Push-ups give you a good idea of how long your upper-body muscles can last, despite being a somewhat limited indicator of your fitness. Even the 1-minute or maximum push-up test is used by some organizations to measure employee strength.
To get a sense of where you stand and learn how to raise your score, look at the typical number of push-ups performed by men and women of different ages.
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Do Lots Of Push-up Reps Need To Be Done?
As you can see, there is really no precise formula for calculating the ideal number of push-ups. You can hold yourself to a certain standard, but ultimately, your unique characteristics and fitness objectives make it difficult to pinpoint exactly how many you should be able to perform.
However, isn’t performing simple exercises like pushups repeatedly useless in terms of gains? Isn’t maintaining proper form while lifting a maximum amount of weight, even for a short period of time, the best way to gain muscle? The answer is once more both yes and no.
Nowadays, it’s widely believed that the only way to gain weight is to lift it heavily. Because they don’t think their body weight is heavy enough to make gains, many people would therefore find push-ups to be useless.
To get more gains, research in recent years has indicated that using lighter weights for more repetitions may be just as effective as using heavy weights for fewer repetitions.
Consider research done at McCaster University where they found that men split into two groups gained an equal amount of muscle when one group lifted lighter weights for more reps and the other group lifted heavier weights for only a few reps.
In particular, the first half of the men performed 20 to 25 repetitions of lifting at 50% of their maximum strength, while the second half performed 8 to 12 repetitions at 90% of their maximum strength. Both groups subsequently gained the same quantity of muscle mass.
The scientists found that once both groups became fatigued, they were both activating the same number of muscle fibers to produce more force.
As a result, you might be mistaken if you believe that performing push-ups for a number of reps while using a lighter weight is useless for building muscle. The secret to maintaining gains is to either perform a harder variation as you advance or add more reps over time.
For instance, if you repeatedly perform 50 push-ups a day for weeks on end, eventually your muscle gains will plateau and you won’t see any further advancement. The key to maintaining growth is to either increase the number of reps or perform a harder variation; otherwise, you’ll plateau.
The Experts’ Recommendation For How Many Pushups You Should Be Able To Perform Is Given Below.
Now, there are all kinds of push-up standards and charts available online – tons of them! And depending on where they come from, they are all unique. Even our military standards vary drastically from branch to branch – including differences between specific groups within each branch (e.g. special ops vs infantry). So how do we arrive at an impartial figure?
Well, according to Dr. Lawrence A. Golding, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, males between the ages of 20 and 40 should be able to perform, on average, between 13 and 30 pushups (yes, I realize that’s a pretty wide range).
He even put together a report with some “push-up test norms” for men and women, broken down by age and the number of reps performed. In addition, he gave them a performance evaluation that I believe to be highly subjective. Here it is:
Push-Up Test Norms For Men
AGE | 17-19 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50-59 | 60-65 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Excellent | > 56 | > 47 | > 41 | > 34 | > 31 | > 30 |
Good | 47-56 | 39-47 | 34-41 | 28-34 | 25-31 | 24-30 |
Above average | 35-46 | 30-39 | 25-33 | 21-28 | 18-24 | 17-23 |
Average | 19-34 | 17-29 | 13-24 | 11-20 | 9-17 | 6-16 |
Below average | 11-18 | 10-16 | 8-12 | 6-10 | 5-8 | 3-5 |
Poor | 4-10 | 4-9 | 2-7 | 1-5 | 1-4 | 1-2 |
Very Poor | < 4 | < 4 | < 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Push-Up Test Norms For Women
AGE | 17-19 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50-59 | 60-65 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Excellent | > 35 | > 36 | > 37 | > 31 | > 25 | > 23 |
Good | 27-35 | 30-36 | 30-37 | 25-31 | 21-25 | 19-23 |
Above Average | 21-27 | 23-29 | 22-30 | 18-24 | 15-20 | 13-18 |
Average | 11-20 | 12-22 | 10-21 | 8-17 | 7-14 | 5-12 |
Below average | 6-10 | 7-11 | 5-9 | 4-7 | 3-6 | 2-4 |
Poor | 2-5 | 2-6 | 1-4 | 1-3 | 1-2 | 1 |
Very Poor | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Military Push-up Standards
Are you inquiring about the number of pushups required of you because you intend to enlist in the military? In actuality, the push-up requirements for the military differ based on your age, gender, and the branch of the army you are applying for. Again, if you aren’t applying, you can use this as a general benchmark for your level of fitness. The numbers below also illustrate what is required to pass the fitness test.
- Air Force: Men must be able to complete 45 push-ups or more to pass the basic training. Women are required to complete a minimum of 27 push-ups.
- Army: Men between the ages of 17 and 26 must successfully complete 31 to 35 repetitions in order to pass basic training. For females, 11–13 repetitions are required to pass. The bare minimum is those. However, men between the ages of 37 and 41 can complete 24 repetitions and pass, while men between the ages of 17 and 21 must complete 35 or more push-ups.
- Coast Guard: The minimum is 15 pushups for women and 29 for men. These have a 60-second time limit.
- Marine Corps: It’s rumored that the Marines don’t require a push-up test. Awesome, right?
- Navy: The more push-ups you can perform, the more points you earn in the Navy’s point system. 46 repetitions finished in 2 minutes is a satisfactory amount.
- Navy SEALS BUD/S Prep: To enroll in the BUD/S school for SEAL training, you must be able to complete 50 push-ups in under two minutes. However, the majority of SEAL candidates can complete 80–100 repetitions in the same amount of time, and if you want to train with the best, that number is advised.
Proper Push-up Form
Once again, when it comes to success, form is king. You will receive the greatest number of advantages if you perform push-ups in the proper form. Without proper form, the number of reps you perform won’t matter.
Here’s how to do push-ups the right way:
- Keep your hands right under your shoulders: Make sure your hands are stacked directly underneath your shoulders and slightly outwardly turned before beginning your push-up.
- Lock your elbows into the sides of your body: When performing push-ups, people frequently make the mistake of pointing their elbows out from their bodies rather than keeping them locked in at their sides. Your elbows should almost touch the sides of your torso as you lower yourself into the push-up position. By doing so, you’ll specifically work the muscles that push-ups are designed to strengthen.
- Create one long line with your body: When performing push-ups, dropping your hips or pointing them upward so that your spine is not neutral may be the worst error you can make. Injury prevention depends on maintaining a straight spine. Try to maintain a straight line from the top of your head to your heels throughout the entire exercise. This will stop push-up cheating as well as injuries.
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Benefits Of Push-ups
You are already aware of how easy and unrestricted push-ups are as a way to begin developing your chest, shoulders, and triceps. You might not have thought of some additional advantages of push-ups, though.
They Build Strength As Effectively As Bench Pressing
In one study, subjects who performed banded push-ups gained the same amount of strength as those who performed weighted chest presses. So don’t worry if everyone is using a bench on your upper-body day.
They’re An Easy Way To Measure Overall Fitness
Push-ups might be a simple way to assess your overall fitness advancement outside of your annual physical.
According to a study, among male firefighters over a 10-year period, the number of push-ups performed in 30 seconds was correlated with good cardiovascular health.
Additionally, since pushups are a bodyweight exercise, you can do more of them if you are leaner. They thus serve as a proximate indicator of body composition.
They Can Also Improve Your Cardiovascular Fitness
White notes that push-ups in your routine are “also working the cardiovascular system especially if incorporated with high-volume exercises.”
Push-ups can benefit heart health just as much as chest and triceps size when incorporated into a cardio circuit with, for example, squats, chin-ups, and dumbbell swings.
Types Of Push-ups
To gradually overload your upper body in order to gain muscle, don’t just keep upping your reps and sets.
This can also be done by progressing from simpler push-up variations, like modified ones done on your knees, to more challenging variations, like clap or explosive push-ups.
1. Incline Push-up
If you need to take it easy or are trying to progress to full push-ups or more push-ups, think about doing incline push-ups.
The hands must be placed on an elevated surface for incline push-ups, which are easier because they use the same muscles as the traditional move.
For simpler variations, start higher up, and as your strength develops, lower your hands to the ground.
2. Plank Push-up
Start in the plank position on your forearms rather than your hands to put your body through isometric stress.
You will rise from your forearms to your palms, using one arm at a time. Reverse your direction once you are in a high plank and lower yourself back to your forearms one arm at a time.
3. T Push-up
With this variation, you’ll still do regular push-ups but will also exert more shoulder pressure in between reps.
T push-ups are performed with the body rotated into a side plank and the free hand raised toward the ceiling at the top of each rep. However, you won’t need to stack your feet; instead, you’ll just pivot on them based on which way the rotation is going.
4. Diamond Push-up
The term “triceps push-ups” may also be used to refer to diamond push-ups. Your thumbs and pointer fingers will touch as you bring your hands together underneath you to form a diamond shape as opposed to maintaining a shoulder-width distance between them.
Your elbows should remain tucked throughout as you perform the push-up as usual from this point on.
5. Decline Push-up
Challenge yourself with this variation if you’re performing absurdly high numbers of standard push-ups.
To make your body’s angle and level of difficulty more difficult, you’ll position your feet on an elevated surface for decline push-ups. Try varying the surface heights or even your tempo to make it harder or easier.
6. Plyo Push-up
You will lower yourself to a few inches from the ground during a standard plyo push-up, as is customary. Then push your body up so that your hands lift a few inches off the ground in between reps, concentrating on explosive strength. If you’re new to plyometrics, start out slowly and land gently to prevent wrist injury.
Doing Pushups Every Day Is Acceptable?
“Push-ups can be done on most days of the week,” White says, but if you have or have had upper-body injuries, he advises being more cautious when you approach them.
If you only perform a few push-ups each day, you can do them every day. White defines that as 10 to 20 push-ups if your maximum is 25, 2 sets of 10 to 20, between 25 and 50 reps if it is between 50 and 100, and 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 if it is more than 100.
“If you’re doing many sets and hitting a high volume, I would try to do them every other day,” he advises.
However, as always, you must adjust this plan to your unique body and fitness level. White advises avoiding push-ups on days when you are particularly sore and returning to them the next day.
How To Calculate Daily Push-ups You Should Be Able To Do
To figure out the right number of push-ups you should be aiming for as a goal to strive for and eventually sail right past, there are some factors to consider:
- Gender
- Height
- Body posture
- Age
- Weight
Your age is the main factor in this. Your muscle mass will decline as you get older. Older bodies also have less shoulder mobility and stability. Your height and physical alignment will also influence how many push-ups you can perform correctly or whether you need to adjust the traditional push-up position. It’s okay if you can’t complete more than 10 push-ups with good form if you’re a beginner and slightly less fit. The same holds true for obese individuals. You should perform them, even if you can only manage two wall push-ups. r
Many people believe they must achieve a particular goal based on one of the charts when they first start out, but that is not the case. Males between the ages of 20 and 29 should ideally be able to perform at least 15 push-ups without difficulty because they naturally have the strength and stamina needed for such an activity. To begin with, he’ll need to put in a lot of effort to reach 30 or 40 push-ups.
How To Perform A Better Push-up
There are numerous push-up variations, but if you want to perform more push-ups, you must first become proficient in the basic push-up technique. The proper form is to place your feet together or no more than 12 inches apart, and to keep your hands as far apart as you can without compromising your elbow’s angle. The biceps and chest are worked more intensely with wider hands. The triceps will be worked by placing the hands closely together.
From the shoulders to the ankles, the body also curves into a straight line. The head shouldn’t stray from the path either. Be sure to engage the core to prevent the butt from lifting too high, or “tenting,” and don’t dip the hips down, sagging.
As you begin the push-up, bend your elbows to lower your body toward the floor. Before pushing back up, the upper arms should be parallel to the floor. The repetition is not considered successful if you cannot return with perfect form to the starting position with your elbows fully extended.
If you have trouble maintaining form while doing push-ups with your legs extended, start by practicing your form while doing them with your knees on the ground. This will enable the upper body and core to gain strength and stability first.
To build more strength, you can do a push-up round inspired by Henry Cavill’s Superman workout that looks like this:
- 10-12 push-ups, rest for 30 seconds
- 12-14 push-ups, rest for 30 seconds
- 14-16 push-ups, rest for 30 seconds
Don’t worry if you still can’t perform 14 push-ups. For about 3–4 weeks, concentrate on 3 sets of 10–12 repetitions each. Reduce the number of repetitions if you experience discomfort or fatigue while performing push-ups. If you believe you are at risk for injury, stop exercising immediately and take a full 48–72 hours off before returning to the gym.
Following this routine will result in you performing at least 30 repetitions that are not consecutively spaced out. Whatever your objectives, 30 is a typical number on most charts for push-up test results and has additional advantages. You’ll develop an amazing upper body physique.
What’s the best thing about pushups? It’s not necessary to complete them all at once. Every few hours, complete a few sets. Just doing this will provide some isometric and cardiovascular conditioning for a few minutes. You’ll be able to perform more push-ups as time goes on, and it will take you less time to complete 30 or more repetitions.
Conclusion
Push-ups are a staple exercise for a reason: They develop upper-body and core strength, increase stamina and stability, and are a flexible move to incorporate into strength training routines of all kinds. If this is your first time performing the exercise, start with three sets of 10 repetitions, three to four times a week, and make any necessary adjustments to make the movement more comfortable for your body. If you want more, choose a number of reps that make you feel like you’re working hard but don’t completely exhaust you. Hold off on the push-ups to give your body time to recover if you experience discomfort or pain that is more intense than your typical post-workout soreness.