (Pretty crazy, eh?) Healing brings renewed, mended and bigger tissues. Working constantly doesn’t do anything but break the penis down and eventually force it to retreat and retract. The balance of productive PE (work) and time off (rest) is imperative just like it is for exercise in a gym and fitness setting. A deconditioning break allows you to rest to your fullest extent and start your work cycle again fresh. A very productive way to stay safe and on the gaining side of the equation.

When you decondition try restarting a hobby of yours that you like and have not done in a while. That way you don’t slip back into PE too soon and make sure you have a complete deconditioning break. That is what I do. So fire up the saw in the garage, work on your project car, get back into shape and break dancing…or sit out on the back porch smoking cigars more. *shrugs* Do you more, including the stuff you forgot you used to do. It’s good for you, even if your hobby isn’t.

In closing…

Deconditioning is a simple way to keep your routine fresh, stay motivated and remain injury free. The fact is that gains eventually stall for everyone and when you’re at your wits end…maybe you’re ready for a decon break. It’s as simple as that. Plus, it gives you more spare time to get more things done or have more fun.

What do you think? Why do you take a decon break? How long? How often?

Further reading:
Decon Breaks II: When do we need physically to do them?
Decon Breaks III: What about your life?

I’ve been taking a week off every 6 weeks. (Only since Fall of last year). I’m currently in the middle of my week off. I’ve noticed a longer flaccid the last couple of days. I haven’t been doing the breaks long enough to report gains if any.

TG, in your opinion do you think these breaks are long enough and often enough? My current routine is 1 on 1 off.

One of the benefits of decon breaks is that it finally lets you masturbate as much as you want and without the constraints of the 3 hour abstanation either side of PE.

I gained my first 1/4 inch during a 3 month break which I only took due to a swelling on my penis. Last year I took a break from around September to December due to being abroad and hospital medical trial then Christmas etc. But I haven’t had a gain during that time or since I’ve been back on PE.

I’m on a 6 day break so far right now as I’ve got worn down by no length increase happening to me, and I want to work out a new PE method to break my plateau, but I also think that my length is decreasing a little, or at least isn’t always at it’s maximum length, plus my penis feels a bit tired and isn’t that rock hard during erections.

My concern is that me doing the same routine all of last year hasn’t made my penis become immune to stretching no matter what new routines I do to it, and regardless of any breaks I give it. Hence why I do not know if I should take a longer decon break than just 6 days.

I also hope to do a medical trial early March which would mean I would have to take a break as I can’t do PE in hospital. So I wonder if going back to PE now for just around 4 weeks only to break for another possible 4 weeks in hospital is good or bad for me penis.

Sounds like TG is advocating decon breaks as the best way to break a plateau. It is clearly one way. Is it the best way?

I actually have 2 more parts to this. In an effort to make it more readable I’ve broken it up and I’ll touch on it further in the follow up write-ups…however the short answer is that break is long enough for the short term. After about 4 or 5 cycles of what you are doing I recommend 4 to 8 weeks off. Which I’ll explain in detail today or tomorrow when I polish the next piece off.

If you are getting non maximal erections. They just won’t get all the way there or you experience losses of any kind you need a minimum of 4 weeks off. Up to 12 weeks, in my opinion. There’s more to it than that but I will touch on that in the next deconditioning chapter.

Damn, really? I’ll take the break if needed, and I’ll be measuring my erections regularly for a while now. I don’t want you to go into things too much if you can’t right now, but can I ask what are the reasons basically why you think a 12 week break is needed?

I’m less than a month away from my 3 month mark. I’m definitely going to be clocking some gains this first quarter. Should I decon after that? Should I go another quarter? …………Should I keep going until gains cease?

TG and 8x6, I agree with this completely. I did PE for a year and a half on a 5 on 2 off schedule, taking a week off every three months or so. I made some nice gains, plateaued, tried a more intense stretching routine, sustained some bruising on the underside of my shaft, and took a whole month off for the first time in my PE career so I could heal.

I did heal nicely and when I started up again a few months ago, I started with the Newbie Routine. Yes, the Newbie Routine.Ever since I’ve been gaining pretty steady, over a quarter of an inch in length since getting back into it. I wouldn’t have believed it, doing only simple stretches and jelqs. I’ve since added some squeezes and edging and not only am I growing but my EQ is excellent, especially for a guy in his late fifties.

8x6, if you haven’t done it yet, try taking a month off completely, like TG says. Once a year sounds about right. Otherwise stick to your one on one off seven week cycle. And when you start back after your month off, start back slowly. You may be amazed with the results, more benefit for less work. And great EQ to boot.

For those of us on this journey for the long haul this is some of the best advice I’ve seen.

Thanks loads TG.

I’m too early in the stages right now to take a decon break. I’m still in a pretty good gaining cycle. I have put serious thought into this though. You are correct about the off days. I have noticed that after a day off, my penis tends to feel and look larger the following day, when I go to do my routine. It’s also more pliable and stretches seem easier.

What I’m thinking is with summer coming, my daughter is going to be home from school all day. When she’s in school, that’s my prime PE time. So I’m going to cram as much as I can in now. With it being winter, activities are few and far between. I’m not a winter sports fanatic and tugging on my junk is at least getting something constructive done. So I’m looking ahead. I have this whole schedule planned that during the summer months I will take some decon time as well as doing some “lighter” PE just for maintenance so I don’t let all I’ve worked so hard on, fall by the wayside. Too long without it, would be setting me up to forgetting about it. It’s a good thing I have this place as a reminder and will keep participating in the forum. That way my PE routine isn’t forgotten about totally. Though I really don’t think I can forget about it anymore, I’m reminded every time I look down. Haha!

A decon break is a personal choice. But the most common reason to put them off is paranoia of losing gains. I recommend them every six weeks but it’s up to you. Often that paranoia will slow your gains and cause you to need a longer break sooner.

I took a month off and virtually lost no gains. But then again they are not really lost as they were never permanent.

I think the trick is to track what you are gaining and when it slows or stops it’s time to take a break.

In some of the stuff I have been reading from Xeno, your time doing PE could be as little as 11 days before 4-6 weeks off.

The thing about this is that it is somewhat counter intuitive, on the surface at least. I.e. You stretch you penis and see gains, more stretching more gains, right? Well maybe not.

So gains slow so your penis is resisting any more change. Take a decent break and reset the system. If nothing else it is time efficient as you have more time to do other things during your break.

+1

I moved from MWF to MTW to allow a longer break during the weekly routines, and I’m toying with the idea of taking a week off every month. So three weeks on, one off, taking off my measuring week 10 days total off-time. I took off 10 days and noticed a DRAMATIC improvement in functionality. I am even considering a month-on, month-off routine. I’ll be ponderizing such strategery based on this month’s results. Perhaps a new thread idear, eh…

But regarding breaks, I think there are two things going on here, and that’s why there is a disconnect.

First, the newbies can work out every day and see nice gains. So they wonder why a break is necessary.

Second, the elders say lay off it because they’ve beat up their dick so much nothing happens anymore, so give yourself some breaks.

It’s all about that conditioning theory. At first, go balls-out and get some gains. But then at some point, you’ll have a numb stick of peckerwood and need to take a break from all that hard work.

I say don’t worry about breaks until you plateau. Then worry about breaks, and embrace the fact that you leveled up.

Basically, it’s all about PI.

- Saul

I am on day 3 of my week off. It has been about a month and a half since I last made gains. My NBP has increased. I’m only doing pc exercises. I don’t see that as a form of pe.