The Hardness Factor: How to Achieve Your Best Health and Sexual Fitness at Any Age

This book serves a useful purpose by putting this message very much in the face of men: erections are produced by blood flow; if you want better erections and improved sexual health, there are no shortcuts that bypass the need for better health.It's well documented now that aerobic exercise improves erections, weight loss improves erections, proper rest and proper hormone balance...all improve erections. I've found many men become motivated to lose weight, walk, and quit smoking when their sexual function begins to wane. This book should help motivate and instruct men to better health by linking health to sexual function.Dr. Lamm's a big fan of L-arginine at a dose of 3 grams per day. Arginine and glutamine boost growth hormone levels in those with a healthy pituitary and lead to improved circulation and better erections. I've found patients do better with glutamine than with arginine (glutamine causes less nausea and can be taken at a higher dosage): try (if your doctor approves) 12 grams per day (best taken as a powder mixed in water since 12 grams would be 24 tablets at 500 mg each) for best source, see my list "Libido, Erection, and Premature Ejaculation."The most important recommendation in the book is walking. There is no doubt now that walking (or jogging..but not necessary to jog) does more to prevent obesity and to improve and maintain sexual function than anything possible with diet.I haven't seen as much success with the counting-steps method as outlined by Dr. Lamm as I have with those who just go walking and count miles, but the basic idea that walking improves sexual function cannot be ignored. Not only does the practice improve circulation and firmness of erection but alters levels of seratonin, dopamine, endorphins, cortisol, thyroid, growth hormone, and testosterone in ways that support libido and sexual function.Dr. Lamm makes the point that hormone levels should be optimized (even mentions their replacement in women). This problem is much more common that previously suspected.As to the "erection drugs" discussed, the recommendation to start with Viagra, Levitra, or Cialis and only go to the use of Muse (an injectable) might be questioned. Dr. Lamm fails to mention that Muse may also be used as a suppository and has a safer side-effect profile than Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis (and in some may even prolong erection after ejaculation).Dr. Lamm completely leaves out the use of prescription-strength yohimbine (Yocon) which has good effect on erection in 10-20% of men with the added benefit of increasing libido (which the others do not). Yocon has it's own side effect of irritability and increasing blood pressure in some...still it's a wonder drug for some and adds improved libido even to those who may use Viagra or one of the other medicines. So, I was disappointed it was left out of the discussion (but then I'm also prone to favor products found in nature...of which yohimbine is one).The foods recommended by Dr. Lamm should be helpful and healthful. For quicker, easier, and similar results...I'd recommend "the Abs Diet, Eat Right Every Time" by Zinczenco. Start with the paperback version of this book and buy the hardback as addition if you want to better understand the underlying science.Don't think Tantric sex got the press it deserved in a book on hardness (short paragraph with no mention of the man's cycle as discussed in the Tao).Admittedly, these are comments that have more to do with the art of medicine and plainly Dr. Lamm and I may not bake a cake in the same way...but the main point of the book (that good health results in good sex and there are specific ways to improve health and sex simultaneously) is a point worth repeatedly making. Good sex is the cherry on top; it's the side effect of good physical, emotional, and relationship health. Dr. Lamm will motivate many to better health in all of these areas with his excellent book.--Charles Runels, MDAuthor of "Anytime...for as Long as You Want: Strength, Genius, Libido, and Erection by Integrative Sex Transmutation (A 15-Day Course for Men to Improve Sex and Life).

I don't think this book will help many people. Author's thesis is that the root cause for problems with erection is physical and he offers a program for men to improve their health. However I believe that most problems with erection are psychological in nature.Consider the case the book begins with. Someone named Bill says the following, which I quote from the book page 4: "Karen is flying in from Santa Barbara. I am crazy about her. If I have another awkward moment like I did last time and can't maintain my erection... she won't give me another chance. I have such anxiety over this that I'm certain I'm not gonna get it up."After reading this I am willing to bet the farm that Bill has no chance in hell of getting it up when he is with Karen ever. Sex is supposed to be fun, and intercourse should not be a performance of a man for a woman upon command. With this attitude Bill is putting so much pressure on himself that when the moment comes his brain will be paralyzed with fear and just would not send a proper message to little Bill down there.If your goal in buying this book is specifically to try the author's program, please be warned that it requires investment of time and money that are likely impractical. With regards to time requirements: on average people I know spend 10 hours a day in the office and their commute - again on average - is 1 hour and 15 minutes one way. I couldn't find exactly how many hours of sleep does the program require in the book, but on page 124 it says to go to bed not later than 10:30. Assuming that a person leaves the office at exactly 5 PM, they have not more than 4 hours and 15 minutes to shop for ingredients for healthy meals that the program requires, cooking them, eating them and exercising - which includes a requirement to walk 10,000 steps a day.With regards to cost: never mind the food, but the program requires taking numerous supplements. I took a list from page 217, searched for each one on Amazon and selected the cheapest price among matching results. After adding up I calculated the cost of supplements alone to be $45 a month.You don't need a book to tell you to eat healthy and exercise. Most people I know already do both as best as they can within the constraints of all other responsibilities in their lives. Here's what I recommend you do: as a first step, make an appointment with a urologist who specializes in male sexual health. He will order a blood test to make sure that your testosterone levels are normal and also perform very specialized tests on your equipment to confirm that it still works as advertised.If all test results are normal, which is the most likely outcome, then your problem is psychological. If it's performance anxiety then it can be solved by creating a safe pressure-free environment in a relationship. This requires that your partner is understanding, compassionate and cooperative. If you're on your own - the best you can do for yourself is not to masturbate to porn. By that I mean stop cold turkey. For better results: try not to even watch any TV so that your brain doesn't get used to only get excited by moving images on a screen. For best results: stop masturbating completely. And finally: until you feel confident that your problem is solved for good, you are going to have to use either Viagra or Cialis with your partner every time. These pills do help in cases of psychological problems, and erection difficulties require all the help that a man can get to be resolved.

Instead of swallowing 'the blue pill' , this book gives a 6 week training program on how to strengthen the body as a whole. It's not a quick fix, but a gradual progressive improvement in blood flow including to the parts that other attempts don't reach.Very happy so far , although it involves 5K to 10k steps per day, so having dogs is an advantage.

I have a heart problem and back pain , so I cannot take the herbs/medicine and do the exercises.. On Dr's advice, I should not follow the instructions in the book.Iwould like to return the book. On which address I shall return it..Israr

Great!

This book is packed with helpful advice. There is a 6-week program. And best of all: it works! I'm thankfull!

have some good information