Amazon Sex Position: Setup, Comparisons, Risks and Easier Options

The amazon sex position is a partner-on-top position with the usual roles turned around. The penetrating partner lies on their back and draws their knees toward the chest, while the other partner kneels or squats on top, facing them. From there, the partner on top sets the pace.

If you came here asking what is the amazon position, that is the short answer. The details shift from one source to the next, because the name is slang with no official definition. Some writers put the top partner in a squat, and others put them on their knees.

Below you will find how each body is placed, where the name comes from, and how it compares with cowgirl, missionary and the reverse amazon. The page also covers where it strains the body and what to try if it feels like too much.

How the Amazon Position Is Set Up

Who lies where

The lower partner lies flat on a bed with their knees bent and pulled up toward the chest. Men’s Health and Cosmopolitan UK both call this a tabletop shape, with the shins roughly level and the backs of the thighs facing up. A pillow under the head is fine, but the hips stay on the mattress.

The top partner settles between those raised legs, facing the lower partner’s face. In the kneeling version, their knees rest on the bed on either side of the partner’s hips. Many people steady themselves with their hands on the partner’s knees or flat on the bed. Do this on a mattress or another padded surface, since a hard floor is rough on the top partner’s knees.

Variations and where the descriptions differ

Publishers agree on the basic shape and split on the details. WebMD treats a squat as the standard amazon position and calls the kneeling form a separate “kneeling amazon”. Women’s Health, quoting psychologist Shannon Chavez, starts from kneeling and offers the squat as a variation for extra leverage.

The comparisons differ too. WebMD frames it as missionary with the roles reversed. Women’s Health likens it to cowgirl, except that the top partner straddles the backs of the thighs rather than the fronts.

The sharpest disagreement is about depth. WebMD says the position allows deep penetration. LELO, a sex-toy retailer, says depth is not the point and suggests it for people who find deep penetration uncomfortable. The deciding condition is how far the top partner sinks down: lowering fully allows deep penetration, while staying higher keeps it shallow. So the position can be deep or shallow, and the person on top sets which.

Why couples try it

Control is the main draw. Chavez says the partner on top decides the rhythm, depth and speed while keeping eye contact. Sex therapist Ian Kerner adds that the face-to-face angle helps partners feel in tune, and the top partner’s hands are free for clitoral touch. That matters because many people need clitoral stimulation to climax, as our guide on how to have an orgasm explains.

Why It Is Called the Amazon Position

Nobody has traced who first used the name. Cosmopolitan UK and Men’s Health both say the origin is unclear. The usual guess is that it nods to the Amazons, the warrior women of Greek myth, because the partner on top takes the lead.

The myth itself is old. Smithsonian Magazine notes that Homer was the first to mention the Amazons, in the Iliad. Later stories put the Amazon queen Penthesilea at the fall of Troy and sent Hercules to take the girdle of another queen, Hippolyta. Women’s Health calls the Amazons goddesses, but the classic stories treat them as a people of warrior women, not gods.

Historians doubt the kingdom ever existed. HistoryExtra says there was no Amazon nation, though Scythian women of the steppes did ride, shoot bows and fight. Graves of armed women found in Russia may be part of what inspired the legend.

So the label is a cultural nod to role reversal, and nothing more. It says nothing about gender. Any couple can try the amazonian sex position, and either partner can take either role.

Amazon vs Cowgirl vs Missionary vs Reverse Amazon

The amazon borrows the face-to-face view of missionary and the top-partner control of cowgirl. It asks more of both bodies than either of them.

Effort and flexibility ratings are rough guides from experience, not measurements. Bodies, beds and how deep the top partner sits all change them.

Read down the flexibility column and a pattern shows. In both amazon versions, the lower partner moves the least but holds the most awkward shape. In cowgirl they simply lie flat. Cosmopolitan UK suggests that switch, with the lower partner straightening their legs, if either of you starts to feel exhausted.

Missionary is the true mirror image, with the receiving partner on their back instead. The reverse amazon position keeps the same lower shape but turns the top partner around. Chavez says that makes it easier for some people, because the top partner can lean on the lower partner’s legs for support.

What the Amazon Position Asks of Each Body

The amazon is an athletic position. WebMD says both partners need strength and flexibility, and that nobody should push a body into a shape that is wrong for it. The load falls in different places for each partner.

The top partner’s knees, hips and thighs

Holding a squat or a deep kneel takes leg strength and stamina. Kerner warns that the position could hurt the top person’s knees and will not suit everyone. WebMD gives the same warning and says to go slowly and stop at any pain.

Kneeling takes some of the work off the thighs, and WebMD suggests it for people with less strength in their lower body. A soft mattress or a folded blanket under the knees helps too. After a hip or knee replacement, kneeling and deep bending are usually restricted for a while. Arthritis UK gives about six weeks before kneeling as a general guide, but the right time depends on the operation and on how you heal. Squatting is no way around that after hip surgery, because a deep squat bends the hip a long way. So the hip warnings below apply to the partner on top as well, and your own surgeon’s or physiotherapist’s instructions come first.

The lower partner’s hips and lower back

Drawing the knees toward the chest curls the hips and rounds the lower back, which is why Chavez says the bottom partner needs real flexibility. A review for physical therapists advises people with low back pain to avoid positions that use the movement, bending or arching, that worsens their symptoms. For someone whose pain flares when they bend forward, this shape is a poor fit.

Hip surgery is the other red flag, for either partner. The limits depend on the type of operation. After a posterior hip replacement, for example, Kaiser Permanente and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons both advise not bending the hip past 90 degrees for a period, and AAOS says to ask your doctor when sex is safe again. Other approaches come with different precautions. Knees pulled to the chest bend the hip well past 90 degrees, so leave this position until your own surgeon clears it.

Why bending the penis downward is a risk

WebMD notes the amazon can strain the penis and the ligament that holds it in place, and says the top partner leaning forward eases that pressure. A forceful bend can cause a penile fracture, which Cleveland Clinic treats as an emergency that usually needs surgery. A popping sound, sudden pain and swelling mean going to an emergency department straight away. The reverse cowgirl guide covers the warning signs and injury figures in detail.

Easier Alternatives and How to Build Toward It

Swaps that keep the feel with less strain

Cowgirl is the closest swap. The lower partner simply straightens their legs, and the top partner keeps leading. For the top partner, the kneeling amazon spares the thighs, while the reverse amazon gives them the lower partner’s legs to lean on.

When one partner is worn out, Cosmopolitan UK suggests handing the work to the other through missionary or spooning. Our guides to spooning and low-effort lying-down positions cover the gentlest options. If the floor or knees are the problem, edge-of-bed positions let the furniture carry part of the load.

Working up to it gradually

Start with the easiest version. Try kneeling before squatting, and keep the first attempts short. Antonia Hall, a sex and relationship expert quoted by Cosmopolitan UK, advises moving slowly until the top partner feels steady. She warns that a fall or a sudden move could injure the penis.

Props make a real difference here. Arthritis UK suggests cushions, pillows or furniture to support sore joints during sex. In practice that could mean a firm pillow under the lower partner’s hips if their back complains. A folded blanket under the top partner’s knees helps as well.

A bed of normal height works well, because the top partner can steady a hand on the mattress. Men’s Health suggests agreeing on a safe word before you start, so either partner can stop at once. Expect some clumsiness on the first tries; Cosmopolitan UK says the position suits couples who can laugh about getting it wrong.

Talking About Role Reversal and Who Leads

Ideas about who should lead in bed are learned, not built in. An open sociology textbook explains that traditional sexual scripts tell men to take charge and initiate, while women are expected to be passive. Hall says many people still picture heterosexual sex as the man in charge and on top. The amazon position simply flips that picture.

That flip is not a statement about anyone’s identity. Partners of any gender can lead or follow, and the bottom partner can have a penis, wear a strap-on or use a vibrator. Enjoying one role tonight says nothing about who someone is outside the bedroom.

Raise the idea outside the bedroom, when nobody feels put on the spot. WebMD stresses asking first and never surprising a partner with a new position. A plain question works: “Would you like to try setting the pace for once?” Talk about which version, kneeling or squatting, sounds more comfortable for each of you.

This kind of talk tends to go with better sex. A meta-analysis of 93 studies found that couples who communicate about sex report higher sexual satisfaction. It shows a link rather than proof that one causes the other.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Amazonian style sex?

Amazonian style sex, or amazon style sex, usually means the amazon position. One partner lies back with knees drawn toward the chest, and the other kneels or squats on top, facing them. The top partner leads the movement. It is slang, so the details vary between publishers.

What is the reverse amazon position?

The reverse amazon keeps the lower partner in the same knees-up shape, but the top partner turns to face their feet. You lose eye contact. Chavez says it needs a little less hip mobility and lets the top partner use the lower partner’s legs for support. Cleveland Clinic advises extra care in positions without eye contact, so keep the movement slow.

Is the amazon position hard to do?

For many couples, yes, at least at first. Kerner says it needs stability, strength and flexibility, and that body sizes and fit can make it hard to get right. The kneeling version is easier on the top partner’s legs. Expect a few clumsy tries before it feels natural.

Can any couple try the amazon position?

Any gender combination can try it. WebMD notes that the lower partner can have a penis, wear a strap-on or use a vibrator. The limits are physical: knee strength on top and hip and back flexibility underneath. Recent hip surgery or back pain that flares when bending forward are good reasons to choose another position.

Is the Amazon Position Right for You?

The amazon position suits couples who want a change of pace and are curious about swapping who leads. It works best with good knee strength on top and decent hip and back flexibility underneath.

It is not a fitness test. If it feels like hard work, the kneeling or reverse versions, cowgirl and missionary all keep much of the appeal with less strain. Start on a padded bed, go slowly, keep talking, and treat any sharp pain as a reason to stop.

For close relatives of this position, read our guides to the cowgirl position and the missionary position.

Related reading

• Cowgirl Position: Woman on Top, Straddling and Squatting Variants
• Reverse Cowgirl: What It Is, Angles, Comfort and Penile Safety
• Missionary Position: Variations, Angles and Comfort

Sources

1. Amazon Sex Position: What It Is - WebMD
2. How To Do The Amazon Sex Position, Per A Sex Therapist - Women’s Health
3. How to Do the Amazon Sex Position - Men’s Health
4. How to master the Amazon sex position - Cosmopolitan UK
5. Intimate and Powerful: Have You Tried the Amazon Sex Position? - LELO
6. The Amazon Women: Is There Any Truth Behind the Myth? - Smithsonian Magazine
7. The real Amazons: how the legendary warrior women inspired fighters and feminists - HistoryExtra (BBC History Magazine)
8. Penile Fracture: What Is It, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment - Cleveland Clinic
9. Sex, relationships and arthritis - Arthritis UK
10. Hip Replacement (Posterior) Precautions: What to Expect at Home - Kaiser Permanente
11. Sexual Disability in Low Back Pain: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Framework for Physical Therapists - PMC / National Library of Medicine
12. Activities After Total Hip Replacement - American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (OrthoInfo)
13. 3.3 Sexual Scripts - West Hills Community College District (open textbook)
14. Dimensions of Couples’ Sexual Communication, Relationship Satisfaction, and Sexual Satisfaction: A Meta-Analysis - Journal of Family Psychology via PMC