This blog post was from Karl Wikman's PE blog. He is a moderator on the subreddit TSoPE

His blog can be found here.

And his reddit can be found here.

Let me cut straight to it: The NBP (non-bone-pressed) measurement is largely a “vanity metric.” It’s the length of your penis visible without pressing into your fat pad. Sure, it’s what looks good in the mirror, but it’s inconsistent — varying based on hydration, posture, and weight. Lose weight? Boom, instant “gain,” but your penis didn’t actually grow. Is becoming more metabolically healthy still something we should all strive for anyway? Yes, of course, the benefits to erection quality and stamina are massive. But that does not mean NBP is a very useful metric.

Now, the BP (bone-pressed) measurement? That’s the gold standard for tracking progress in PE. It’s a precise, consistent way to measure your true length, uninfluenced by external factors like fat pad thickness. And it’s what science and studies use because it removes the variables.

But let’s talk about “usable length”, a phrase that’s repeatedly misunderstood. Want to know your real-world usable size during sex? Do this:

The Fleshlight Trick

1. Grab a Fleshlight or a similar rigid pocket toy with a hard outer shell.
2. Insert your erect D as deep as possible, mimicking the pressure of a partner riding you and grinding their pelvis into yours.
3. Use a ruler to measure the distance from the toy’s top to where your penis stops.
4. Subtract this from the total length of the Fleshlight, and voila: usable length.
5. Stop writing these “NBP should be what matters” posts. (ok, that one was not part of the Fleshlight trick)

This measurement lands somewhere between BP and NBP — closer to BP if you have a significant fat pad, as it compresses under pressure. For chubbier guys, the compressibility of the fat pad means a lot more “usable” inches than the mirror suggests. If the belly doesn’t get in the way, of course, which it might in some positions, lol. Muscular thighs or a woman with a big booty will of course subtract quite a bit in certain positions, but under ideal conditions, the fleshlight trick gives you your usable length.

Why I’m Frustrated About This Topic

If I had a pound for every time someone asked about NBP vs BP vs usable length, I’d be richer than Jeff Bezos. This isn’t a bloody “biggest dick contest,” but some people can’t get over their fixation with NBP vanity numbers. Look, I get it — there’s insecurity at play, and the internet exacerbates it. But please, measure what matters if you’re serious about tracking growth.

That extra inch (or two or more) from BP? Yes, it absolutely contributes during sex. Partners feel close to the full length during deep penetration or when pushing against you. They’ll also notice the extra inch during a blowjob, where hands and motion push back the fat pad. Stop thinking of BP gains as meaningless just because they’re “invisible.” Your partner isn’t staring at you in the mirror; they’re feeling you in bed.

NBP as a Misleading Metric

Sure, skinny guys like NBP because it strokes their egos. But here’s the truth: NBP fluctuates with water retention, posture, or even whether you’re standing, sitting, or lying down. If you use it to track gains, you’re sabotaging your progress — what you’re measuring isn’t your actual growth.

I wish there were a “PE Dicktator” rule: Only BP counts. NBP comparisons are banned! (I’m not entirely serious, I’m all in favour of freedom of speech, I’m just so very tired of the 3+ posts per week where someone claims the supremacy of NBP). In PE, progress isn’t about looking good on paper or in Reddit threads — it’s about results you can feel and use. The best way to track progress is to bone-press that ruler, hold it at a consistent 90° angle each time, make sure you are not fooling yourself by looking down at it from an angle or tilting your pelvis, etc. The best way to tell your usable size is with the fleshlight trick.

Final Word

Stop chasing irrelevant metrics. BP is your actual length, and it’s what studies and experienced PE practitioners trust. If you’re curious about usable size, use the Fleshlight trick, but don’t obsess. Your fat pad is compressible; your real length is what matters in and out of the bedroom. Also, girth trumps length in 80% of all cases and what women speak about when they talk about big dicks is more girth than length; they mean volume. We should all be tracking our volume gains as the main parameter. calcsd.info

has a convenient calculator with a decent formula for that.

Addendum: I Lied — That Wasn’t My Final Word

Let me clarify: losing fat is absolutely worthwhile. Reducing adiposity and gaining muscle have profound benefits for erection quality, stamina in bed, and overall health. In fact, these improvements will likely have a more transformative impact on your sex life than gaining an inch of length in 99% of cases. However, like PE, weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint.

The overly simplistic “calories in, calories out” (CICO) mantra fails to consider the complex biological mechanisms at play. Factors like hormones, leptin resistance, insulin resistance, and the pro-inflammatory effects of visceral and intra-hepatic fat all influence your long-term metabolic health. The gut-brain axis and your microbiome also play significant roles in hunger regulation and overall appetite dysregulation.

Anyone who says, “Just lift, eat less, and exercise more — trust me, bro,” is missing the bigger picture. Sure, that advice might work for 3–6 months, but the long-term success rate of losing 50+ pounds of fat and keeping it off for five years is abysmally low — even lower than the success rate of heroin addicts getting clean and staying sober.

The real focus needs to be on addressing the root causes: metabolic disorders, hormonal imbalances, and appetite dysregulation. Arming yourself with a solid understanding of these complexities will serve you far better than following overconfident fitness influencers who regurgitate outdated advice.

And most important of all, if you struggle with the metabolic syndrome; try to foster an attitude of gentle, compassionate and positive self-talk instead of constantly speaking negatively to yourself to fuel weight loss. There are a lot of people out there who are metabolically healthy and who have zero empathy for people’s struggles because they have never had appetite dysregulation due to leptin resistance and insulin resistance. They think it’s just a lack of self-discipline. Fuck them. It’s not a matter of self-discipline. It’s about taking care of the underlying factors that are causing a dysregulation of appetite. Focus on getting metabolically flexible and curing leptin- and insulin resistance by getting rid of visceral an intra-hepatic fat, and overall fat loss will come as a positive side effect. Fat loss itself should not be your main focus, taking care of your metabolic health should. It’s worth it for the sexual benefits alone, and your EQ gains will make your cock actually bigger (because EQ gains are definitely gains — in fact, they are the best kind of gains).

Karl — over and out

Ps. In the future, when people ask about NBP vs BP vs Usable length, I will just link them to this post and try to not get so frustrated with them. Wish me luck.