Illustrated Encyclopedia of Sex Positions

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Man on top sex positions

The missionary - the basic man on top position

Well, we all know the man on top (or missionary) position. It's the one we learn to have sex in, the one we enjoy most, the one we keep coming back to whatever happens in our sex lives. With a new partner it may be fun to try new sex positions, but we eventually end up back in the man on top for most of the time we spend having sex! It's comforting and comfortable, and there are some very good reasons for its popularity. Legend would have it that a woman can just lie back and think of her duty while he gets on with the job of satisfying his desires and maybe giving her children. But the days of women being sexually subjugated to their menfolk are hopefully long since past, so there must be better reasons why this sex position remains the most popular of all.

sex positions and sexual techniques and positions
This shows the classic man on top sex position - if there is such a thing as a classic man on top position, that is. After all, there are many variations of this sex position which can add enjoyment for both partners. But most of us start our sex lives as shown here - with the man on top and the woman underneath as he penetrates her and supports himself on his arms and hands. It allows great body contact, it allows the partners to kiss, it allows deep penetration and pelvic thrusting by the man (things which most men simply love - it feels very emotionally and physically fulfilling to have a sexual partner in this position), it is easy to gain access to her vagina even if on occasion she has to help guide his penis in, and it is intimate, as the partners can gaze into each other's eyes as he enters her.

While he will certainly enjoy the feeling of being able to thrust powerfully, she too can move her pelvis and hips and add to the thrusting, and she is likely to experience a feeling of safety and security while they make love. All in all, then, there are plenty of reasons why this remains such a popular sex position, but basically both men and women find it very satisfying.

sex positions and sexual techniques and positions
There some people who think the man on top sex position reinforces sexual stereotypes. For example, the man becomes the dominant partner and leads during sex (after all, he's "on top"), while the woman is the submissive partner, and her physical position reflects this psychological oppression. It could be, however, that the reason man on top sex positions work for so many people is because these stereotypes, at least in the act of sex, have some basis in reality. sex positions and sexual techniques and positions
Be that as it may, the man on top position is very enjoyable. It provides the couple with ample opportunity to explore other parts of each other's bodies - for example, the man can kiss his partner's breasts and neck. There are endless variations on the theme. The man can lie on his partner, perhaps even resting all his weight on her if she likes him to do this...  sex positions and sexual techniques and positions
...or he can lift himself off his partner as shown here. These variations give him the opportunity to kiss her breasts, kiss her mouth or body, embrace her tightly or loosely...  sex positions and sexual techniques and positions
...and even lean back to watch the act of penetration.  sex positions and sexual techniques and positions
The sex position on the right is much easier if a man has a long penis than if he has a small penis. For men with a more modestly sized penis, the man on top variations in which the partners lie closely together are probably going to be more satisfying. But no man needs to miss out on the pleasure of watching himself penetrate his partner, for no matter what the size of his penis, he can enjoy a very clear view of himself penetrating his partner in the side by side sex position.

It's often easier to achieve good penetration if the woman puts a pillow under her hips, though this may not always be needed. You can experiment with these small adjustments to see if they add pleasure to the act of making love for you and your partner.

sex positions and sexual techniques and positions
Many women report that a great source of pleasure for them in the man on top position is the fact that they can see their man's face as he ejaculates. It seems to be a sight that women find awesome: the magnificence of the male orgasm, and the woman's ability to give a man such intense pleasure, seems to be something that profoundly satisfies and delights women.  sex positions and sexual techniques and positions
In this picture, the woman has wrapped her legs around the man's buttocks and back. This can be very sexy indeed for both partners - the woman can draw him into her body, achieving deeper penetration and encouraging him to thrust harder if she wants more forceful thrusting. He feels wanted and accepted and the pressure on his buttocks is a sexy and exciting feeling for him. And if a couple enjoy gazing into each other's eyes as they make love, there is certainly no better way to do it than this. sex positions and sexual techniques and positions
The sensations that the partners enjoy when making love in man on top positions will depend to a large extent on how far back the woman places her legs. The position shown here can be quite difficult to get into, although it is extremely sexy if the couple are supple enough to achieve it. If not, there are compromises such as the ones shown in the next six images: sex positions and sexual techniques and positions

sex positions and sexual techniques and positions sex positions and sexual techniques and positions sex positions and sexual techniques and positions sex positions and sexual techniques and positions sex positions and sexual techniques and positions

In each case, the degree of pressure on the man's penis (and hence the amount of physical pleasure he receives) will be directly related to the tightness of the woman's vagina. Although this can change as she approaches orgasm, in the earlier stages of sex this will depend on how close together she has her legs. So it is possible for her to lie with her legs apart, or together, and for the man to have his legs inside hers or outside hers, as the couple chooses, and in doing so they will both experience different physical sensations in the vagina and penis. Since there are no hard and fast rules that can be laid down as to what will be most pleasurable for each couple, the best way to discover what you like is to take the pictures here as a general guide to the various possibilities and try them all out until you find the ones that are most enjoyable for you. The factors that determine the degree of sexual pleasure you will experience are chiefly the position and size of the sensitive spots in the woman's vagina, the angle and shape of her vagina, and the size and shape of the man's erection.
In the photo here, the woman has her legs together, which can be a great way for her to tighten her vagina if, for example, she has had a child or she naturally has a loose vagina. More often, of course, she will have her legs outside the man's, and she can then wrap her legs around his back or buttocks and pull him deeper into her as he thrusts, tightening her vagina as she does so. This will speed up his progress towards orgasm.  sex positions and sexual techniques and positions
One of the issues with man on top sex is that men may reach orgasm quickly because of the deep penetration they can achieve, the tightness of their partner's vagina, and the vigorous pelvic thrusts they can make. This may lead a woman to think that she could gain greater enjoyment - perhaps even reach orgasm - if only her man could maintain the sexual rhythm for longer. But in reality, the problem for women who do not reach orgasm during intercourse (which is about 80% of women, in fact) centers on the fact that the clitoris gets relatively little stimulation during man on top sex unless the partners adopt a position where one of them can play with it. This is shown in the photo to the right. sex positions and sexual techniques and positions
An interesting variation on the man on top position is the one shown here. As sex positions go, this can be very thrilling, for it allows the man to indulge his fantasies about being the forceful partner who "takes" the woman, and it allows the woman to fantasize about being taken, perhaps against her will, perhaps by someone she doesn't know - in complete safety. It can also be thrilling for a man to feel he is "having his way", and for a woman to feel there is nothing she can do to stop the man having her. 

In addition, of course, there is the added spice of the sight and feel of her bottom for the man, and for the woman, there is the thrill of having his penis rubbing on her G-spot as he thrusts.

For all kinds of suggestions about how to make sex better, with new sexual techniques, advanced sexual techniques, sex tips for men and women, there's lots of informally presented advice on a site about the penis and male sexuality.

 

 sex positions and sexual techniques and positions

sex positions and sexual techniques and positions

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