Five easy steps to giving the bedroom performance of your life
When you try to cram more than one orgasm into an evening's entertainment, they often turn out like the Rocky films: the first is great, the second is half as good, and you can forget about the third, fourth and fifth. You're probably satisfied with your typical output - one frantic session then sleep. But multiple erections have their advantages: you'll impress and excite any woman, and you may also find your second and third erections are stronger and last longer. So why stop at a single helping? Here's how you can get secondsŠ even thirds.

BUILD UP STEAM
Before you even think about undressing her, you have to train your brain and body for the long night ahead. Follow these pre-bedroom tactics:

• Keep your distance A recent study found that men reported a ten per cent increase in their sexual desire for every 100 hours they spent away from their partners. "The time when a man can't account for his partner's whereabouts is theoretically time she could be having sex with other men," says psychologist Todd Shackelford, who conducted the study. That's why you're more eager to stake your claim. So if you're planning a big night limit the time you spend with her for a couple of days beforehand.
• Even if you're flying solo, keep your hands off the controls To reduce your recovery time in bed, don't masturbate for several days before your date. "The more you ejaculate, the longer your refractory periods," says urologic surgeon Dudley Danoff. Psychologically, the lay-off period increases your level of lust. Physiologically, the build-up guarantees a full tank when you need it.
• Take her out for a flash meal Make sure it's a place where she'll wear her sexiest stuff. If fellow diners spend more time staring at her strapless black dress than at their lobster, your proverbial pistons will be ready for firing. "If a man perceives his partner as sexually attractive to other men, that makes him more interested in sex with her," says Shackelford. And urologists agree - though not necessarily using these words - that the higher your desire, the stronger your donger

IGNORE THE ROMANCE
Now that she's naked, consider your first erection the sacrificial lamb. Too much stimulation early on can desensitise your penis later, so limit the foreplay for now and start thrusting as soon as it's practical. "Men with premature ejaculation problems often report that their second erections are longer-lasting and thus better," says urologist James Barada. Lather her up for a quickie, climax as fast as you can, and reassure her that this sudden earthquake is going to be followed by a devastating aftershock. That's the line we try anyway.

SPEED THE RECOVERY
Speed the recovery Before you can have another erection, the muscles that constrict during orgasm need to relax completely. "That way, the cells in your penile tissue will rest long enough to be ready for your next erection," Dr Barada says. To increase your bounce-back time, take these steps:

• Swap massages Relieving tension in any of your muscles decreases anxiety, a factor in secondary erections. Massage her first. Here's our tip: stay away from your favourite areas of her body during the first part of the massage. You need rest, not more excitement.
• Ask her to get out of bed and fetch you a lager from the fridge Alcohol in low doses helps increase the arousal signals from your brain to your penile tissue, says Dr Barada. Your inhibitions are lowered, so you're more easily excited than if you were completely sober (a lesson you probably learned at your first teenage house party). "But after two drinks, alcohol acts as a potent depressant. And though it may delay an orgasm, it decreases your ability to have another erection," Dr Barada says.When you've downed your beer, get out of bed and dispose of the empties. Good circulation is also important in maintaining strong erections, and you can improve your bloodflow just by standing up and moving around.
• Avoid any post-romp cigarettes Nicotine, which causes blood vessels to constrict, kills erections faster than a repeat of That's Life.
  

NIP DOWN THE TOY SHOP
They needed a study to prove this? Korean researchers recently showed that, in a group of 45 men, the rigidity of erections decreased by nearly 15 per cent from the first time they watched an erotic video to the third time they watched the very same video. It's a simple fact: to stay hard, you need to change your stimuli. For repeat performances, always treat every time as if it were the first. You can do that simply by experimenting with different tactile sensations. Most people use oil or lotion, but you can do better, says sex therapist Michael Seiler. Raid your wardrobe for two pairs of fur-lined gloves: one for you, one for her. Wear them inside out and carry on...

LET NATURE DO THE WORK
Until now, you've done all the heavy lifting. So by the end of the night, you deserve some help. A 32-year-old man has anywhere between two to eight involuntary erections during the night, says urologist Jacques Susset. Each one lasts anywhere from ten minutes to an hour. So just before you nod off, set your alarm for three hours later. With any luck, your penis will be up before you. Slide behind her to demonstrate your interest, and you'll be on for the third act. Take a bow afterwards.

Time for a refill?
As you get older it becomes harder to achieve one orgasm after another. "What men don't appreciate is that as they age, the urge to ejaculate during sex is not as strong as it was when they were young," says Richard Milsten, author of 'The Sexual Male, Problems and Solutions' (Norton, £18.95).

Your body also needs more time to recover physically and sexually. This much-needed break is called the 'refractory period' - the time it takes for your penis to go from one ejaculation to the next erection. Part of the reason for this is to allow the prostate, seminal vesicles and other ducts to refill with fluid. The process is a bit like a toilet cistern: it won't flush again until it's refilled. And the reason women seem to keep on going? Simple: they have no refractory period. Or, to put it another way, they're missing a ballcock.

SUPER LUBE
If you're going for longer, you may need a little lubrication to keep things moving...

DO USE: Water-based lubricants, such as:
K-Y Jelly For years the old standby, and the only thing available in supermarkets and chemists. Tends to be a little heavy and greasy, though, because it was originally designed for medical use (to help the doc with that old rectal examination).

Astroglide Plenty of people swear by this space-age synthetic lubricant invented by a NASA subcontractor who started out, oddly enough, experimenting with low-viscosity rocket engine coolants. Fairly expensive but you only need a couple of drops. It's clear, nonstaining, amazingly slippery and faintly sweet-tasting. Unlike other water-soluble gels, it doesn't dry out on contact with air.

Spermicide Some people simply use spermicidal creams or jellies which are condom-safe and noxious to sperm and HIV. But since the active ingredient in most of them, nonoxynol-9, is actually a mild detergent, it may taste slightly soapy. Some people also find it irritating to the skin. Saliva Often thought of as the all-time greatest sexual lubricant. It's also politically correct: totally natural, non-toxic and not cruel to animals. It's also free.

Don't use: Baby oil or Vaseline, for two reasons: Oil-based lubricants will destroy latex condoms with alarming speed, opening holes big enough to allow the HIV virus to pass through within 60 seconds, and big enough for sperm within minutes. They also tend to cling to the inside of her vagina for days after your visit, encouraging yeast and bacterial growth.