--- title: "Pelvic Floor Training for Men" description: "What the male pelvic floor does in erection and ejaculation, how to find the right muscles, how to train without overdoing it, and what evidence supports." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul R. Nelson", "jobTitle": "Licensed Mental Health Counselor (NY), Licensed Professional Counselor (CT)", "email": "paul@franktalk.org", "telephone": "+1-646-535-3133", "url": "https://franktalktherapy.com/about", "sameAs": [ "https://www.instagram.com/franktalkwithpaul/", "https://maps.google.com/?cid=1028244695779196009" ], "worksFor": { "@type": "ProfessionalService", "name": "Franktalk Therapy & Consulting", "url": "https://franktalktherapy.com" }, "hasCredential": [ { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "name": "Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)", "recognizedBy": { "@type": "State", "name": "New York" } }, { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "name": "Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)", "recognizedBy": { "@type": "State", "name": "Connecticut" } }, { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "name": "AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "ProfessionalService", "name": "Franktalk Therapy & Consulting", "url": "https://franktalktherapy.com", "email": "paul@franktalk.org", "telephone": "+1-646-535-3133", "areaServed": [ { "@type": "State", "name": "New York" }, { "@type": "State", "name": "Connecticut" } ], "founder": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul R. Nelson" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How do I know I am using the right muscles?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Two reliable checks: the motion you would use to stop urinating midstream, and the lift you feel when you try to keep from passing gas. Done correctly, the base of the penis and the area between the scrotum and the anus draw slightly inward and upward. If your buttocks, thighs, or abdomen are doing the work, or you are holding your breath, you have recruited the wrong muscles." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How many should I do a day?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A common starting structure is two or three short sets a day, roughly eight to twelve contractions per set, with equal rest between each one. More is not better. These muscles fatigue like any others, and quality of contraction matters more than volume." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I overdo pelvic floor exercises?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, and it is underappreciated. An overly tight, non-relaxing pelvic floor can produce pelvic pain, urinary hesitancy, discomfort after ejaculation, and sometimes worse sexual function rather than better. If training makes symptoms worse, stop and get assessed rather than pushing harder." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does pelvic floor training help with premature ejaculation or erections?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "There is reasonable evidence that a structured pelvic floor program helps a meaningful proportion of men with premature ejaculation, and it is also used as part of erectile rehabilitation, particularly after prostate surgery. It is a legitimate component of treatment, not a standalone cure, and it works best alongside behavioral practice." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When should I see a pelvic floor physical therapist?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "If you cannot reliably locate the muscles, if you have pelvic, testicular, or post-ejaculatory pain, if you have urinary symptoms, if you are recovering from prostate surgery, or if several weeks of careful training have changed nothing. A pelvic health physical therapist can assess whether the floor is weak, overly tight, or poorly coordinated, which are three problems with different treatments." } } ] } ] --- [![FrankTalk Therapy](/__l5e/assets-v1/791852f2-474d-4294-bfbf-c5ac6322a947/franktalk-logo.png) ](/) [Home](/) Services [Therapy for Men](/therapy-for-men)[Sex Therapy](/sex-therapy)[Consulting](/consulting)[Couples & Partners](/couples-and-partners)[What We Help With](/specialties) Guides [All Guides](/guides)[How to Last Longer in Bed](/guides/how-to-last-longer-in-bed)[How Long Do Men Actually Last?](/guides/how-long-do-men-actually-last)[The Start-Stop Technique](/guides/start-stop-technique)[The Squeeze Technique](/guides/squeeze-technique)[Pelvic Floor Training for Men](/guides/pelvic-floor-training-for-men) Service Areas [Where We Serve](/areas-served) New York [Online Therapy in New York](/online-therapy/new-york) Connecticut [Online Therapy in Connecticut](/online-therapy/connecticut) Practice [About Paul](/about)[What to Expect](/what-to-expect)[Fees & Insurance](/fees-and-insurance)[FAQ](/faq) [Waiting Room](https://doxy.me/franktalktherapy)[Talk to Paul](/contact) # Pelvic Floor Training for Men [Home](/)/ Pelvic Floor Training for Men Guide Men hear about the pelvic floor mostly in the context of pregnancy, which is why almost no man knows he has one until something goes wrong. These muscles are directly involved in getting and keeping an erection and in the mechanics of ejaculation. Trained well, they are a real contributor to sexual function. Trained badly, they cause pain. This guide covers what those muscles actually do, how to find them, how to train them without overdoing it, what the evidence does and does not support, and when to stop self-directing and get assessed. ## What the pelvic floor does The pelvic floor is a layer of muscle slung across the base of the pelvis. Two of them matter most here. The bulbospongiosus wraps the base of the penis and contributes to the rhythmic contractions of ejaculation and to expelling semen. The ischiocavernosus helps maintain rigidity by restricting outflow of blood from the erectile tissue during an erection. In ejaculation, these muscles are part of the expulsion phase, the involuntary contractions after the point of inevitability. In erection, they help sustain firmness. A floor that is weak, or one that cannot relax on command, interferes with both. ## Finding the right muscles Use two reference actions. First, the motion you would use to stop urinating midstream. Second, the inward lift you would use to avoid passing gas. Combine them gently and you are in the right neighborhood. Signs you have it right: a subtle inward and upward draw at the base of the penis and in the area between the scrotum and the anus, with your abdomen soft, your buttocks and thighs still, and your breathing unchanged. Signs you have it wrong: clenching the glutes, tucking the pelvis, bearing down as if pushing, or holding your breath. Bearing down is the opposite of the contraction you want and is a common error. The relaxation half matters as much as the squeeze. A contraction you cannot fully release is not training, it is tension. ## How to train without overdoing it Start lying down, where it is easiest to isolate the muscles. Contract for two or three seconds, then release completely for the same duration. Eight to twelve repetitions is a set. Two or three sets a day is plenty. Once that feels controlled, progress to sitting, then standing, and add a small number of longer holds of five to ten seconds with full release between. Progress by control and endurance, not by volume or force. Hundreds of daily repetitions is the classic mistake, and the classic result is a floor that no longer relaxes. If you notice pelvic ache, discomfort after ejaculation, urinary hesitancy, or worse sexual function, stop. That is a signal to be assessed, not a plateau to push through. ## What the evidence supports Pelvic floor rehabilitation has the strongest support in post-prostatectomy recovery, where it is standard care for urinary control and is used as part of erectile rehabilitation. For premature ejaculation, controlled trials of structured pelvic floor programs have reported meaningful increases in latency for a substantial share of participants, generally over programs lasting a couple of months. What the evidence does not support is treating it as a cure by itself. It is one component. Men who combine it with [start-stop practice](/guides/start-stop-technique) and with work on the anxiety layer do considerably better than men who only squeeze muscles and hope. ## When to be referred to a pelvic floor physical therapist A pelvic health physical therapist can distinguish between three different problems that feel identical from the inside: a weak floor, an overactive floor that will not release, and poor coordination between the two. The treatment for each is different, and training a tight floor as though it were weak makes things worse. Get referred if you cannot locate the muscles, if there is pain anywhere in the pelvis or after ejaculation, if you have urinary symptoms, if you are post-prostate surgery, or if careful training over six to eight weeks has produced nothing. Asking a physician for that referral is a normal request, not an unusual one. ## Fitting this into the wider picture Physical conditioning does not resolve a conditioned pattern or an anxiety loop on its own. For the full approach see [how to last longer in bed](/guides/how-to-last-longer-in-bed), and for the clinical work behind it, [premature ejaculation therapy](/specialties/premature-ejaculation) and [erectile dysfunction therapy](/specialties/erectile-dysfunction). This page is education, not treatment, and reading it does not create a therapist–client relationship. If you are in crisis, call or text 988. FAQ ## Frequently asked questions How do I know I am using the right muscles? Two reliable checks: the motion you would use to stop urinating midstream, and the lift you feel when you try to keep from passing gas. Done correctly, the base of the penis and the area between the scrotum and the anus draw slightly inward and upward. If your buttocks, thighs, or abdomen are doing the work, or you are holding your breath, you have recruited the wrong muscles. How many should I do a day? A common starting structure is two or three short sets a day, roughly eight to twelve contractions per set, with equal rest between each one. More is not better. These muscles fatigue like any others, and quality of contraction matters more than volume. Can I overdo pelvic floor exercises? Yes, and it is underappreciated. An overly tight, non-relaxing pelvic floor can produce pelvic pain, urinary hesitancy, discomfort after ejaculation, and sometimes worse sexual function rather than better. If training makes symptoms worse, stop and get assessed rather than pushing harder. Does pelvic floor training help with premature ejaculation or erections? There is reasonable evidence that a structured pelvic floor program helps a meaningful proportion of men with premature ejaculation, and it is also used as part of erectile rehabilitation, particularly after prostate surgery. It is a legitimate component of treatment, not a standalone cure, and it works best alongside behavioral practice. When should I see a pelvic floor physical therapist? If you cannot reliably locate the muscles, if you have pelvic, testicular, or post-ejaculatory pain, if you have urinary symptoms, if you are recovering from prostate surgery, or if several weeks of careful training have changed nothing. A pelvic health physical therapist can assess whether the floor is weak, overly tight, or poorly coordinated, which are three problems with different treatments. Still have questions? [Contact us](/contact) Book a Session ## Put the physical work inside a real plan Sessions with Paul R. Nelson, Licensed Mental Health Counselor (NY), Licensed Professional Counselor (CT), for men in New York and Connecticut. Coordination with your physician when it is needed. [Talk to Paul](/contact) Related ## Keep reading [ ### The Squeeze Technique The pressure-based method for dropping arousal, and when it suits you better than start-stop. Read more ](/guides/squeeze-technique)[ ### Sex After Prostate Cancer Rebuilding function and intimacy after surgery, where pelvic floor work is part of standard recovery. 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