Why Guys Love Round Butts

Baby got back: Women with curvy behinds made better nomadic child-bearers—which is why guys love round butts today, argues a new study from the University of Texas.

You’ve probably never thought about “lumbar curvature” or “vertebral wedging.” But the study authors have. And their research shows men tend to go gaga over a woman with the type of spine curvature that makes her butt seem to pop out or protrude. 

If you’re like the average man, you’re especially attracted to a woman with a spine that curves roughly 45 degrees above the top of her butt, the research shows.

Why? “This degree of curvature would have enabled ancestral women to shift their center of mass back over their hips during pregnancy,” says study coauthor David M.G. Lewis, Ph.D.

Back in hunter-gatherer times, human beings were constantly on the move. Staying still was a death sentence. So women who could keep walking long distances even while very pregnant had an advantage in terms of reproduction and survival. 

Lewis says a 45-degree lumbar curvature allows a woman to carry the weight of her unborn baby in a way that makes her less vulnerable to spinal injuries than women with more or less curvature. Thousands of years ago, this would have helped her to keep moving and foraging during the later stages of pregnancy—a huge plus, Lewis says. 

Apparently modern man hasn’t lost his taste for curvaceous, baby-bearing derrieres, this research suggests. For more booty science

some Sex Positions Every Couple Should Try

Right now, off the top of your head, name every sex position you know. We'll wait. You probably listed the usual suspects—missionary, cowgirl, spooning, doggy. You can do better. Not just because it'll give her better orgasms, but for your own orgasms as well. 

We have a few suggestions. Well, more than a few—45, to be exact—ways to make sex better.

That number probably sounds intimidating. You have your own sex position playbook (and you may be surprised by What Your Favorite Sex Position Says About You.) And maybe you're not, well, equipped for every position (be sure to read up on the Best Sex Positions for Every Penis Size). We're not saying you have to try all 45. Not in the same night, anyway. (Unless the mood strikes you. In which case, God speed!) Just add these moves to your sex position playbook, so you're ready when the time comes.

The Cat

a.k.a. Coital Alignment Technique

Benefits: Strong clitoral stimulation. In one study in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, women who were unable to have an orgasm in the missionary position reported a 56 percent increase in orgasm frequency using the coital alignment technique.

The CAT is just like the missionary except that your body is farther up and to one side. Instead of being chest to chest, your chest is near her shoulders. Have her bend her legs about 45 degrees to tilt her hips up. This causes the base of your shaft to maintain constant contact with her clitoris.

Now try this: Ask her to straighten her legs. Push your pelvis down a few inches while she pushes up.

Hot Tip — His

Instead of thrusting up and down, rock forward and back to, hopefully, provide enough stimulation for her to orgasm. Also try grinding your pelvis in a circular motion. Other studies suggest even greater success, with up to 73 percent of women achieving orgasm with CAT.

Waterfall

a.k.a. Head Rush

Benefits: The blood will rush to your other head, too.

Move to the edge of the bed and lie back with your head and shoulders on the floor as she straddles you. The blood will rush to your head creating mind-blowing sensations upon climax.

The Hot Seat

a.k.a. The Love Seat, The Man Chair

Benefits: Good G-spot stimulation.

Sit on the edge of the bed or on a chair with your feet on the floor. She turns away and backs up onto you, sitting between your legs. She can ride back and forth by pushing off the chair arms or pressing up with her feet. She can control the angle of entry by arching her back and pressing her buttocks into your groin. While doggy-style is about your dominance, The Hot Seat puts her in the driver's seat.

Now try this: She can reach under and stimulate the base of your penis, scrotum, and perineum. Meanwhile, you can reach around and stimulate her nipples.

Hot Tip — His

The best ways to help her get interested in sex when you can tell it's the farthest thing from her mind: Draw her a bubble bath, give her a massage, wrestle.

Gift Wrapped

a.k.a. The Horny Mantis 

Benefits: Relaxing position with deeper penetration and increased intimacy. 

Both of you lie on your sides facing one another. She bends and spreads her legs, and angles her vagina toward you. You lift your legs between hers to enter while she wraps her legs around your back.

Now try this: She can use her legs and feet to pull you close during thrusts for deeper penetration.

What Your Sleep Style Says About Your Relationship

are you an all-night snuggler or a keep-your-distance kind of sleeper? The answer may reveal subtle clues about your relationship. Couples who sleep less than an inch apart are more likely to be happy in their relationships than couples who sleep on opposite sides of the bed, according to a surveyconducted at this month's Edinburgh International Science Festival.

MORE: Comfortable Sleep For Two

For the study, researchers from the University of Hertfordshire surveyed 1,000 people about their sleeping habits when snoozing next to their partners. Looks like cuddly couples have the upper hand: 86 percent of couples who slept within an inch of one another were happy with their relationships, while only 66 percent of couples who slept more than 30 inches apart were content with their bond. Plus, touching played a huge role in their happiness; 94 percent of couples who spent the night in contact with each other were happy with their relationships, while only 68 percent of those who kept their hands to themselves said the same.

MORE: Stop Everything: You Can Now Snuggle With Ryan Gosling 

Now, this obviously doesn't mean you should panic about losing your partner or rethink your sleep style if you typically stick to your side of the bed—sometimes you just need some space! It makes sense that couples who are feeling less-than-thrilled about their romance are less likely to snuggle at night, which could account for some of the statistics. Plus, only 12 percent of couples actually slept within an inch of each other (let's be honest, that's pretty close) and only two percent slept over 30 inches apart, so chances are you are your partner are somewhere in the middle—of the bed and the happiness scale. Still, there's no harm in adding a little spooning action now and then if it'll boost your bond.

7 Women Reveal Why They Rejected Their Boyfriends' Marriage Proposals

We're guessing that when you think of proposals, you imagine the romantic parts of them, like gushy speeches and excited acceptances. Turns out, though, it's not uncommon for things to go in the opposite direction. A new survey found that an insane number of women have turned down a proposal—we're talking nearly one in four—so we asked some of these women why they became the bearer of bad news when their partner popped the big question. Here's what they had to say:   

"I had to. I felt like it was a last-ditch attempt to keep me around because he had been unfaithful. A ring can't fix something that is broken, and if a man thinks that a girl will forgive for a rock, then he is sadly mistaken." —Vanessa S. 

"What can I say? I knew that as much as he made me melt, we would be a walking disaster together. I think about him every day, but had to make the higher call." —Deborah P. 

"Wrong timing and lousy proposal—yes, without a ring." —Stephany F. 

"I simply couldn't see myself with said person for life. I have turned down a few proposals for the same reason." —Rebecca P. 

"We were in Fiji swimming in an infinity pool, it was Christmas Eve, and it was idyllic. He proposed to me when I surfaced from a lap underwater. I always thought I'd say yes, but the second he asked, I knew I had to say no. Without a word, I swam two lengths underwater as slow as I could to gather my thoughts. I knew I'd break his heart and rip our life apart, yet I had a nagging doubt. My gut said no. Surfacing from that swim to look into his deep brown eyes was one of the hardest moments of my life. The worst thing is I've been single ever since." —Katy L.