(Yes I read that post, in fact, I couldn’t properly do a palpitation test on myself until I read that thread—I had learned of the test on another forum, but until I saw the X-rays & pics from that thread, I couldn’t find the point where my pubic bone curved down). It’s a very good thread, very much worth linking :)
Warning: wall of text (sorry I’m so long winded!)
I respect your views Westla—and I know you’re quite well informed (I’ve read at least a few of your posts related to anatomy, and found them quite helpful).
Perhaps what makes things quite difficult for newbies like me: we read a lot of contradicting views between people that are both intelligent, well-informed, and have in fact, all made very significant personal PE gains, often using completely different routines, techniques and theories. So my first exposure to PE includes a lot of contradictory ideas. I learned a lot about theory & philosophy in college, so to some extent (although I’m not comfortable with it), I can accept completely contradictory theoretical standpoints as both being correct to an extent. A theory at it’s core is a simplified explanation of a complex phenomena. PE is quite a complex phenomena, and is probably best explained by theory, especially for those like me without extensive anatomical & physiological knowledge.
In college I did not in depth exposure to physiological or anatomical studies, and Pre-PE I was never that interested. Most of what I now know about ligs, tunica, bc, pc, the prostate and penile anatomy is coming from this forum. I find PE a fascinating subject and I want to understand it as best as I can, more than just applying it, perhaps because the lack of full medical documentation has made this a somewhat soft science. The implication is that if I want to make maximize my personal gains, I’ll have to come up with my own philosophy, my own routine, based on my PIs.
I find I’m having to read some things multiple times to put them in the proper context. I’m sure I’ll have a much different view in a few months, once I’ve logged a few hundred hours of research. You’ll find this insane, but I skipped a week of work, to just read threads & study. I’m 33 and I just barely learned about PE. In the past I probably just didn’t search enough— I thought my only choice was to be content with what I had. Since I’ve ‘discovered’ PE for myself, I’ve been on a crash course trying to understand as much as I can—I’m very much afraid of ruining / or minimizing my newbie gains because of ignorance. I’m also quite afraid of getting an injury.
I’ve been slowly increasing my stretch & jelq time, and I’ve been pretty happy so far—only 2 weeks, and I’ve gained .25” length, and .12” girth. I was already convinced PE was real before I had any gains. I’m a pretty good judge of fact vs fiction / truth vs error, and I’ve lived enough to see through something that’s fake. The ability made college (almost a decade ago) quite a breeze for me (to get straight A’s).
Anyhow, I’m convinced hanging is the way to go for me, and I plan on eventually investing several hours a day in it (I realize it may take a long time before my skin, tunica, and ligs can take that kind of stress). For now, I’m doing the newbie routine only.
I did purchase a Bib hanger, and I talked to Bib on his forum. After reading his posts there (thunders is by far the best resource, although Bib has some very useful and unique information for hanging on his forum I have yet to find elsewhere), and here as well, and after picking his brain a bit, I have been able to start to make sense about hanging. I think my problem is that I’m an extremely curious person, and in some ways I always feel compelled to understand every aspect of something before I can completely understand it (I’m stuck in the school of thought that thinks you must understand the whole to understand the parts, vs you must understand the parts to understand the whole).
I identified my LOT as 9. My mirror test/ palpitation test confirm this visually. I’m probably going to emphasize BTC hanging to start out, since I appear to have significant potential gains based on the LOT theory. I’ll slowly work into SO, OS, and various angles if I feel like I’m plateauing or if I find I’m getting too much fatigue from any particular angle.
I have seen some support for the LOT theory in my own experience. In college athletics I saw hundreds, maybe thousands of penises. I have observed that my penis seemed to exit my body at a much higher angle and position than most others, and I did observe that many (although not all) of those that were extremely ‘well hung’ seemed to have shaft exit points at much lower angles than the average person. Their penis literally appeared to exit from a lower part of their body.
I have read many LOT theory threads and I’m convinced there’s something to be said for the theory, despite the possible logical fallacies or holes it may have. In contrast, I read your post and pictures showing problems with the LOT theory, and I found that convincing as well. Can you see why a newbie could lose his mind?
Anyway, I figure at least the LOT theory can give me recommendations on what to do with my hanging routine, so for now, I’ll go with the flow & try it. I plan to post a progress thread, and keep a detailed log of my experience. I find the personal experiences of others (whether successful or otherwise) quite helpful, so I would like to contribute as well.
I’m really impressed with this forum, the community & the moderators. I already plan on making a donation at some point—because all of this is clearly real, and I’m grateful for what you guys have built.