When you think of golden arches, you likely think of McDonald’s and not sex. But there is a sex position called the “Golden Arch” that may, in fact, be better than a quarter pounder with cheese.
The Golden Arch position—which presumably got its name because your bodies are sorta shaped like an M when you do it—isn’t the most intuitive sex position, and it requires quite a bit of strength to pull off. However, if you can make it work, you'll be able to enjoy deep vaginal or anal penetration. The Golden Arch really lets you get up in there.
Here's what to know about getting into the sex position, along with its many benefits and some helpful variations so you can make it adapt to your bodies.
How do you get into the Golden Arch Sex Position?
“A good way to enter the Golden Arch might be for the two of you to start in an embrace, with the receptive partner’s legs on top of the penetrative partner’s legs,” says sex therapist Gregory Kilpatrick, LMFT. “For some folks, penetration might be easiest at this point. For others, penetration will be easier after the receptive partner leans back and puts their ankles on their partner’s shoulders.” It’s really up to you to decide what feels best for you and your partner!
The sex position should look something like this:
What are some pros of the Golden Arch?
“A big benefit to this position is that it angles penetration in a way that is likely to stimulate the P-Spot for people with prostates or the G-Spot for people with vaginas,” Kilpatrick says. “It’s really an equal opportunity pleasure position for both vaginas-havers and prostate-havers.”
If you notice the angles aren’t hitting just right—perhaps you have an erection that points upward towards the sky—you should add a (sex) pillow underneath the receiving partner’s butt. This will help angle their vulva or anus upward, which can help with depth, and you won’t feel like your penis is being pulled downward.
If you’re the top (insertive partner), instead of having your shoulders behind you, you can grab your partner’s booty, which will pull you up a little bit. From there, you can really thrust deeply.
Are there any cons?
“A challenge from this position may center around your hands and arms being tied up as you prop yourself up,” Kilpatrick says. With your hands unavailable, you can’t manually stimulate your partner’s clitoris, penis, or other erogenous zones.
“Another challenge with this position may come from back strain, as you are putting pressure on a part of your back where a lot of people experience tightness and weakness,” he says. (This may be a GREAT argument for some sensual massage focused on your back.)
Additionally, your shoulders may get sore since you’re using them to elevate and lift your body. (To strengthen up your shoulders to get striations like a pumpkin, check out our shoulder workout.)
However, where there’s a will, there’s a way.
There are easy adaptations to this position to increase pleasure! “Particularly if you are the receptive partner, you might find that leaning back against a firm pillow or leaning against a headboard might help to free up your hands for self-stimulation to your penis or clitoris,” Kilpatrick says. Most challenges to back and shoulder strain can also be solved by using a firm pillow for additional support.
