tallythwacker, I’ve been pumping off and on (have to confess, mostly off) for about 8 years. In the last couple of years I wasn’t really trying to gain any size since I’d become pretty comfortable with where I was at. Only recently, thanks to the inspiration I get from these forums have I started to PE with real gains in mind. I’m trying to mix things up a bit so I ordered a Bib Hanger (don’t want to be kicking myself in the ass if they are eventually discontinued) and will be adding hanging to my program. Sorry if that’s a little off topic.
As for the pumping gains, I started out at 5.5” EL X 5.25” EG. I stopped trying to gain when I reached 7.75” BPEL X 6.0” EG (after about 5 years) because every girl I was with thought I was huge and I decided just to maintain what I had. I’m still at 7.75” BPEL but I’ve increased my girth slightly to 6.125” (6 N 1/8).
I think that pumping can yield excellent girth gains when combined with Jelq, squeezes etc. and can definitely get you that first inch or so but I would do some manual stretches as well to accelerate your length gains and take you beyond the limitations of pumping alone (where length is concerned).
Last of all, don’t read this and think “shit, 8 years of pumping for a couple of inches!” I was not very dedicated to PE and would do it for a few weeks or a month and then take 2 months off. I wholeheartedly believe that I could have achieved those gains in about 2 years with a dedicated routine (especially if I’d known what I know now that I found Thunder’s Place) so don’t get discouraged, just keep pumping, stretching, Jelqing and the gains should come.