Studies increasingly credit regular sex workouts to not only enhancing your sexual stamina and performance – but even for your desire for it.
Dr Tina Penhollow, associate professor in the Department of Exercise Science at Florida Atlantic University, put it simply: “being active is a potent aphrodisiac for both women and men.”
Why sex workouts are the key to bedroom bliss
The greater your level of athleticism, the better your…
- Balance and technique: Good mobility and flexibility opens you up to a whole new world of sexual positions and avoids the rut of a boring repertoire.
- Stress-levels: Exercise creates a dopamine wave, which if you ride into the bedroom can help you avoid those anxious, nagging thoughts that are a serious libido killer.
- Stamina: Knowing how to pace and distribute your energy can lead to a longer-lasting and more satisfying session for everyone.
- Confidence: It’s much easier to get your kit off when you’re keen to show off what’s underneath it, and allows you to have a very good, uninhibited time.
Isn’t sex in itself a decent workout?
Yes, but it doesn’t stack up as much as you might think. Like any other workout these days, sex can be tracked, measured and synced to your Apple Watch. Stats pulled from the Sex Keeper App estimate the kcal deficit from missionary, cowgirl and doggy style are 3 kcal/min, while giving oral sex rewards you a pitiful 1 kcal/min.
Set against the backdrop of the Kinsey Reports, Sexual Behaviour In The Human Male (1948), found an average session lasts three to ten minutes. Therefore, if you’re shaving off between 9 to 30 kcal in a single romp, you’re barely burning off a carrot.
So gents, like any other athlete, you need to do all your training before race day. Then, when race day comes, you can simply show up, strip off, and reap the rewards.
Workouts to make you better at sex, according to a PT
We chatted to Dylan Rivier, the founding instructor at Barry’s Australia and personal trainer at Beach Fit Bondi to bring you the best three exercises to target for the exact type of sex you want to be having.
The best part? The bulk of Dylan’s recommendations can be done without any gym equipment at all. And a small win for the sloths among you – if done only minutes before the action, these workouts still have the added benefit of increasing blood flow to the area.
Missionary
Key muscle groups: Core, glutes, upper body.
You will likely start or end up in something that mimics missionary at almost every point in your sexual career, and the best part is there are so many common workouts that replicate the form. So how would Dylan prepare?
“I would be straight on the floor practicing my push ups.”
Dylan Rivier
Missionary requires a strong upper body and stabilised core. The better your upper body strength, the more you can play with the angle and intensity of your thrust. Dylan also couldn’t emphasise enough the importance of glute strength on this one. Regardless if you’re thrusting or holding, you will be consistently engaging them.
Recommended exercises
- Push-ups: Alternate between wide chested push-ups and diamond push-ups to activate different parts of your shoulders and triceps.
- Planks: Mix up the traditional plank with a plank to pike and a plank shoulder tap. Planks will give you not just the muscle, but the staying power you need.
- Mountain climbers: Great lower and upper body workout which fires up your heart rate and engages your lower abs. Add a fire hydrant to really get into your glutes.
Cowgirl/Partner On Top
Key muscle groups: Core, glutes, hips.
Now gents, we know you don’t need to be doing much in this position, but you can at least provide your partner with a good view, like the one you’re definitely getting.
Dylan recommends working your abs and hip flexors. The more you strengthen your hips and glutes, the more you can provide a stable base, and quickly jump back in if your partner tires.
Recommended exercises
- Glute bridge: A great one to boost the power of your thrust, it activates your core, pelvic floor, glutes and hamstrings.
- Reverse crunch: Strengthens your core, is great for your lower back and gets straight into the rectus abdominis, the muscle that will give you your six-pack.
- Leg raises: Another great one to specifically get stuck into your lower stomach muscles and build your overall core strength.
Doggy style
Key muscle groups: Glutes, quads, hips.
There isn’t much upper body strength required for this one, but it’s where all the work you’ve put into your hip flexors, glutes, and quads will shine through. You’re in complete control of the tempo here so make sure you’ve put in the training so you can pace yourself, and enjoy it.
Recommended exercises
- Walking lunge: Great for boosting hip flexor mobility, and toning your glutes so you can keep them in the same position for longer without getting too tight.
- Kettlebell swing: You get great results from this one on your glutes, hamstrings, and hips, and the force of the swing creates a sweet contraction and release of your abs.
- Jump squats: Squats will help with increased blood floor to the pelvic region, as well as strengthening your lower body for a more powerful thrust.
Standing
Key muscle groups: quads, upper body, arms
If you don’t think you can hold your ground, don’t go here. Standing positions are all about strength and agility, and you want to hold it for as long as possible to get any sort of benefit.
Dylan pays close attention to the biceps on this one, as having excellent forearm and bicep strength is essential to support, raise, and lower your partner.
Recommended exercises
- Pull-ups: Great for strengthening your back, arm, and shoulder muscles so you don’t lose your grip in the heat of the moment.
- Step-ups with barbells: Builds up the explosivity you’re going to need in your lower body by targeting quads, glutes and hamstrings. The barbells will mimic the load of a partner.
- Bicep curls: These are the bad boys responsible for anything you want to pick up and hold, not to mention toned biceps just overall look great.
Sex workouts for elite bedroom performance
High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
“Being strong and mobile will give you greater flexibility … But you need a certain amount of endurance as well. While a 4-hour sex marathon is not everyone’s cup of tea, usually 4 minutes doesn’t quite cut the mustard either.”
Dylan Rivier
HIIT is pure cardio and works to both build your endurance and get your blood flowing.
Yoga (Yin)
“Work on breathing exercises and pacing yourself – you don’t have to be able to run a marathon to have bedroom endurance.”
Dylan Rivier
Yin is a slow-paced style of yoga where you hold deep stretches for longer periods of time. It loosens you up and is excellent for balance and hip mobility. The mindfulness and breathing tips can help you fight that monkey mind, where the most common performance issues stem from.
Kegel exercises
Kegel exercises improve the muscles in your pelvic floor and can result in longer and stronger orgasms, as well as the reduction of Erectile Disfunction. Do it on your own time, without anyone knowing. Contracting the same muscles you would use to stop urine midstream, hold for 3-5 seconds, then relax. And repeat for a set of 10-20 a couple of times a day.
The one sex workout to rule them all
“My favourite exercise is a ‘hanging toes to bar’. This incorporates a huge chunk of upper body strength to hold your weight as well as recruiting all of those delicious abdominal muscles that will help you provide the ‘wow’ moments in the bedroom.”
Dylan Rivier
We know you didn’t need another nagging reminder about how moving around more can lead to positive changes in every aspect of your life. But having a defined goal is one of the best motivations for persisting through training. Knowing exactly how these exercises will land should give you the carrot necessary to see you through those extra reps and avoid cutting corners.
Now, read up on how to last longer in bed from the man himself, Johnny Sins.
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