Ahhh. Well, my friend, I expect my post may help.
I started at a very extreme size. I was approximately 7 x 4.25. Yes, that’s right, 4.25, not 4.5 or 4.75. I haven’t measured (I don’t do this often as I am not very interested in keeping record) recently, but I suspect that I am at between 5.5 and 6. That might not seem large, but it’s at least 1.25 of girth gained.
I have yet to post my opinions on girth gaining. Unfortunately I can’t start topics, and while moderators here are very kind and I expect would gladly move my thread from the newbie forum, I don’t really want a thread on clamping in that forum for fear of what they might do to themselves.
Anyway, briefly, I advise to use manual stuff until you have thoroughly conditioned and then begin clamping/pumping intelligently. You will screw up your tool if you jump into it too fast (I have had tons of thrombosed veins). But sticking to manual stuff after the first year of diligent work and conditioning seems inefficient to me, given how well pumping/clamping work.