“Do you abstain from sex before working out?”
It is December 2000, and a shirtless Ronnie Coleman, muscles bulging, is sitting across the desk from Jay Leno. The bodybuilder grins before answering: “I keep as far away from it as I possibly can.”
Asked if sex makes him weak in the knees, he replies: “You go weak all over.”
Bodies like Coleman’s are the result of years of remorseless discipline. But that has never stopped others from seeking out shortcuts. And in the vast ecosystem of online self-improvement that has sprung up in the 25 years since that interview, one peculiar habit has stuck: semen retention.
Unlike the online “gooning” movement, which views prolonged periods of masturbation as the key to reaching a higher state of being, semen retention focuses on abstention. Drawing on Taoist and Tantric traditions, its advocates claim that avoiding ejaculation brings a cascade of benefits: sharper focus, reduced anxiety, heightened motivation — and, for gym-goers, greater muscle mass.
There is little scientific evidence to support any of this. But as with many modern subcultures, what matters is not the data but the community. On the subreddit r/semenretention, 162,000 members trade advice, discuss increased energy, and post YouTube and TikTok guides. Milestones are shared, though anything under 30 days is dismissed as trivial. Some men abstain for six months; others keep to a cycle of two weeks.
No Nut November — a viral online challenge where men attempt to abstain for a month — is generally looked down upon. A post in the subreddit reminds users that it violates the rules, as “this sub is geared more toward a lifestyle than a one-month celibacy trend”.
A few days after watching the Coleman clip, I find myself staring at my computer screen, waiting to ask three men the same question Jay Leno had delivered so casually. It is not a question I can imagine posing to my friends, let alone answering myself. All three Zoom calls are equally cringe-inducing. During the third, I stumble through the words until my interviewee cuts in: “So would you like me to describe how it works?”
With more than 100,000 followers on Instagram and 235,000 on X, Sol Brah is one of the most prominent voices in the semen retention world. He has written a book, The Sol Way, and launched an online health course called The Vital Path, which offers a comprehensive guide on how to naturally build muscle, boost energy, and increase testosterone. He has also released an album of classical music, which promises to “carry your spirit to far-off lands, inspire you to heroic deeds and spark the divine magic within you”.
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