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Is a no-fap regime or nofap month worth it?  I hear there can be test gains after a week.

No, it is not worth it.

For those not in the know, there is a strong trend today popping up on the Internet: avoiding masturbation. While this apparently started on bodybuilding boards in some sort of attempt to raise testosterone levels (hinging on studies like this one, showing elevated levels of testosterone in males after three weeks of abstinence), the nofap trend has since evolved into some sort of “prove your self-discipline” circle-jerk. For some reason, this sort of thing has gotten really popular.

But let me approach the justifications for this nonsense in reverse order.

First off, if you really need to stop touching yourself in order to prove your self-control, you have larger issues than touching yourself. While a lot of guys are now addicted (in one way or another) to pornography, the idea that quitting masturbation is the sine qua non to personal fulfillment is stupid. Obsessing over not touching yourself can be just as bad as obsessing over touching yourself — both make you a slave to some problem or issue, albeit in different directions. Whether it is abstinence, masturbation, sex, drinking, eating, or whatever, if you have to fight against it and turn it into some sort of lifestyle, chances are it still has control over you.

Second off, stop worrying about testosterone — you probably aren’t doing other things right anyway. If you really feel like you need an extra “boost” in the gym to raise your 1RMs and to make yourself stronger, go binge on a bunch of McDonalds and do squats every day you enter the gym for the next month. Testosterone does play a part in weight lifting and other exercises, but there are a lot more efficient ways to get stronger that involve actual gym-related work.

Tags: masturbation, no-fap