Red Hot Touch

Chapter 1 GET YOUR HANDS IN SHAPE I started out to be a sex fiend, but I couldn't pass the physical. ROBERT MITCHUM First things first: Let's get your hands ready for all the excitement. Put a little effort into honing and toning their talents before you hit the sheets and you will be like a sports star who has taken care to train before stepping into the ring. If you want to be able to keep the pleasure going long into the night, then the solution is simple: Your hands need a little exercise. Consider this chapter a personal training program for your hands. These miniworkouts (which are used by sexological bodyworkers and massage therapists) will make your hands stronger, faster, more flexible, and even more fine-tuned to feeling subtle sensations than ever before. What's more, they take only a few minutes to do and don't require a gym membership-any old place from your living room to your car is fine. For optimal fitness, each exercise should be performed at least once a day for one to two weeks to bring your musculature and sensitivity up to speed; after that, you can do them once per week to maintain your hands' pleasure-inducing performance levels. While having to worry about getting yet one more body part into shape may seem like a drag, think of it this way: It's all for the pursuit of pleasure. What endeavor could be more worthwhile? Once you see the results, you'll be very glad you did these drills. FOR STRENGTH Exercise #1: Play Ball Get a tennis ball, racquetball, or buy one of those squishy "stress balls" you often see strategically placed near the register at drugstores (no doubt to alleviate the mounting tension that comes from waiting for a prescription refill). Close your hand around your ball of choice and squeeze as hard as you can for three seconds, then relax. Repeat at least ten times. This will strengthen the muscles in your palm and fingers, helping you to knead your partner for a sustained session without wimping out. Exercise #2: Towel Twister This exercise will strengthen your wrists. Holding an end of a hand towel in each hand, twist the towel as much as you can, as if you were wringing water out of it. Hold for five seconds, then reverse directions. Repeat ten times. Exercise #3: The Upper Body Booster This exercise will increase overall upper body strength. Keeping your legs straight, bend over and place your palms on the floor so your body forms an upside-down V (if you have ever taken a yoga class, you may recognize this pose as the Downward Dog). Lean your weight onto your palms and press them into the floor, making sure to spread your fingers as wide as possible. Hold for ten seconds; repeat five times. FOR FLEXIBILITY Exercise #4: The Finger Stretcher This exercise will stretch the muscles in each finger individually, as well as the corresponding tendons running down into the wrist. Holding one hand out in front of you, palm facing forward as if to say "stop" to oncoming traffic, grab its thumb with your other hand and pull it back for a second, then release. Then pull back your index finger, then your middle finger, and so on. Then switch hands. Exercise #5: The Rubber Wrist Pull your thumb down toward the inside of your wrist and hold for a count of ten. Then grab your four fingers and pull them back toward the top of your wrist for the same amount of time. Respectively this will stretch the top and bottom of your wrist for more all-around flexibility. Perform each stretch twice. Exercise #6: The Forearm Flexor Get down on all fours; the fingertips in both hands should naturally point forward. Rotate one of your wrists inward so your fingers are pointing back toward your feet. Then slowly lower your butt toward the floor; thisHanauer, Jon is the author of 'Red Hot Touch', published 2008 under ISBN 9780767928212 and ISBN 0767928210.