Kegel myths: what's true for men, and what isn't

Each myth below gets a short answer and a source. For the method itself, see our step-by-step guide to Kegel exercises for men.

"Kegels are only for women"

False. Men have a pelvic floor too. Two of its muscles sit at the base of the penis: squeezing them raises the pressure inside an erect penis, and they contract in rhythm during ejaculation. Erections start with blood flow, not with these muscles.^1,2,3

The myth has a real origin. Arnold Kegel, the doctor the exercise is named after, was a gynaecologist, and he proposed it for women with urinary incontinence.⁴ Men have been studied since. In a UK randomised trial, men with erection problems were taught pelvic-floor exercises by a physiotherapist.⁵

Where the muscles sit in a man's body is in our guide to male pelvic floor anatomy, and the history is in what is a Kegel.

"Kegels are proven to work for men"

Not proven. The honest summary is that the evidence is limited, and the answer depends on what you want Kegels to do.

Pelvic-floor training has been studied for erection problems. The trials were small, mostly supervised clinic programmes with biofeedback, and their results were mixed. No guideline recommends training for erection problems, so treat it as one tool alongside a check-up with your doctor.^5,6,7

Pelvic-floor training has also been studied for early ejaculation, mostly in small clinic studies of supervised rehab that included electrical stimulation and biofeedback. Not everyone improved, some lost ground over the following years, and where it was compared with a medicine, the medicine did better on average. Guidelines don't recommend training on its own.^8,9,10,3

A PubMed search in October 2026 found no randomised trial of an app-only pelvic-floor programme for either problem, and nothing has tested GoBeast. Our guide to whether Kegels work for men goes through what each study tested.

"A Kegel means clenching as hard as you can"

Is a Kegel just squeezing? Squeezing, yes. Clenching everything, no. A Kegel is a lift: you draw your pelvic floor up and in, keep breathing, and leave the muscles around it alone. The cue in the best-known UK trial was to try to avoid holding your breath, pulling in your abdomen or tensing your buttocks.⁵

Letting go is half of it. An NHS physiotherapy leaflet says "it is important to feel the muscles relaxing and softening as you let go".¹¹

Start at about half of your strongest squeeze. Strongest always means your strongest comfortable squeeze, never a strain. If your buttocks lift you off the seat, you're working too hard. Our list of 7 Kegel mistakes men make covers the other slips.

"Stopping your pee midstream is the exercise"

It isn't, and you shouldn't practise it. The same NHS leaflet says not to practise stopping the flow of urine midstream, "as this may interfere with the normal process of emptying your bladder".¹¹

To find the muscle, squeeze as if you're holding in wind instead. The leaflet's cue is to tighten "your back passage as if you're trying to stop yourself passing wind".¹¹ Our guide to finding your pelvic floor has three checks, and the free Kegel timer counts your first squeezes out loud.

"The more Kegels you do, the better"

Nobody has found a best number. A systematic review of pelvic-floor training trials in men found no best programme.⁶ The NHS leaflet builds up to 30 slow and 30 quick squeezes a day, spread over three sessions.¹¹ Clean squeezes count for more than a big total.

Pelvic-floor strengthening isn't right for everyone. The next myth explains why. For the numbers we use, see how many Kegels a day.

"Kegels are safe for everyone"

In studies, pelvic-floor training caused few or no reported side effects, but men with pelvic pain weren't included. Pain isn't normal: stop.^8,12

Pelvic-floor strengthening isn't right for everyone. If you have pain in your pelvis, genitals, perineum or bottom, pain when you ejaculate or pee, or trouble starting to pee, your pelvic floor may be too tense rather than too weak, or something else may be going on. Guidelines advise against Kegel-style strengthening for pelvic pain with a tender pelvic floor. Stop, see a doctor, and ask about a pelvic-floor physiotherapist.^13,14,15

More on this in Kegel side effects and tight or hypertonic pelvic floor in men.

"You need a device to do Kegels properly"

No equipment needed. A Kegel is your own muscle squeezing and letting go.

Be clear about what the research used, though. The trials described under the second myth were mostly supervised clinic programmes, often with biofeedback and sometimes with electrical stimulation.^5,8 If you want feedback on your technique, a pelvic-floor physiotherapist can give it to you in person. A timer or an app, ours included, only takes care of the counting and the cues.

"You'll feel a difference within a week"

Nobody can honestly give you a date, and we won't. GoBeast's own promise is deliberately small: a plan that progresses week by week, with no deadlines.

What you can notice early is the skill. Can you find the muscle first time? Can you squeeze without your belly or buttocks joining in, breathe through a hold and let go fully? That part is yours to track from the first week. Our guide to how long Kegels take to work explains why we won't name a date.

"Kegels can stand in for a doctor"

They can't, and nothing on this site should replace a check-up.

Most men sometimes fail to get or keep an erection, usually because of stress, tiredness or alcohol. Erection problems are very common, especially after 40.¹⁶ Erection problems that keep happening can be an early warning of heart or blood-vessel disease, sometimes before any other symptom, and the link is stronger in younger men. If it keeps happening, see a doctor.^16,7

GoBeast works alongside medical care, never instead of it. Guidelines say that for early ejaculation, combining behavioural techniques with medicine may work better than either alone.^17,3

See a doctor before you train if

• You have new or changing urinary symptoms, like a weak stream, straining, peeing more often or at night, or new leaks. See a doctor before starting pelvic-floor training.¹⁸
• You have had prostate or pelvic surgery or radiotherapy. Follow your care team's plan first. GoBeast isn't designed for recovery after surgery.¹⁹
• There is blood in your pee. Ask for an urgent doctor's appointment.²⁰
• You can't pee at all. Get urgent medical help today.¹⁸
• You have erection problems that keep happening, or no erections at all, including on waking. See a doctor. Erection problems that keep happening can be an early sign of heart or blood-vessel problems, and that matters even if you're young.^16,7

How GoBeast helps

GoBeast is a voice-guided Kegel trainer for men. Here's how it handles the points on this page.

• A free plan that starts with finding the muscle, before you pay anything.
• Cues on every rep for the technique myths: breathe, keep your belly and buttocks soft, let go fully.
• A relaxation set at the end of every session, and a Pain button that switches you to a relax-first path.
• Stamina and Confidence lessons, where every health statement links to its source.

Questions