Charles Bronson uses a 'penis enlargement' workout people definitely shouldn't try

James Moorhouse
2026-02-04T12:04:18.857Z
Community

His claims certainly aren't backed by science

Charles Bronson is already renowned as the UK's most notorious prisoner, but his reputation is seemingly never going to falter.

Having been arrested for armed robbery when he was just 22 in 1974, Bronson has spent a large part of the last 52 years behind bars, having been involved in a number of violent incidents.

Attacks on other prisoners and guards saw his initial seven-year sentence extended and he had a brief flirtation with freedom before being thrown back in jail for a second armed robbery.

The boxer finally earned himself a discretionary life term after holding a teacher hostage for 44 hours, and he's had a number of parole requests denied over the past few decades.

Bronson, who has since changed his name to Charles Salvador, might have already made a name for himself but that hasn't stopped him from pursuing other passions during his time in prison.

Charles Bronson has spent most of his adult life behind bars (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

This includes the release of a fitness book in 2002, titled Solitary Fitness, which details how he's managed to stay in shape despite often being placed in solitary confinement.

One of Charles' more controversial ‘workouts’ sees him focus on none other than the penis.

The thought of putting your penis through any sort of workout that isn't sex or masturbation seems disturbing, and rightly so, but the prisoner believes that his methods can supplement size and improve sexual performance, despite there being very little scientific grounding behind his claims.

Men's Health urged readers not to try the so-called workout at home and they're absolutely right, as it looks to be a case of all pain and no gain.

In Solitary Fitness, Bronson writes: "It has been proven time and again that sexiness comes from confidence. Having a bigger, thicker and more muscular penis will give you that confidence."

While bigger isn't always better, Bronson seems determined to boost his and everyone else's crown jewels, even if his armed robberies never took him to the Tower of London.

At the beginning of his workout, he says he places a ‘warm towel’ on his erect penis for around ‘two to three minutes’, before starting the first step.

According to Bronson, this sees you ‘firmly grip your penis just below the head’, pull ‘until you feel a stretch’, and hold for ‘12 to 15 seconds’. This is repeated for ‘15 repetitions’, followed by a ‘circular motion’ swing for ‘approximately 20 seconds’.

Bronson managed to publish a fitness book behind bars (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

This is beginning to sound like a bizarre recipe because by this point your penis should apparently be ‘semi-erect’ and Bronson prescribes ‘100 slides with each hand’, after lubricant is applied and strokes from the base to ‘the middle’ are completed.

But once again, it's probably worth mentioning that scientists don't back this method and instead suggest that any short-term size changes are usually due to temporary swelling or increased blood flow, rather than a sustained structural change.

So, much like any other of Bronson's pieces of advice, it's probably best not to follow.