22 missionary sex positions that’ll heat up the tried-and-true classic

Missionary might not seem like the most exciting sex position, but it is versatile, which means anyone can do it with either penis or strap on, and it offers tons of potential to spice things up. “It’s a perfect playground for exploring emotional intimacy and discovering just how good ‘simple’ can feel when it’s done with intention (and maybe a little lube),” says Evie Plumb, accredited sex educator and founder of Cliterally The Best. It’s easy to transition from missionary into any other position you want to try, whether it’s seashell (the receiver stays on their back!), cowgirl, or doggy. And if you want it to act as a sort of “first round,” it can lay a great foundation for whatever’s next, because if missionary is anything, it’s intimate. “You can connect on a deeper level with your partner simply by looking into their eyes, feeling the beat of their heart, or listening to their breathy moans and groans of pleasure,” says sexologist Marla Renee Stewart, MA, sexpert for Lovers. The position is also incredible as the main event, especially because of the easy clitoral access it gives the receiver; just position the giver on their knees instead of flat on top. “Rub, grind, vibe, play, stroke, press, pulse or caress,” says Jess O’Reilly, PhD, sex expert at Astroglide. Bring in a sex toy—especially one that can be worn hands-free during penetration. And if you want to give it a touch of BDSM, bust out the handcuffs, suggests sex educator Searah Deysach, owner of feminist sex shop Early to Bed. “Bringing some light bondage into your missionary position is an easy way to add a little spice.” No matter what you’re craving, here are 22 missionary sex positions to make it happen. 1 The Standard Missionary How to Do It: The receiving partner lies on their back with their legs spread open. The giving partner lies on top of them, between their legs, to enter. The giver can hold their upper body up on their hands or elbows. Pros: Maximum skin-to-skin contact, lots of eye contact, and deep penetration. Plus, everyone kind of knows what to do. Cons: This position might not include enough clit stim for some. Add toys or a hand, or make sure everyone with a vulva gets an orgasm or two before or after. Switch It Up: The giver can occasionally pull out between strokes and slide between the receiver’s labia. Or, if you’re going anally, their ass cheeks. Make It Hotter: A vibrating cock ring can change the experience from Very Good to OMG I’m Cumming Right Now. 2 The Mating Press How to Do It: It’s missionary, but the receiver's legs are wide open above their shoulders. The top partner presses their body into the receiver with each thrust. “Think of this as missionary’s deeper, filthier cousin,” says Plumb. Pros: “It’s intense, intimate, and allows for seriously deep penetration,” says Plumb. “Great for eye contact, or pressing your partner into the mattress.” Cons: The penetration can be extremely deep—like, potentially reaching the cervix deep. Make sure you start out slow. Switch It Up: Mating press is great for exploring power dynamics. You can play up those elements of Dominance and submission in a “lite” version with something simple, like having the giver pin the receiver’s wrists down. Make It Hotter: The mating press is popular among people with breeding kinks. Explore those ideas by really focusing on the primal aspect of taking and being taken, as well as the ejaculation itself. (It no one has a penis, or you want to try it with pegging, you can buy an ejaculating penis.) 3 Spreadeagle How to Do It: "In this variation, the receiving partner lies on their back with their arms and legs fully spread, offering a sense of vulnerability that can feel deeply connective," says Plumb. The giver enters by lying on top and holding themselves up a bit. Pros: This one's great for deep penetration, and since the penetrating partner is hovering, it allows space for the receiver to slide in their hands or a sex toy for clitoral stimulation. Cons: If you aren't proactive about clit stim, it won’t happen. The space is there for a reason—don't be afraid to use it! Switch It Up: For even more space for hands or toys, the giver can sit back on their knees and the receiver can drape their legs over their partner’s thighs. Make It Hotter: The giver can build anticipation by teasing the receiver for slightly longer than necessary with kisses all over the body, licks up the inner thighs, and sucking on their earlobes until they beg for more. 4 Slo Mo Missionary How to Do It: In this take on the classic missionary position, it’s regular missionary, but the penetrating partner slows their movements way down. Add some intimate eye-gazing and stroke each other’s bodies as you move. Pros: Drawing out the experience makes everything feel more vivid and intense. Cons: The eye contact and the slow movements can be overwhelming for some people. It's totally okay to close your eyes and look at other parts of your partner's face to lessen the intensity. Sensual lip gaze, anyone? Switch It Up: Take every moment and stretch it out—the moment of anticipation just before penetration when the tip of their penis or strap-on presses against the receiver; the slow slide-in (make it even slower than you think it should be); the moment they’re all in... pause and just feel each other. Make It Hotter: The receiver can squeeze their vaginal or anal muscles around the giver with each deep thrust. 5 The Grinding Missionary How to Do It: This is *chef’s kiss* for two people with vulvas. Start in missionary with one person on top of the other, then arrange yourselves so that your vulvas are pressing directly against each other's, or against your partner’s thigh or pubic bone. “The majority of vulva owners don’t climax from penetration, so they can make the missionary position all about clitoral stimulation by grinding against each other’s thighs and pubic bones, one on top of the other, instead of penetrating,” says Alma Ramírez Acosta, a sexual wellness expert. Pros: This position is all about the clit stim. The grinding movements can feel ah-mazing, especially with a little bit of lube. Cons: This is scissoring in a different font. If you don’t love that, enhance with more stimulation anally, vaginally, or with toys or hands for your clit. Switch It Up: Amp up the romance by adding some gentle stimulation—stroking your partner’s chest or holding each other’s face in your hands. Make It Hotter: If you need/crave more stimulation, add toys and/or vibrators. “Double-ended strap-ons allow both the giver and the receiver to be penetrated at the same time,” she says. 6 The Sensory Missionary How to Do It: This position is all about stimulating your senses. Get in missionary and wear a blindfold, turn the lights off, and overload your auditory systems with loud music. Lay down a silk or satin sheet, or place something soft and furry between your bodies. Pros: “Playing with the senses heightens your response to touch, sound, sight, and more,” says O'Reilly. Plus, it’s a fun and different adventure to have together. Cons: Some people are nervous about being blindfolded. They can just close their eyes with the option to open them anytime they need to. Switch It Up: Try different sessions with different intents. Take it romantic, exploratory, or in a more BDSM direction, depending on where your passions lie. Make It Hotter: If you want to go deeper into sensory play, try temperature play using heating and/or cooling lubes, ice cubes, chilled or warmed dildos, etc… 7 The Floating Missionary How to Do It: Try weightless missionary with a sex swing. The receiver sits in the sex swing with their feet in the stirrups and their hands holding onto the straps. The giver stands to enter, pulling their partner against them while thrusting. Pros: Sex swings allow new angles, easier thrusting, and are great for people with mobility issues. Cons: You need to invest in the swing (sorry!) but some of them aren’t too expensive and don’t require any kind of drilling or otherwise turning your house into a sex dungeon. Switch It Up: The receiver can control the action by wrapping their arms around their partner and pulling them close, changing the depth and speed as they please. Make It Hotter: Swings are inherently a bit BDSM-y, so lean into that by binding the receiver’s wrists to the straps to help them submit to the experience. 8 The Buzzy Love How to Do It: The receiver lies on their back with their hips at the edge of a bed or table. The giver stands to penetrate with their penis or strap-on. The giver or the receiver holds a strong-ass wand vibrator against the giver’s vulva. Pros: There's plenty of space to hold a powerful vibrator. For folks who cannot cum via penetration alone, the vibrator adds tons of extra stimulation. And people who can cum from penetration will dig the internal and external stimulation combo. Cons: Wand vibrators are strong AF. If it’s too much, wrap it in a towel or t-shirt. Switch It Up: Change the vibe (literally) by subbing in a clit-sucking toy. Make It Hotter: The giver can use two kinds of toys and switch between for some tortuous/delightful edging. 9 The Hump and Grind How to Do It: The person on top lubes up their partner's thigh, straddles their leg, then humps and grinds away as they please. The person on the bottom humps and rubs against their partner's thigh, which is conveniently right there between their legs. Pros: This is a great no-penetration option. If you have two humpers in your relationship, you need this. Cons: No penetration. If someone needs penetration to orgasm, try this, then switch to something else. Switch It Up: Change places and see what it’s like from the other perspective! Make It Hotter: If you’re feeling brave, try a heating or cooling lube. Or each person could use a different one. Have a wet cloth nearby in case your skin is too sensitive for the lubes. 10 The Raised Missionary How to Do It: The receiver lies on their back with a pillow or wedge under their butt and bends their knees, spreading their legs apart. The giver kneels between their partner’s legs so they can get in close for grinding. Pros: The grinding means lots of direct clit stim for anyone with a vulva. Cons: Grinding feels less great without the proper lubrication. Lube, as always, is your friend here. Switch It Up: The giver can switch between grinding their pelvis against the receiver with side-to-side, then circular hip motions. Make It Hotter: The penetrating partner can kneel so they can switch between thrust and grinds, and if that's not quite doing it for y’all, enhance with a hand or a toy. 11 The Electric LadylandHow to Do It: For a super-charged version of missionary, assume the usual position (giver on top, receiver on their back), but add a wearable vibrator that fits into the vagina during penetration Pros: If penetration alone isn't quite doing it (remember: so very, very normal!), a wearable vibrator can add hand’s-free stimulation. Cons: Wearable vibes can fit differently on different bodies. If one doesn’t work, it doesn’t mean the entire category is not for you—try another! Switch It Up: You can also try a vibrating cock ring, so everyone gets a little boost. Make It Hotter: Invest in a Transformers-like toy that can be worn as a cock ring/clit vibrator, then can switch to an internal vibe or one used for ball play, nipple stimulation, or whatever else you crave. 12 The JackknifeHow to Do It: The receiving partner lies on their back. They put one leg straight down alongside their partner’s and bend the other knee up. The giver lies on top to enter, holding onto the receiver’s bent leg if they’d like. Pros: A slightly new angle of penetration makes everything feel different. The receiver can shift their hips to rub against the partner’s pubic bone or get a different angle going. Cons: The receiver’s leg might not want to stay bent the whole time. It's totally okay to switch legs, or just put the legs where they feel most comfortable. Switch It Up: The giver can suck on the receiver’s toes and kiss their foot as they thrust. Make It Hotter: The giver gets on their knees for deeper thrusting, and so both of you get a better view of the action. 13 The Reverse Missionary How to Do It: Try a role reversal by having the person who's usually on the bottom get on the top and be the boss of missionary this time around. The person on top holds themselves up with elbows or hands, puts their legs between their partner’s, and thrusts away as they please. Pros: The role reversal can be super hot, especially for hetero couples who generally go with standard missionary gender roles. And if the person on top has a vulva, they can angle themselves to get more of the stimulation they need. Cons: If you're really used to your regular roles, it can feel awkward to switch. But if you try it with a sense of play and just let yourself explore, you might discover some new stuff you’re into. Switch It Up: If both of you have a vulva, use a vibrating strap-on with internal stimulation that can do it for you both. Make It Hotter: Play up the Dom/sub elements by having the person on top really get in character as the conqueror instead of the conquered. They can talk dirty, like telling the person on the bottom what they’re going to do to them, or how they own them or…. 14 The Slippery When Wet How to Do It: Go super decadent by grabbing a big bottle of lube and lubing yourselves up—everywhere. Cover your chest and legs with lube, then slide around on each other in slippery debauchery. Pros: The lube makes your entire body part of the slippery friction that is missionary. Plus, it’s just fun! Cons: This is not a tidy activity. Put down a ton of towels or invest in a waterproof blanket specially designed to handle lubes, goos, and such. Switch It Up: Use each other’s lubed bodies as sex toys. The giver can put their thigh between their partner’s legs and the receiver can slide against it, or they could slide their penis up to rub between the receiver's breasts. Make It Hotter: As long as you have the towels down, it’d be a great time to try squirting. 15 The X Spot How to Do It: The receiver lies on their back and spreads their legs and arms out like an X. The giver holds themselves up on their knees and elbows so that they’re hovering, avoiding most contact except groin to groin. Pros: This put an ultra-focus the feeling of the penetration. Cons: It can be tiring for the giver to hold themselves aloft, so it's totally okay if they want to tap out after a bit and lower their body. Switch It Up: Go completely silent and just look into each other’s each as you move together. Make It Hotter: Or try the opposite! Close your eyes and just communicate what you’re feeling to each other via moans. 16 The Pleasing Prop-Up How to Do It: Before getting in missionary, prop a sex pillow or regular old pillow under the receiver’s butt to lift their hips higher on an angle. The giver enters from the top and the receiver wraps their legs around the giver’s hips. Pros: The subtle shift changes the sensation dramatically and provides extra-deep penetration. It’s also good for givers with smaller penises. Cons: It might take awhile to find the proper pillow-to-hip ratio. Add pillows or subtract until everything feels just right. Switch It Up: Keep the pillow in place and you can transition easily to a rear-entry position. Make It Hotter: Add some bondage easily with a sex wedge that has built-in cuffs. You could cuff the receiver, or switch it up and have the giver assume a submissive role by cuffing them. 17 The Dirty Dangle How to Do It: The receiver lies on their back on an elevated surface like a table or counter. The giver stands to enter while the receiver wraps their legs around the giver. Pros: Deep penetration and lots of room for the receiver to use a hand or a toy. Cons: The penetration can feel too deep for some. If so, the receiver can bend their knees against their partner’s chest to control the depth. Switch It Up: This one well for anal or oral sex too! Make It Hotter: This is great for quickies. Just throw down on a kitchen counter, dining room table, or wherever/whenever your sex needs break out. 18 The Purring Kitty How to Do It: In CAT (aka Coital Alignment Technique), the giver shifts upwards so that their hips are higher than in usual missionary. Once they’re inside, the giver lifts their hips and presses their pubic bone against the receiver’s clit in a slow grind. Pros: The little shift in position creates more direct stimulation on the clit. For people who don’t usually cum with penetration, this can be the tweak that makes it happen. Cons: It still might not be enough stimulation to put some people over the edge. If not, try this a bit, then switch to whatever usually works for you. Switch It Up: The giver can circle their hips, rub up and down, or move from side to side. Switch it up or find the good one that’s gonna take you both to orgasm. Make It Hotter: Slather unholy amounts of lube all over your chests and slide your bodies against each other as you move. 19 Shoot the Moon How to Do It: The receiver lies on their back with their hips at the edge of a bed, then bends their knees up to their chest. The giver stands at the side of the bed and holds on the receiver’s ankles as they enter. Pros: Since the giver can change up the where their legs are, this position is fully adjustable as you do it. Cons: It doesn’t give much control to the receiver. If the receiver wants to be more dominant, they can instruct the giver on what to do. “Open my legs wider,” “Faster, “Slower," etc… Switch It Up: The giver can bend the receiver’s legs, push them together on their chest, spread them apart, push them straight up—the challenge is figuring out exactly what you both like. When at least one of you is groaning incoherently, you have a winner. Make It Hotter: Have a grand finale with the receiver’s legs spread wide as they bring themselves to orgasm with a hand or toy while the giver watches or succumbs along with them. 20 The Lock and Load How to Do It: The receiver lies flat on their back with their legs pressed closely together. The giver lies on top with their leg outside of the receiver’s legs. Pros: The leg press move makes every stroke feel enhanced. It’s also great for givers with a smaller penis or strap-on because it makes everything feel tighter and fuller. Cons: The initial insertion can be tricky when the receiver’s legs are closed. Try starting in regular missionary, then switch up your legs. Switch It Up: If the receiver has a vulva, they can angle themselves so their clit is gliding along their partner’s penis or strap-on. Make It Hotter: The receiver can take control by rolling their hips around slowly and you’ll get this amazing slide-y friction that will drive you both crazy. 21 The I Want You, I Need You How to Do It: Get in missionary, but the giver takes the receiver’s legs and puts them on their shoulders. According to famous research by Marta Meana, PhD, being hotly desired is what turns people with vulvas on most. If you’re on the bottom here, there’s no better way to see how much someone desires you than watching them hoist your legs over their shoulders so they can be inside you, like, right now. Pros: Feels intensely passionate, plus extra deep penetration. Cons: The penetration can be a lot, and if the receiver needs a little less love, they can bend their legs to create sort of a buffer zone to make the thrust more shallow. Switch It Up: The giver can grab the receiver’s hips for leverage to go even deeper. Make It Hotter: Amp up the must-have-you-now vibe by having the giver rear up onto their knees for more powerful thrusts. 22 The Side Winder How to Do It: Start in standard missionary with the penetrating partner on top. The person on top spins about 45 degrees to one side so that they’re entering from a sideways angle. Basically, your bodies will be forming an X shape. Pros: This is a great position if your partner is generously endowed, strap-on or penis-wise, because they won’t be able to enter as deeply. Cons: If you're working with a smaller penis or strap-on, it might not work as well, but if you want to give it a go, try it with a penis extender. Switch It Up: Try it one way for a while, then have the person on top switch to the other side. Most people have a more sensitive side of their clit. See which way does it for you more! Make It Hotter: The person on the bottom will have a better view of their partner’s ass pumping away. Add some consensual spankings, if the need arises.

22 missionary sex positions that’ll heat up the tried-and-true classic

For many people, missionary is a go-to for maximum pleasure. But when you're craving something new? Try one of these, trust.

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