Outcomes
Kegels to last longer
Lasting longer is a control skill. If the only tool you have is a tighter squeeze, you may be practicing the problem.
Quick answer
Pelvic floor training can help some men last longer by improving awareness and control of the ejaculatory reflex. In Pastore et al. 2014, 33 of 40 men with lifelong premature ejaculation gained control after 12 weeks of clinic rehabilitation (physio-kinesiotherapy, electrostimulation, and biofeedback, three 60-minute sessions a week). Mean IELT was 146.2 seconds. That is not a home kegel challenge, not a randomized trial, and not a cure. If your floor is already tight, start with reverse kegels and clinical care rather than more contractions.
What “last longer” has to mean here
ISSM defines lifelong PE around ejaculation within about one minute, lack of control, and distress. Internet usage is looser. This page does not promise a minute count. Desired outcome is more voluntary control.
Practice note (Justin): I did not run a stopwatch study on myself. If a hold during sex just makes you more rigid and closer to ejaculation, that is a clue you may need a let-go, not a harder kegel.
Lift (kegel)
Drop (reverse kegel)
Pastore 2014 — what was actually done
Forty men with lifelong PE and baseline IELT ≤ 1 minute completed 12 weeks of pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation at an Italian urology center. Methods from the paper (PMC4003840):
- Three 60-minute sessions per week
- 20 minutes physio-kinesiotherapy (isometric and isotonic pelvic floor contractions, awareness of motor activity)
- 20 minutes electrostimulation via a cylindrical anal probe aimed at pubovisceral muscles / pudendal nerve
- 20 minutes biofeedback to control perineal and genitourinary sphincter contractions
- Outcomes at 6 weeks and 12 weeks
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Men enrolled | 40, lifelong PE, IELT ≤ 1 min |
| Program | 12 weeks, 3 clinic sessions/week |
| Gained control | 33 / 40 (82.5%) |
| Mean IELT after treatment | 146.2 s (range in abstract 123.6–152.4 s) |
| 6-month subset | 13 of 33 kept longer IELT (mean 112.6 s vs 39.8 s baseline in that subset) |
| Design limit | No randomized control group; clinic rehab, not DIY kegels |
PubMed: PMID 24883105. PMC: PMC4003840. Scholar: Google Scholar.
Congress reports of the same cohort often quote a baseline mean IELT of 31.7 seconds. The journal paper’s 6-month subset uses 39.8 seconds as that group’s initial mean. We are not going to flatten those into one invented baseline.
Longer follow-up (Pastore 2018)
A later paper reviewed 154 men; 122 completed a similar 12-week PFM rehabilitation protocol. Of completers, 111 gained control; mean IELT 161.6 s at 12 weeks from a 40.4 s baseline in that report. Of 95 men followed to 36 months, 64% and 56% maintained satisfactory control at 24 and 36 months. Still not a randomized trial. PMID 29974885. PMC PMC6219291. Scholar: Google Scholar.
What this means for a man training at home
You can practise isolation, slow holds, full release, and noticing the pre-ejaculatory window. You cannot recreate three hours a week of probe stimulation and biofeedback from this website. Myers and Smith (2019) still concluded PFMT appears effective for PE without an optimal protocol (PMID 30979506).
A practical home split if the floor is not painful:
- Weeks 1–4: find the muscles, 3–5 second holds, full drop, 10 reps × 3/day — how-to
- Weeks 5–8: 8–10 second holds plus 10 flicks, still a complete let-go
- Weeks 9–12: practise noticing arousal climbing and choosing lift or drop, instead of panic-clenching
That calendar is an editorial mapping onto clinic timelines, not Pastore’s methods section. If pain or urgency rises, abandon it.
Which protocol fits which man?
- Low-pain, poor endurance, little awareness → kegels plus full relaxes
- Clench-and-go, pelvic tension, pain → reverse kegels first
- Both, or no idea → assessment and a pelvic PT
Cleveland Clinic notes kegels may help ejaculatory control and that pain means stop. Cleveland Clinic.
Best for
- Men who want a non-drug experiment alongside honest medical options
- Men willing to train coordination, not just squeeze at the last second
Avoid if
- Painful clenching that already worsens with kegels
- Anyone selling a guaranteed IELT or copying Pastore’s anal-probe protocol at home
FAQs
Do kegels help you last longer in bed?
They can help some men. Pastore et al. 2014 trained 40 men with lifelong PE for 12 weeks of clinic pelvic floor rehabilitation (physio, electrostimulation, biofeedback). 33 (82.5%) gained ejaculatory control; mean IELT 146.2 seconds. Small, uncontrolled study. Not a guarantee and not the same as 30 home kegels.
Should I kegel during sex to delay ejaculation?
Dorey’s 2004 home sheet included tightening to delay ejaculation. If your floor is already clamped, more squeezing during sex can speed ejaculation or cause pain. Learn let-go first if you live in a clench.
Are reverse kegels better for premature ejaculation?
They may be the better start when PE comes with pelvic tension or pain. They do not have Pastore’s trial behind them. Mixed presentations need a PT, not a forum rule.
How long before training changes ejaculation time?
Pastore measured 6 and 12 weeks in clinic. There is no guaranteed week-two effect from unsupervised kegels.
Can I drop PE medication if kegels work?
Only with the prescribing clinician. This site does not manage medications.
Is last-longer training the same as ED training?
Related muscles, different skill. ED work emphasizes endurance and venous support. PE work emphasizes recognizing the pre-ejaculatory window and being able to release as well as squeeze. See kegels for ED.
What to do next
If kegels are appropriate, use the 4-week starter protocol. If you have pain or squeezing already made things worse, start with tight vs weak instead.
Sources
- Pastore AL et al. Pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation for patients with lifelong premature ejaculation: a novel therapeutic approach. Ther Adv Urol. 2014;6(3):83-88. PMID 24883105. PMC4003840. Google Scholar
- Pastore AL et al. Pelvic muscle floor rehabilitation as a therapeutic option in lifelong premature ejaculation: long-term outcomes. Asian J Androl. 2018. PMID 29974885. PMC6219291
- Myers C, Smith M. Pelvic floor muscle training improves erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation: a systematic review. Physiotherapy. 2019. PMID 30979506. Google Scholar
- Dorey G et al. RCT of PFME and biofeedback for erectile dysfunction (home sheet includes a PE delay cue). PMID 15527607. PMC1324914
- Cleveland Clinic. Kegel exercises for men. 2025. clevelandclinic.org