How to Master Amazon Sex Position, According to a Sex Therapist

Want to go beyond missionary? Here's why you and your partner should give the Amazon sex position a go.

The Amazon sex position is a fairly new sex position and a serious internet sensation—for good reason. This athletic, woman-dominating stance has a lot to offer among fun and different sex positions.

It gets its name from the mythical women-only warrior tribe, the Amazons, from ancient Greece. The Amazons are featured in many epic poems and stories, known for their battle skills, strength, courage, and beauty—oh, and for living on an island without any men. The Amazons have popped up again in recent pop culture, due to the Wonder Woman movie, the heroine of which (Diana Prince) is from the Amazon tribe.

With this history in mind, the Amazon sex position was born. It's empowering and emboldening, making it one of the best sex positions for women.

What Is the Amazon Sex Position?

Amazon sex position looks like a mix of cowgirl/rider and missionary sex positions. The vulva-owner rides the penetrative partner—like in cowgirl position—only the giver’s legs are pulled up toward their chest.

Be warned, this position requires some serious flexibility, mobility, and balance. But if you’re ready to give the Amazon sex position a whirl, this is everything you need to know.

How to Do the Amazon Sex Position

1. The penetrative partner lies on their back and bends their knees 90 degrees  to table top position, to start. Ideally, they'll draw their knees all the way to their chest—similar to happy baby pose in yoga—but this isn’t necessary for the position to work.
2. The receiver straddles the giver, aligning the genitals and holding the penetrative partner's lower legs or knees. This will aid in their balance and support, but also lessen the giver's fatigue from holding their legs up.
3. The receiver gently lowers themselves onto the giver's penis or dildo, moving slowly at first. Once in position, the receiver can bounce up and down, using their legs for leverage, or gyrate with full control over speed and depth of penetration. 

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Modifications to Make Amazon Position More Enjoyable

You can certainly add a whole host of sex toys for men and sex toys for women to the Amazon sex position—just be sure you have the balancing part down pat before you add something like cock rings. 

1. Add a Wand Vibrator

This is a great position for sex toys. We’d suggest a wand vibrator, as the long base makes it easier for the rider to use on themselves—providing much-needed clitoral stimulation. Doxy Extra Powerful Wand Massager is an excellent choice for this. The cast aluminum head has a cushioned cover for greater comfort and tactile buttons to switch between settings and speeds. Just note this needs to be plugged into an outlet while in use.

2. Try a Couples' Vibrator or Cock Ring

You can also incorporate a couples’ vibrator, which is designed to be worn during penetrative sex. We-Vibe Sync 2 and Dame Eva are excellent couples’ toys that get the job done. You can also try a vibrating cock-ring like Fun Factory Nos C-Ring.

3. Use a Good-Quality Lube

Lastly, be sure to get a high-quality lubricant to enhance comfort and overall pleasure. A water-based lubricant is always the best choice, especially if you’re using silicone sex toys, as a silicone lube can break down the toy over time. Some great choices are Good Clean Love Almost Naked Lube, a water- and aloe-based lube that's gynecologist-recommended and safe for use with silicone toys; and Lovehoney Water-Based Lube, which is compatible with all sex toys, as well as latex and polyurethane condoms.

Best Amazon Position Sex Variations  

Top Cat

Why It's Great

This is a slight variation to the Amazon sex position in that the receiving partner doesn't straddle the giver. Instead, they kneel on the inside of their partner’s legs. This is great if the receiving partner has limited hip flexibility. After all, who needs to be that acrobatic when the same power dynamics can be achieved with greater ease?

How to Do It

1. The penetrative partner lies on their back and bends their knees 90 degrees to table top position, to start. 
2. The receiving partner kneels in between their legs, rather than straddling them with their knees outside the giver's hips.
3. The partner on top can lean forward on their hands for support or lie flat against their partner's chest. The partner on bottom can wrap their legs around the receiver's low back (this can help take the strain off the hip flexors).  

Pro Tip

The vulva-owner can slide up and down their partner’s body to better stimulate the clitoris, much like they would while doing the coital alignment technique.

Reverse Amazon Sex Position

Why It's Great

Some people lose their inhibitions when they're not making direct eye contact with their partner. This variation still puts the vulva-owner in control, but removes their sightlines.

How to Do It

1. The penetrative partner lies on their back and bends their knees 90 degrees to table top position, to start.
2. The vulva-owner slowly squats over their partner's dildo or penis, facing away, and either balances on their feet (harder) or knees (easier). 
3. Once settled, the vulva-owner can rest their hands on either side of their partner's hips or stimulate their clitoris. 

Pro Tip

How you decide to move in this position is entirely up to you, but we suggest a gentle bouncing motion or rocking back and forth.

Squatting Cowgirl

Why It's Great

Squatting cowgirl allows the receiver to keep the dom energy alive without having to do any sexual heavy-lifting. This position makes bouncing up and down pretty easy, as they have the full power of their legs. 

How to Do It

1. The penetrative partner lies on their back and extends their legs in the air, to start.
2. The vulva-owner, squats over the giver, facing them, lowering onto their penis or dildo, planting the soles of their feet next to their partner's waist. Both partners can hold onto each other for support.
3. Think of this like a yogi squat—only with penetration. Bounce up and down, but be mindful not to hurt the penis-owner.

Pro Tip

If the vulva-owner starts to get the dreaded quad burn, swap to classic cowgirl. Because this requires a lot of hamstring flexibility for the giver, be sure to stretch first.

Related: 10 Things Every Woman Wishes You Did During Sex

Amazon Position Sex Benefits

1. Amazon sex position encourages for direct eye contact, making it both hot and intimate. 
2. It allows the vulva-owner to access their clitoris quite easily, as their hands are free. The rider may also be able to generate some contact friction on the clitoris while riding, but this will depend on each person’s anatomy.
3. Possibly the most exciting benefit of Amazon sex position is the power play it offers. The vulva-owner is in the dominant position, which can really flip cultural scripts. There's something deeply hot about being dominated by your female or femme partner. Engaging in power play is a fun way to spice up the eroticism in the bedroom and be a better lover. It’s not just that the Amazon is a new and athletic position, it also offers you and your partner alternative roles in the bedroom.
4. Speaking of the athleticism involved, we also rate this position for its visual appeal. Sometimes it’s fun to try some sexual acrobatics.
5. Lastly, if you or your partner experience pain or discomfort during penetration, this position can be a lifesaver. Due to the position of the penis-owner’s body, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to penetrate super deeply, which can help with pain.  

Potential Downsides of Amazon Sex Position

1. One big downside of Amazon sex position is it’s relatively advanced and hard to do. Since this position requires the penetrating partner to bring their thighs all the way to their chest, it can cause hip discomfort. For the person being penetrated, they may find it difficult to move up and down (or back and forth) while trying to keep their partner's legs in place. You’re also going to need some serious core strength to rock this one.
2. Another setback? This position is a designated LDP (long dick position). Because the penis/dildo needs to reach past the inserting partner’s thighs, length is crucial. It can become quite challenging, if not impossible, if the penis or dildo lacks the length to reach. While size certainly doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of amazing sex, different positions are better suited for different anatomies.

Luckily, with our helpful toys and variations, you can customize this position to work for you.  

Related: 10 Tips to Give Her the Best Oral Sex

Why You Should Trust Me

I've been in the sexuality space as an educator, writer, and therapist for over a decade. When it comes to the topic of sexual health and wellness, there’s basically nothing I haven’t written about and researched.

I’m a COSRT-registered, certified sex and relationship psychotherapist specializing in Gender Sexuality and Relationship Diversity (GSRD). I’m also an accredited GSRD therapist with Pink Therapy. I currently work for The Therapy Yard, a psychosexual and relationships clinic in London, England.

On top of my clinic work, I’m also an author. My first book, All The F*cking Mistakes, was released by St. Martin’s Press in 2020 and it’s about embracing your sexy self and living your best life.

My work regularly appears in many publications including Cosmo, Glamour, Men's Health, and Refinery29.