Fine tune your body for better sex~~ A must read

G W T M · Fine tune your body for better sex~~ A must read

Double your pleasure: you've built the muscles for attracting the opposite sex—but are you ignoring the muscles for actually having sex? These targeted exercises will turn your body into a finely tuned sex machine - Sex Tech

Ty Wenger

In his second NBA season, Michael Jordan missed 64 games thanks to a broken ankle. Jordan--vowing to never again be injured--enlisted his personal trainer to construct a top-secret exercise regimen specifically designed to strengthen the body parts most abused in basketball. Much to the chagrin of Spike Lee, it worked: From 1986 to 1997, Jordan missed only seven games.

So what the heck does this have to do with your sex life? Well, think of yourself as the Michael Jordan of sex. (Just go with it.) You probably exercise your major muscles, so at least your physique isn't sending your partner screaming from the bed. (Indeed, a study at the University of California, San Diego, found that men who exercise three days a week have 30 percent more sex than men who don't.) But all the squats, flyes and supine cable curls in the world aren't necessarily getting you in shape for what happens in that bed.

If you truly want to be like Mike, it's time to gear your training for everybody's favorite all-time sport. Work a few of these exercises into your daily regimen and you'll soon be your partner's MVP.

BUILD A BETTER ASSEMBLY

Let's get one thing straight, so to speak: It's not a muscle, okay? Contrary to popular myth (and frequent use of the phrase "love muscle" in porn mags), your penis is actually an organ.

But that doesn't mean you can't exercise it--or more specifically, the pubococcygeus muscle that wraps around it at the base of your pelvis. And if exercised well, the PC can do wonders for your woody. "The PC is absolutely the most important muscle for a man's sexual health and performance," says Douglas Abrams, co-author of The Multi-Orgasmic Man. "It can control the strength and angle of a man's erection and the intensity of his orgasms--and that's pretty important stuff."

To find your PC, try stopping the flow while you're peeing. That muscle you're now clenching is your PC. (Don't forget to finish peeing.) Once you've located the muscle, you're ready to strengthen it with an exercise Abrams calls "PC pull-ups." While sitting down, slowly clench your PC as you exhale, hold the contraction, then slowly relax the muscle as you inhale. Make sure you're contracting your PC and not just squeezing your butt or your sphincter. (Abrams says that by contracting the muscles around your eyes and mouth, you can increase the force or intensity of your PC pull-ups. Of course, you'll also look like an idiot, but it's worth it.)

As with any new exercise, start gradually, say, two sets of 12 reps. Do this every other day and increase by one set a week for four weeks. Early on, you may experience delayed-onset muscle soreness, but as your muscle strengthens, that will go away. After several weeks, you should start experiencing stronger erections and an increase in the force of your ejaculation. With a healthy PC muscle, you might even be able to raise and lower a towel hanging from your erect penis. But save that for the second date.

60-MINUTE MAN

Now that you're packing a cannon in your pants, it's time for shooting practice. To train your artillery to fire on command, you'll need to take matters into your own hands. "Men who ejaculate quickly have learned to do so because of the way they masturbate--quickly in the shower or while watching porn," says Sandra Scantling, Ph.D., a certified sex therapist and the author of Extraordinary Sex Now. "Every time you masturbate just to 'get off,' you're training yourself to become a rapid, or premature, ejaculator."

Yikes. If this sounds like you--or, ahem, a friend of yours--try utilizing the "stop-start technique" to reeducate your reflexes. The next time you're waxing the Buick, be alert for the telltale signs of orgasm: heightened tension in your unit, the withdrawal upward of your testicles, a desire to call out your own name. Once you sense these phenomena, pull back on the throttle, pull down on your testicles, or bear down with your newly buff PC muscle. This should help ward off the muscle spasm that leads to ejaculation, unless you've waited too long and reached what sexologists call ejaculator), inevitability, meaning nothing on the planet will stop it. Assuming you haven't reached this point and, thanks to your efforts, the storm has passed, resume your waxing. With practice, you'll become adept at maintaining this non-ejaculatory "plateau phase" of orgasm--and your partner will become adept at calling out your name.

SEX-READY CORE

Nothing is more crucial to making sweet love than a solid core. It's the midsection muscle that puts the motion in your ocean. And while nobody's knocking the usual array of crunches, leg lifts, trunk twists and spinal extensions, nothing will prepare your torso to tango like Pilates.

Hold on. Isn't Pilates, well, a girly exercise? Yes, there are more women than men doing it--but it works.

"The truth is, Pilates is not only great for strengthening your core, it's also great for improving your flexibility," says Mari Windsor, author of Pilates Powerhouse. "And flexibility is also important for sexual performance. After all, you don't want to stop the flow of sex because your muscles are cramping or you're not flexible enough to get into a certain position."

Granted, there are dozens of Pilates exercises, but Windsor suggests the beginning sexerciser do the following: While lying on your back with your arms straight by your sides, use your abdominals to slowly stretch your legs up, continuing until your toes reach the floor behind your head (or as near to the floor as your creaky spine allows). Then slowly lower your legs back down, while exhaling, until they reach a 45-degree angle to the mat. Repeat, remembering to "peel" your spine from the mat and not "throw" your legs over your head. A few weeks of this and you'll be able to assume any position her naughty little heart desires.

LIP SERVICE

Quick: Find an unsharpened pencil and wipe it clean. (Who knows where that pencil's been?) Now close your teeth, place the unsharpened end against them, and squeeze your lips around the pencil. Then remove your fingers and clench your lips to keep the pencil parallel to the ground for as long as you can. Blow through your clenched lips if possible.

At this point, two things are happening: One, you look like a complete ass. Two, the muscles of your mouth are burning and twitching. So why are you putting yourself through this ordeal? Because according to female lore, trumpet players have the strongest, most talented and most kissable lips. And if you can't kiss, it's unlikely you'll get very far with the lady of your dreams. Hence, it's isometric exercises like these that have helped to build the taut embouchures of trumpeting greats from Doc Severinsen to Wynton Marsalis.

To build a mouth that roars, perform this lip buster three times a day, increasing the length of time you can do it to three or four minutes--no easy feat, this. Remember: Your ability to kiss her without making it feel like a labial mugging is one of the first actions she'll judge you on, and either respond with passion or not.

LEAVE HER TONGUE-TIED

Now it's time to train the most powerful love muscle in your body. (No, not that. We already told you, it's not a muscle.) Your strongest muscle is actually your tongue--strong, but in need of guidance. "Men do a lot of what I call 'mushing' with their tongues," says Daylle Deanna Schwartz, sex therapist and author of How to Please a Woman In & Out of Bed. "In fact, the No. 1 complaint I hear from women is that men have no clue what to do with their tongues. And since guys don't know where to go, they try to cover as wide an area as possible--which more often than not does very little."

To eliminate this problem, Schwartz offers the following training: Take your tongue and stick it out as far as it will go. Curl the tip into a sharp little point and try to touch the end of your nose. Do this several times, or until someone sees you and calls the cops. You'll not only improve your tongue's flexibility, but, as Schwartz says, you'll build up muscle memory for when it's time to roll out the red carpet.

"Now, when you're doing the deed, make your tongue into that nice precision tool," Schwartz says. "Then keep using that tip to find the spot that makes her squeal--and stay there. You'll know when you've found it."

As far as the actual motions are concerned, if you don't know what to do, follow the advice offered by the late comedian Sam Kinison: Just write the alphabet.

GIVE HER A HAND

"A strong set of hands can be a tremendous turn-on," says Schwartz. "If a woman is turned on by a guy, her eyes will go straight to his hands. That's the first thing she can fantasize about having all over her body--and other places."

Golly. But unless you're a professional hand model, you're probably not exercising your hands. And no, plying the pylon doesn't count. So in addition to squeezing handgrips or rubber balls, try this exercise from sports climber Robyn Erbesfield, a four-time world champion: Take a thick, medium-sized rubber band and wrap it around your fingers just above your bottom knuckle. Spread your fingers apart 10 times, then repeat with your other hand. Once the resistance is no longer sufficient, switch to a smaller rubber band. Eventually, women will take one look at your manly hands and start thinking nasty thoughts.

MISSIONARY TRAINING

The missionary position is like Christmas at the in-laws'--you can try to avoid it, but sooner or later you're bound to end up there. And there's simply no better training for being on top than a good old-fashioned push-up.

"I had a boyfriend once who started doing push-ups when we first started having sex," says Schwartz. "He did it because he loved having sex with me--a lot--but he was getting too worn out. And it worked. It gave him more endurance." Pistoning your body up and down with your arms is not a technique you'll find in the Kama Sutra. So Schwartz suggests you adjust the exercise accordingly: Do your push-ups on your knees as opposed to on your feet, and perform a high number of reps slowly to condition your arms to hold you aloft. Do three or four sets of 10 to 20 reps each. After a few weeks, add a naked woman--and hey, you're having sex!

GET A LIFETIME OF SEX IN JUST 13 STEPS

Follow these 13 simple ways to keep your happy parts healthy over the long haul By Ben Kallen

Your body was made to have sex. Healthy, feel-good, raise-the-roof nooky is what drives us to reproduce and has kept the human race from dying out, despite threats from war, famine and Rob Schneider movies. But you really only need the ability to have sex for a few years following puberty, just long enough to send an SUV-full of offspring into the world. After that point, age, disease and various infirmities can gradually cause your sexual function to weaken and grow sluggish, and can steal the relationship-cementing, gene-reproducing, all-natural pleasure that is rightfully yours.

Fortunately for all of us, nature has provided an out: If you live well, you have a good chance of keeping your sexual machinery working long past the time the warranty was originally set to expire. "An erection results from increased blood flow to the penis, and keeping its blood vessels in good shape will help maintain their integrity and proper function," says John Mulcahy, M.D., a urology professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine and the author of Male Sexual Function. "Along with not smoking, that means maintaining a proper weight, controlling blood pressure, diabetes and serum lipids, and exercising aerobically." All of which we can teach you to do in merely three steps each.

MAINTAIN YOUR WEIGHT

Being too heavy contributes to problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes, but that's not all: A recent study in Naples, Italy, found that if you're carrying extra flab, it's damaging your arteries right now. That means your erectile power could start declining long before it has to. Of course, actually getting sex can be easier when you look more like Tony Hawk than Tony Soprano--all the more reason to lose those pounds.

What to Do

Step 1: As we've told you a zillion times in these pages, the way to lose excess weight is to burn off more calories than you're taking in. That means cutting back on the amount you eat (and the caloric density of the foods you choose) while keeping your metabolism up with regular exercise. Ditch the excess fats and sweets, get plenty of low-fat protein, and trade simple carbs for whole grains. Then reduce your portion sizes and give up on the idea that you have to clean your plate.

Step 2: If you have a longstanding weight problem, you know that the previous rule is easier said than accomplished. So do something different this time: Start a new workout program, learn to prepare more healthful foods for yourself and your dining companions, get involved in a new sport. Every time you sit down to eat, remember what your new goals are.

Step 3: Stop trying to go it alone. There's plenty of help out there for you: Try a weight-loss support group (some have men's-only meetings if you prefer), a personal trainer, a nutritionist, a workout buddy or even a therapist if you can't stop stuffing yourself.

PREVENT DIABETES

Adult-onset diabetes is one of the faster-growing ailments in the Western world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that 16 million Americans currently have diabetes, and that amount will increase by 165 percent within the next 50 years.

Some people are born with type 1 diabetes, wherein the body is unable to produce enough of the hormone insulin. But the vast majority develop the often lifestyle-related type 2, in which the body doesn't use the insulin it has effectively, so it can't rid itself of excess blood sugar. Among other problems, that excess blood sugar can eventually harm your nerves and arteries--which means that diabetes could make your sex life disappear altogether. But while there's currently no cure for diabetes, type 2 can be controlled--or, better yet, often prevented. What to Do

Step 4: Keep your weight within normal levels; the boom in diabetes is largely linked to Americans' increasing girth. And moderate your diet. While it isn't true that sugar alone causes diabetes, lowering your carb consumption and switching to slower-burning carbs such as whole grains and vegetables will help keep your blood-glucose level steady. So can cutting back on fat, eating frequent small meals rather than occasional large ones, and lowering your total caloric intake if you're currently overweight.

Step 5: Get plenty of exercise. An hour a day of brisk walking may cut your risk of diabetes in half.

Step 6: if you have a family history of diabetes, are sedentary or overweight, or have such symptoms as excessive thirst or urination, see your doctor. Even slightly raised blood sugar can lead to problems that can impair your sex life.

CONTROL YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE

High blood pressure also has a destructive effect on your arteries, and may speed the drop in testosterone levels that occurs with age. But some medications to control blood pressure can also cause erection problems, so it's much better not to let things get so far.

What to Do

Step 7: Watch your sodium. Salt won't necessarily cause high blood pressure, but if you're sensitive to it, it can be a major factor. The Daily Value for sodium is 2,400 milligrams per day--about the equivalent of a teaspoon of salt--but if you're at risk for hypertension, you may want to stay below 1,500.

If you eat a lot of processed foods, canned food, soups, condiments or restaurant meals, your salt consumption may be much higher than the recommended amount. Reading food labels and preparing your own meals with herbs and spices instead of salt can make a big difference.

Step 8: Stop smoking entirely, have fewer than two alcoholic beverages per day, and limit your coffee intake. Sorry, Sanka fan: A recent study at University Hospital in Zurich found that even decaf can raise blood pressure.

Step 9: Once again, maintain your weight and get regular exercise. See how all these things fit together?

CONTROL YOUR CHOLESTEROL

When the "bad" cholesterol starts blocking your arteries, less blood goes where it's needed. And since some of the smallest arteries in your body are those that supply blood to your penis, they are among the first to start clogging. So remember this: High cholesterol equals limp weenie.

If you have a genetic predisposition to having raised cholesterol levels, you may need to take drugs to keep them low. But first, follow this plan.

What to Do

Step 10: It isn't necessarily dietary cholesterol itself that raises your blood cholesterol--the saturated fats found in meat and dairy products and the hardened oils found in snack foods and fried foods are more likely culprits. So eat low-fat cuts of beef and skinless chicken breast, nonfat dairy products and plenty of fish. And do your cooking with olive, canola or nut oils.

Step 11: Surprise! If you're overweight, lose the flab.

Step 12: Exercise daily and have longer cardio sessions. A study at Duke University found that the duration of exercise had more of an effect on cholesterol than the intensity of the workout.

USE IT, DON'T LOSE IT

Step 13: There's one final element in our sex-for-life program, and you're going to like it: According to Professor Mulcahy, frequent sexual activity is one of the most important factors in maintaining penile blood flow over time. Of course, now that you're following the previous dozen steps and becoming slim, fit and healthy, we don't think that will be too much of a problem.

Senior Writer Ben Kallen also has a 13-step plan for improving your finances, but it'll cost you.

New York writer Ty Wenger did all the exercises in this article--and boy, is his pubococcygeus tired.