How to Know If You're Doing Kegels Correctly

Here's the uncomfortable truth about kegel exercises: if you're doing them wrong, you could train for months and see zero results. And according to clinical research, a large percentage of men who attempt kegels are activating the wrong muscles from the start.

A 2022 study by Ben Ami, Feldman, and Dar (published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health) tested six different verbal instructions on 35 men using real-time ultrasound imaging. The results were striking.

That last row is the problem. "Draw in your belly button" is one of the most common kegel instructions on health websites, and it fails 75% of the time. If that's the cue you've been using, there's a good chance you've been doing crunches with your abs instead of training your pelvic floor.

The Three Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Tensing Your Abs

The most common error. When men hear "squeeze," many instinctively tighten their abdominal muscles. You can feel this happening if you place your hand on your stomach during a kegel - if your abs are tightening, you're using the wrong muscles.

The fix: try the "squeeze as if you're holding in gas" cue while keeping your stomach completely relaxed. The contraction should feel like it's happening between your scrotum and your anus, not in your belly.

Mistake 2: Clenching Your Glutes

The second most common error. Squeezing your buttocks activates the gluteal muscles, not your pelvic floor. You might feel like you're doing something "down there," but the glutes are overpowering the smaller pelvic floor muscles.

The fix: try doing a kegel while sitting in a chair. If your body lifts off the seat, your glutes are firing. A correct kegel involves an internal lift sensation without any visible body movement.

Mistake 3: Holding Your Breath

This one's subtle. Many men instinctively hold their breath during a kegel contraction, which increases abdominal pressure and pushes down on the pelvic floor - the exact opposite of what you want.

The fix: breathe normally throughout the exercise. If you find yourself holding your breath, try exhaling gently during the contraction phase. Diaphragmatic breathing and kegels should work together, not against each other.

How to Self-Test Your Technique

You don't need an ultrasound machine. Here are three self-tests that confirm correct activation:

The Mirror Test: Stand in front of a mirror unclothed. When you perform a correct kegel, you should see a slight retraction of the base of the penis and a visible lift of the scrotum. If nothing moves, or if your lower abs visibly tighten, adjust your cue.

The Urination Test: Try to slow or briefly stop your urine stream mid-flow. If you can do it, you've found the right muscles. Important: this is a one-time identification test, not an exercise. Doing this regularly can cause urinary issues.

The "Shorten" Test: Try to make your penis retract slightly without touching it - as if you're pulling it inward. Stafford and colleagues (2015, Neurourology and Urodynamics) found this cue produces the best activation of the striated urethral sphincter, the muscle that matters most for both ejaculatory control and urinary continence.

What Correct Form Feels Like

A proper kegel contraction should feel like:

• An internal lift and squeeze between the scrotum and anus
• A subtle pulling-inward sensation at the base of the penis
• Effort that's focused and isolated - not spreading to your thighs, abs, or glutes

A proper release (reverse kegel) should feel like:

• A gentle bearing down or lengthening sensation
• The opposite of the contraction - letting go, not pushing out forcefully
• A sense of relaxation in the area between the scrotum and anus

If you can feel both the contraction and the release distinctly, your technique is correct.

Why This Matters More Than You Think

The difference between correct and incorrect form isn't marginal. The studies that produced impressive results (82.5% PE improvement, 75.5% ED improvement) all involved men who were trained to identify and isolate the correct muscles before beginning the exercise program.

Men who train the wrong muscles for 12 weeks don't get 50% of the results. They get close to zero.

Kegel King addresses this through a guided Find Your Muscles tutorial that walks you through multiple identification cues, a practice session with real-time guidance, and audio cues from Dr. James that reinforce correct activation during every workout. For a full walkthrough, read our complete kegel guide for men.

Frequently Asked Questions