Upgrade Your Bedroom
137 WAYS YOUR HOME CAN MAKE YOU A BETTER MAN
From the editors of Men’s Health Living
SEX
I. Heat her up faster
Love what you do
“If you’re just going through the motions of foreplay, it will take longer for her to get excited,” says Michael Perry, Ph.D., a sex therapist in Encino, California. So dive in. If you like how her calves feel, stroke them. If you admire the shape of her butt, kiss it. “When a man is loving what he’s doing, that will turn her on, too,” says Perry.
Let her simmer
“You have to get her mind working on sex,” says Gloria Brame, Ph.D., a sexologist based in Atlanta. Maybe ask her to wear a thong in the morning, then whisper something dirty over the phone at lunch. She’ll be so excited by the time dinner rolls around that she’ll be willing to spend less time on foreplay.
Create touching moments
Whether it’s resting your hand on her leg while you’re driving or carefully pulling that loose strand of hair away from her face, a touch here and there will pay off big later. “Do this enough and she’ll be jumping on you and wanting to have sex,” says Marilyn Fithian, Ph.D., a sex therapist in Long Beach, California.
Turn her over
The lower back is a major erogenous zone for most women. “Massaging it will stimulate her pelvic muscles and make her feel more relaxed,” says Brame.
Turn off the TV
Keep the television away from your bedroom. Italian researchers found that couples with TV-free bedrooms had sex twice as often as those with screens to stare at.
II. Have better sex
Bow to her bust
It’s impossible to focus too much on her breasts, says Patti Britton, Ph.D., a clinical sexologist—a woman’s nipples are the best place to stimulate her, other than her genitals. Slowly circle your fingertips around the base of each nipple, then gently push down the tip and let it spring back. “Women need you to build toward the center of interest, the nipples,” she says.
Use circular reasoning
Rather than shoving your hand down there and rubbing away, try slowly tracing the outer edges of her labia with your fingertips while gently parting the lips. “Stretched skin tends to have greater sensitivity, so this should send waves of pleasure through her,” says Lou Paget, a sex educator and the author of The Big O.
Double her pleasure
A woman must be simultaneously stimulated in two major erogenous zones—the clitoris and G-spot—to reach her orgasmic potential, says Ava Cadell, Ph.D., a clinical sexologist. In a study of 12 couples, this was the scream-out-loud favorite: With your partner straddling you, invite her to tilt her pelvis forward so her clitoris rubs against the shaft of your penis while the tip hits her G-spot.
Be a shallow guy
The outer third of her vagina has the most nerve endings, so shallow thrusts will drive her crazy. Bonus: Many women have never experienced this kind of penetration.
III. Improve your, ahem, stature
Banish your butt
In a University of California at Irvine study, researchers found that men who smoke have smaller penises. One theory is that smoking somehow damages penile tissue, eventually making it less elastic and preventing it from stretching.
Flex, release, grow
Kegel exercises—the repeated flexing of the pubococcygeal (PC) muscles, which control urinary flow—don’t just help you last longer. They may increase the width of your penis a fraction of an inch. It’s not much, but we’ll take it. Tense and relax your PC muscles at least 20 times a day.
IV. Last longer and recharge quicker
Use the Valsalva maneuver
Sounds exotic, but it isn’t. The instant you feel like you’re going to pop your cork, bear down as if you were trying to have a bowel movement, but—and this is important—don’t actually have one. You’ll borrow yourself a few more minutes.
Toast your success
Instead of falling asleep after your first orgasm, pour two glasses of wine. In addition to being a surprisingly romantic gesture, the alcohol will help boost the arousal signals between your brain and your penis, shortening your refractory period.
