7 Kegel Exercises for Men: Technique and Variations

This page explains seven exercise variations, not seven exercises everyone should do together. Slow and fast contractions appear in NHS patient guidance; the other variations should be chosen according to your needs and, where appropriate, a clinician's plan. The Defy Kegel guide connects this technique page with the anatomy, evidence, and relaxation resources.

Before adding strengthening work, ask a health professional if it is suitable, especially with pain, difficulty emptying your bladder, or recent surgery. Symptoms alone cannot tell you which exercise you need. Stop if a movement is painful; do not use this list to diagnose or treat yourself.

Why Variety Matters Here

The pelvic floor is a sheet of skeletal muscle slung across the base of your pelvis, and it contains both slow-twitch fibres built for endurance and fast-twitch fibres built for speed. Continence during a long day depends on the slow fibres. Stopping a leak when you sneeze depends on the fast ones. Erection rigidity depends on the ischiocavernosus and bulbocavernosus muscles compressing the veins at the base of the penis to keep blood in.

Train one and you improve one. That is why structured programmes beat casual squeezing.

The clinical evidence backs the structured version. In a randomised controlled trial published in the British Journal of General Practice in 2004, Dorey and colleagues put men with erectile dysfunction on a supervised pelvic floor training programme. After six months, 40 percent had regained normal erectile function and a further 35.5 percent had improved significantly. The intervention included manometric biofeedback and lifestyle advice as well as exercises; these results do not validate this seven-variation list or the Defy app.

First: Find the Right Muscle

Before any exercise, you need to be certain you are contracting the pelvic floor and not your glutes, thighs, or abs.

Stand in front of a mirror and try to lift the base of your penis and draw your testicles upward without moving anything else. You should see a small upward shift. Cleveland Clinic describes the same cue as tightening the muscles you would use to stop yourself passing wind while also lifting from the front.

Two checks that you are doing it right:

• Your stomach, buttocks, and inner thighs stay still
• You can keep breathing normally throughout

If you are holding your breath or clenching your cheeks, you are recruiting the wrong muscles. Detailed anatomy is in our guide to the male pelvic floor muscles, and if you are unsure whether yours is weak or overly tight, start with our guide to the difference instead.

Watch the movement, then check your technique

The Royal Marsden's three-minute demonstration for male anatomy explains how to identify and exercise the pelvic floor. Watch the hospital's video before using the variations below. It is an external educational resource, not a review or endorsement of Defy.

Use these checks alongside North Bristol NHS Trust's instructions:

Do not practise by interrupting urine flow. If you cannot identify the movement, a checklist cannot establish whether your pelvic floor needs strengthening or relaxation.

Keep the routine you have been advised to use in the free printable Kegel record. For what the research can and cannot establish, read benefits of Kegels for men.

The 7 Exercises

1. Slow Holds (Endurance)

The foundation. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat.

1. Contract the pelvic floor, lifting up and in
2. Hold for 5 seconds while breathing normally
3. Release fully for 5 seconds — the release matters as much as the hold
4. Repeat 8 to 10 times

Progress by adding a second to the hold each week, up to 10 seconds. If the contraction fades before the time is up, shorten the hold rather than pushing through a collapsed rep.

2. Quick Flicks (Power)

Trains the fast-twitch fibres responsible for sudden closure — the ones that stop a leak when you cough or lift.

1. Contract as hard and as fast as you can
2. Release immediately and completely
3. Repeat 10 times, one contraction per second

The mistake here is going soft to go fast. Each flick should be a sharp, full-power snap.

3. The Elevator (Control)

A graded contraction varies the effort of a squeeze. This variation has not been established here as a treatment for premature ejaculation.

1. Contract to about 25 percent — floor one — and hold 2 seconds
2. Increase to 50 percent — floor two — hold 2 seconds
3. Increase to 75 percent, then maximum — floor four — hold 2 seconds
4. Descend one floor at a time, pausing at each

Do 3 to 5 full trips. Most men find the descent much harder than the ascent, which tells you exactly how much control you are missing.

4. Standing Kegels (Load Progression)

Once lying-down holds feel easy, gravity becomes your added resistance.

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart
2. Perform 10 slow holds of 5 to 10 seconds
3. Follow with 10 quick flicks

This is the version that transfers to real life, because standing is where continence and erections actually have to work.

5. Kegels with Diaphragmatic Breathing (Coordination)

Your pelvic floor and diaphragm work as a pressure system. Training them together prevents the bracing habit that makes men bear down instead of lifting.

1. Lie down, one hand on your chest, one on your belly
2. Inhale into your belly — let the pelvic floor soften and drop
3. Exhale slowly and contract the pelvic floor as the air leaves
4. Repeat for 10 breaths

If you can only contract while holding your breath, this drill is the one you need most.

6. Bridge with Kegel (Integration)

Adds the glutes and deep core, teaching the pelvic floor to fire as part of a functional pattern.

1. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat
2. Contract the pelvic floor first
3. Lift your hips into a bridge, holding the contraction
4. Hold 5 seconds at the top, lower, release
5. Repeat 8 to 10 times

7. Reverse Kegels (Release)

The most-skipped and arguably most important. A muscle that cannot fully lengthen cannot generate full force from a shortened, tense position.

1. Lie down and inhale slowly into your belly
2. Consciously let the pelvic floor drop and widen — the sensation of gently allowing rather than pushing
3. Hold the released position for 5 seconds
4. Repeat 8 to 10 times

Do not strain or bear down hard. Think of releasing a fist, not forcing it open. If you have pelvic pain or painful ejaculation, seek an assessment before adding strengthening drills — our guide to relaxing the pelvic floor covers that path.

Choosing a Routine

Do not stack all seven variations on top of a prescribed routine. The following explains the exercise categories, not a weekly prescription:

• Slow holds and quick contractions: Start within your ability, release fully, and progress as advised. North Bristol NHS Trust describes these in its NHS pelvic floor guidance for men.
• Position and coordination variations: Standing, breathing, elevators, and bridges are not a reason to add more volume automatically.
• Relaxation: Release is part of a contraction. With pain or difficulty relaxing, get help choosing the appropriate approach.

Use a simple log of practice and any discomfort to discuss your routine with a clinician. Increasing repetitions is not always helpful.

Common Mistakes

Stopping your urine mid-stream as a workout. It is a one-off way to identify the muscle, nothing more. NIDDK and NHS guidance both warn against using it as a regular exercise, because repeatedly interrupting flow can interfere with normal bladder emptying.

Skipping the release. Half of every rep is letting go completely. Men who only contract end up with a tight, fatigued floor that performs worse than when they started.

Holding your breath. If you cannot talk during a contraction, you are bracing your abdomen instead of lifting your pelvic floor.

Going too hard, too early. This is muscle tissue. Twenty maximal contractions on day one produces soreness and a floor too fatigued to train tomorrow. Build volume gradually.

Quitting at week three. Harvard Health and NHS trust guidance both put real strength gains at three to six months. Response varies; persistent symptoms warrant a review of the plan.

Common Questions

Which exercise helps most with premature ejaculation? This article does not establish a best exercise for premature ejaculation. A clinician can discuss the causes and available treatments; our guide on premature ejaculation introduces the topic.

Can I do these every single day? Follow an appropriate exercise plan rather than treating this list as a daily prescription. Stop painful exercise and ask for advice about persistent discomfort.

Do I need weights or a trainer device? No. Bodyweight contractions with progressive hold times work, and the clinical trials that produced the strongest results used exercise and biofeedback, not resistance devices.

Is it too late to start in my sixties? No. Pelvic floor muscle responds to training at any age, which is why post-prostatectomy rehab programmes are built around it. Progress may be slower, but it happens.

The Bottom Line

Seven exercises, four qualities: endurance, speed, control, and release. Slow holds and quick flicks are the daily core. Elevators vary contraction effort. Standing versions add load. Breathing and bridges make the whole thing functional. Reverse kegels keep the muscle able to do its job.

Choose your routine with attention to technique, full release, and suitability. This list does not establish that any one variation is best for a particular symptom.