Gains & Losses

[Iguana]

For those of you who have asked "Are gains permanent?" The answer is "Yes" and "No"
What do I mean?

If you stopped PE today you probably in all likelyhood will loose some gains.
How much? It's hard to say. It varies from person to person. But, the good news is that
they usually return rather quickly. And some guys don't loose anything.

This is my second decondition break in the last year and a half. So far, I have lost about 1/4"
in both length and girth. Why am I not freaking out? Because I am confident I will recover the lost
gains rather quickly and hopefully some new ones on top. The benefits of a break far outweigh
the small temporary losses.

My last decon break was about a year ago. I lost no length but did loose 1/4" of girth. Within
a few weeks of returning it came back.

So, if you take a break or quit completely just keep this in mind. It's best to overshoot your goal
if possible to accomodate any losses you may have.

Just my 2 cents!


-Iguana

[vroxitsa]

did u try cementing or just quit from ur normal routines the day u started deconditioning?

[Iguana]

The first decon break I did traction wrapping for 2 months as a "cementing" process. Interestingly I lost no length. This time I have done nothing past my last routine. I had been at a plateau for over 3 months so I'm assuming any gains I had formerly were pretty concrete.

[Dustpan]

Iguana,

I have taken a few decon breaks over the last 2-1/2 year that I have been PEing and I don't remember loosing any length or girth. Have you ever thought about using cold cloths on you genitals after you exercise? I have been doing this procedure after every finished routine. I believe that using cold towels or cloths help cement the tissue and cells from retracting.

[remek]

Excellent post Iguana! I'll leave this badboy sticked for a while.

[Iguana]

Thanks remek!!!

Originally Posted by Dustpan

Iguana,

I have taken a few decon breaks over the last 2-1/2 year that I have been PEing and I don't remember loosing any length or girth. Have you ever thought about using cold cloths on you genitals after you exercise? I have been doing this procedure after every finished routine. I believe that using cold towels or cloths help cement the tissue and cells from retracting.

Dustpan,

It's funny you mention this! I was just reading some very intresting information regarding this.
I think you are right on in suggesting this. Notice what this article says:

Lehman and associates (1970) studied the effects of heat and stretching on rat tail tendons.6 The results indicated that heating alone produced no significant elongation and that stretching alone produced no residual elongation. Significant elongation occurred if heat and stretch were combined. A greater increase in length was maintained if the stretch was held during the period of cooling since “reorganization of the tissues is thought to occur during the cooling period.”6 Overall, the most effective method of producing a plastic deformation of connective tissue was to apply a sustained stretch during the application of heat and to maintain the stretch during the period of cooling.

Heat Application in Physiotherapy

The article doesn't say how cool. Should we go room temperature or ice down? It dosen't mention the application of ice so I'm assuming room temp is OK. What are you guy's thoughts?

Either way, I definately plan on incorporating this going forward. Thanks for your suggestion!!


-Iguana

[remek]

Ever since the PE Survey results came out, I stopped recommending the warm up after a work out. A lot of information, as above, suggests that cooling down is the best bet. Dustpan is living proof for it working too

Here's another thread that talks about the application of heat/cold after a workout. I tried it the last few times, and it seems (or feels, I should say) promising.

[Dustpan]

Iguana
I had talked to Remek about using a cold cloth last year in my finished routine before anyone had mentioned using a cold cloth in your finished routine.

[Iguana]

Dusty, seems you were definitely on the right track. I had heard people mention cool downs way back but had never read any
solid scientific support until now. How long have you been using a cool down? Did you notice any effects on your gains?

[Benta]

how long do you cool down for?