In ExPhysiology
March 31, 2013

Emily Beers examines the physiology of exercise-induced orgasms, and female CrossFit athletes open up and talk about them.
It was 1995, a time when crunches were the in-vogue ab exercise.
Wendy, desperate for a flat stomach to flaunt during the upcoming summer, started an abdominal routine in her living room. She told herself the monotony of the crunches would be well worth it.
“From pain will come pleasure,” Wendy remembers thinking.
Twenty, 25, 30 crunches into her routine, and suddenly her body started to feel hot in an interesting new way. The friction from the constant crunching started to stimulate her pelvic region. Thirty-five, 40, 45 crunches into the workout, Wendy kept getting closer to climax with each crunch.
At 52 crunches, her abdominal session ended abruptly—and involuntarily. She was flat on her back, breathing hard, her body half numb.
Wendy had just experienced her first crunch-induced orgasm.
In fact, it was her first orgasm ever.

14 Comments on “From Crunches to Climax”
1
wrote …
Guys can orgasm mid workout too... don't ask me how I know... I just really love Fran
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2
wrote …
I have experienced this. I noticed when I was younger doing rope climbs in gymnastics that things felt a little different. Rope climbs aren't generally what gets me now. The moves that are the worst for me are toes to bar, pull ups, and ring dips. The pull ups and dips effect me the most when I become fatigued and use more core when I kip. For me it is usually embarrassing, uncomfortable, and I have to stop to "rest".
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3
wrote …
I look at this, then look at today's date and begin to wonder.
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4
wrote …
Lol. Nice try! Risqué April Fools Joke but good one nonetheless.
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5
wrote …
LOL. Somebody please come up with a new list of marketing/t shirt slogans.....if it is true obesity rates ought to be dropping fast.
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6
replied to comment from Chase Irons…
Haghh I did a Heavy Fran today...pretty sure im going to require several days of recovery first.....
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7
replied to comment from Mark Harris…
Check out the link to the very real study, it's not a joke!
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8
wrote …
Is there any connection perhaps between this phenomenon and losing control or cognition for a split second? As example: Have any women seemingly lost cognition at the point of involuntary exercise-induced orgasm? Has anyone ever 'fallen' off a pullup bar, or rope, or box...? Or, simply, let go without knowing it because an orgasm was happening and maybe they weren't aware?
Also, what is the difference between orgasm related urination and loose kegels from childbirth? Or are the two interrelated?
Thanks,
~Mark's wife =)
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9
Steven Platek Platek wrote …
According to the peer-reviewed literature and several therapists I've talked with this is a very real effect. Most people experience embarrassment, but other than that no real problems associated with it. From a neurophsyiological perspective it seems to me like one possibility is an individual with a rather sensitive internal clitoral structure (the clitoris is not just an external anatomical substrate, but actually is well-represented on the internal walls of the pelvic area). Assertive movement in this area can activate it below the surface; additionally contractile force of the muscles engaged in core exercises could disengage the contractile inhibitory responses of the musculature around the internal features of the clitoris. Both of these conditions could, hypothetically, produce an increased probability of orgasmic potential.
This is a really good article and writ-up and I like the link/suggestion to a better understanding of rape-induced orgasm; a situation in which a female would likely be fighting an attacker and one of the things we can assume she might be doing is forcibly contracting her pelvic and abdominal muscles in a functional attempt to evade forcible copulation. This creates a very similar situation to that one I described above. The science mind in me has so many questions and ideas about research....
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10
wrote …
No joke here, A triathlete friend of mine can climax when doing toe touches while lying on her back, feet up in the air. Lucky her...
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11
wrote …
This is ridiculous, everyone knows the female orgasm is one of the world's great myths. ;)
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12
wrote …
thats what i call an awesome side effect of fitness
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13
wrote …
They are very real. When I was in the Army, my girlfriend would run with me. She sometimes had an orgasm while she was running and I would have to catch her before she fell. Made it difficult during physical fitness training in formations that we had to do. She was multi-multi-multi-orgasmic.
Almost all women can have orgasms and most can have multiple orgasms. I met so many women that say they haven't had one or haven't had multiple orgasms and I smile and tell them I can make them have many. They wind up being believers. It is not hard. Part of it is thinking you can't have them. My girlfriend didn't think she could have massive multiple orgasms, but she could. The highest amount of orgasms I could count to was 25 and then I lost count. After the huge ones, I would just touch her and she would have one. She used to push me away and wouldn't let me touch her for about 10 minutes because she kept having orgasms. She is no longer around, but I still have fond memories. Most women can have them and if you think you can't, then let me know. Not too hard. The guy should be able to make you have more than a couple or maybe he needs to take more of an interest in how to make your body feel good and how to have multiple orgasms.
I think it is great that women can have them when they exercise and think that the more orgasms a woman has, the better, and that's what I like to do, give them as many orgasms as they can handle.
Happy Sexercising your Coregasms......
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14
wrote …
Yep - this is definitely true! I get them with L-Sits, sometimes ring dips, rope climbs, and a few times I got one from push ups. I've gotten close with some weightlifting (power cleans seem to do it), but have stopped performing reps before climaxing. It is always after a lot of reps or I'm close to exhaustion. Occasionally I can get two or three in a row if I'm still capable of doing the movement that caused it. As they mentioned in the article, some women (me included) get them in their sleep, too. Ah sure is nice to be a lady. ;)
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