How Many Push Ups Should I Be Able To Do Average Push Ups For Age And Sex

The number of push-ups you can do depends on several factors.

Image Credit: Oscar Wong/Moment/GettyImages

In This Article

    Endurance Test
  
    Women
  
    Men
  
    Children
  
    1-Minute Test 
  
    Improve Your Scores
  While push-ups are a limited measurement of your fitness, they do provide a good understanding of your upper-body muscular endurance.

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 Push-ups are one of the best exercises for your chest, arms, shoulders and core. The benefits of push-ups for a strong upper body include being able to carry your groceries, pick up a heavy box off the floor, grab something from a high shelf or open that stubborn jar of pickles.

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 Some organizations even use and track a 1-minute or max push-up test to gauge strength. However, a 2021 survey of 2,000 people commissioned by Gymless.org found 53.8 percent of adults can't do more than 10 push-ups in a row.

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 So, if you're wondering, "how many push-ups should I be able to do?" take a look at what the average number of push-ups are for men and women by age to get an idea of where you stand — and learn how to improve your score.

Female vs. Male Push-Up Numbers Here at LIVESTRONG.com, we make deliberate choices about the language we use. Throughout this article, we use the terms “men” and “women,” to reflect the language used in studies and national data. But when it comes to the average push-ups performed, what researchers are really talking about is biological sex at birth. According to a July 2021 study in the ‌Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research‌, people assigned male at birth (AMAB) can generally perform more push-ups than people assigned female at birth (AFAB). Researchers believe this is because people AMAB are able to perform their push-ups at a faster pace, thanks to their body’s weight distribution Push-Up Muscular Endurance Test One way to perform the push-up muscular endurance test is to see how many push-ups you can do before you are straining too much or are unable to do the push-ups with correct technique, according to the American Society of Exercise Physiologists (ASEP). While you can do this test on your own, it can be helpful to have a partner to count for you and monitor your form.

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 To perform a proper push-up, place your hands flat on the ground, slightly wider than your shoulders. Come into a high plank position with your body in line from head to hips to heels. Bend your elbows at a 45-degree angle from your ribs and lower in a straight line until your At the bottom of the push-up, your elbows must be bent to a 90-degree angle.

Push-Up
Skill Level

        Intermediate
      
        Activity
       
        Body-Weight Workout

Begin in a high plank with your core and glutes engaged. Your shoulders should be stacked over your wrists and your hips should be in line with your head and heels. Bend at the elbows at about a 45-degree angle from your torso and lower your body toward the ground. On the way down, squeeze your shoulder blades together. When your chest hovers just above the ground (or however far down you can go), press into the ground and push your shoulder blades apart to return to the starting position.

  Show Instructions
  Related Reading Here's Exactly How to Do the Perfect Push-Up Every Time

Average Number of Push-Ups: Adult Women Push-Up Chart The average number of push-ups adults can do varies by age range and gender. The norms provided by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology breaks up the results into the following categories: needs improvement, fair, good, very good and excellent.

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 Wondering how many push-ups you should be able to do? Check the chart below to get an idea of the average number of push-ups most women can perform, according to their age.

Average Push-Ups for Adult Women Age Push-Ups 15-19 18-24 20-29 15-20 30-39 13-19 40-49 11-14 50-59 7-10 60+ 5-11 Source: Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Of course, the average varies greatly across the general population due to diverse lifestyles, careers and health conditions. Barring a medical condition or injury that prevents you from exercising, consider improving your muscular endurance if you fall into the “needs improvement” category in the norms. The number of push-ups for each age group is:

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 Women's Push-Up Scores Needing Improvement  15-19 years old

11 or fewer push-ups 20-29 years old 9 or fewer push-ups 30-39 years old 7 or fewer push-ups 40-49 years old 4 or fewer push-ups 50-59 years old 1 or fewer push-ups 60+ years old 1 or fewer push-ups Source: Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Average Number of Push-Ups: Adult Men Push-Up Chart The average number of push-ups for adult men are higher than the average scores for their female counterparts. Take a look at the chart below to learn the average number of push-ups for men by age group, according to the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. Average Push-Ups for Adult Men 15-19 years old 23-28 push-ups 20-29 years old 22-28 push-ups 30-39 years old 17-21 push-ups 40-49 years old 13-16 push-ups 50-59 years old 10-12 push-ups 60+ years old 8-10 push-ups Source: Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology As with the women’s scores, you can also take a look at the men’s scores that are considered to be in need of improvement.

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 Men's Push-Up Scores Needing Improvement  15-19 years old

17 or fewer push-ups 20-29 years old 16 or fewer push-ups 30-39 years old 11 or fewer push-ups 40-49 years old 9 or fewer push-ups 50-59 years old 6 or fewer push-ups 60+ years old 4 or fewer push-ups Source: Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Average Number of Push-Ups: Children Push-Up Chart The push-up test is one of the options schools have for testing upper body muscular endurance for the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, advises the Cooper Institute. This program focuses on developing a lifelong physical fitness habit in youth. Each assessment test is designed to help students understand and gauge different aspects of physical fitness. The other two tests that institutions can opt to use instead include the flexed arm hang and the modified pull-up.

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 In the charts below, you can find the average number of push-ups kids of various ages are able to perform in 30 seconds (by percentile), according to a March 2016 study published in the ‌British Journal of Sports Medicine‌.

Boys’ Average Number of Push-ups by Percentile 5% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 95% 9 4 6 8 9 11 12 14 15 17 20 22 10 4 6 8 10 11 13 14 16 18 21 23 11 4 6 8 10 12 13 14 16 18 20 22 12 4 6 9 10 12 13 15 16 18 20 22 13 5 7 9 11 13 14 16 17 19 22 24 14 6 8 11 13 14 16 17 19 21 23 25 15 7 10 13 15 16 18 19 21 25 27 Source: British Journal of Sports Medicine Girls’ Average Number of Push-ups by Percentile 5% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 95% 9 2 3 5 7 8 9 10 12 13 16 18 10 2 3 5 6 7 9 10 11 13 16 18 11 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 11 13 16 18 12 1 2 4 5 6 7 9 10 12 15 18 13 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 10 12 15 18 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 11 15 18 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 11 14 18 Source: British Journal of Sports Medicine 1-Minute Push-Up Test for Men and Women Some police departments and military branches use a 1-minute push-up test. In this test, candidates perform as many push-ups as they can in the 1-minute time limit. The specific requirements vary for each organization.

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 The Vermont State Police, for example, requires candidates to perform a minimum number of push-ups to qualify to enter the police academy. Modified push-ups are not allowed. The minimum requirements as of 2018 are:

Minimum Requirements for State Police Push-Ups Men’s Women’s 20-29 years old 33 push-ups 18 push-ups 30-39 years old 27 push-ups 14 push-ups 40-49 years old 21 push-ups 11 push-ups 50-55 years old 15 push-ups 0 push-ups Source: Vermont State Police The U.S. Air Force also requires new recruits to pass a physical fitness test that includes a 1-minute push-up test. Men under the age of 30 must perform at least 33 push-ups and women need to do at least 18. Men between the ages of 30 and 39 only need to do 27 push-ups, while women must meet the requirement of at least 14 push-ups.

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 Related Reading The 24 Best Push-Up Variations for Every Fitness Level

Improve Your Scores If you were unable to meet the minimum or the average number of push-ups for your age group and gender or you just want to improve your score, you can improve your fitness with some exercises and push-up variations. The push-up mainly targets your pectoralis muscle in your chest, but also uses your deltoids, biceps and triceps, quadriceps in your legs and activates several muscles groups in your core. Push-ups get easier the more you do them but it’s worth noting there are some disadvantages to practicing push-ups every day. Not only do you risk an overuse injury, but if you you have to give your body rest in between push-up sessions. That’s because during rest days, your body repairs the damage done to your muscle fibers during your workout, which leads to bigger and stronger muscles. Related Reading How Many Push-Ups Should I Do a Day to Get Ripped? How Often Should I Do Push-Ups?

Strengthen your core and improve your stability with exercises like plank reaches, advises the American Council on Exercise. Plank With Single-Arm Reach
Activity

        Body-Weight Workout
      
        Region
       
        Full Body

Start in a high plank, balancing on your hands and toes, body in a straight line from head to hips to heels. Slowly reach one arm forward until your elbow is straight. Pause for one second, then pull that arm back and plant your elbow so that you’re in a high plank again. Alternate arms with each rep.

  Show Instructions
  A single-arm chest press will also help strengthen your pecs and core.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Chest Press
Activity

        Dumbbell Workout

Lie on a bench (or on the floor if you don’t have a bench) on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor at a 45-degree angle until only one shoulder and your head are on the bench. Reach over your head to grab the bench with one hand. With your other hand, hold a dumbbell at chest height. Your arm should be bent at a 90-degree angle with your elbow parallel to the floor. Engage your abs to keep your lower back on the bench. With your palm facing away from your face, press the dumbbell up and over your chest until your arm is straight. Bend your elbow to lower the dumbbell to the starting position at the side of your chest. Repeat on the other side.

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  You can also add easier  push-up variations to your workouts, like wall push-ups. Starting with this push-up variation is a good way for a beginner looking to get better at the exercise and build enough strength to eventually be able to do a full push-up.

Wall Push-Up
Activity

        Body-Weight Workout
      
        Region
       
        Core and Upper Body

Stand arm’s distance from a sturdy wall with your feet under your hips. Place your palms on the wall, shoulder-width apart at shoulder height. This is the starting position. Bend your elbows and bring your chest toward the wall. Keep your elbows pointing away from your body at a 45-degree angle, rather than out to the side. Press back to the starting position.

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  If you need more challenging variations, try doing push-ups with your feet elevated (aka a decline push-up) or add weight to increase the resistance as you do the exercise.

Decline Push-Up
Activity

        Body-Weight Workout
      
        Region
       
        Full Body

Start in a high plank with your feet raised on a bench. Bend your elbows and lower your chest to the ground. Push back up.

  Show Instructions
  Related Reading The 17 Best Exercises to Do Instead of Push-Ups

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  references
  
      ASEP: "Push-Up Test"
    
      ExRx.net: "Push-Up"
    
      Cooper Institute: "FITNESSGRAM® /ACTIVITYGRAM® Reference Guide (4th Edition)"
    
      Vermont State Police: "Minimum Fitness Standards for Recruits"
    
      U.S. Air Force: "Are You Ready for Basic Training?"
    
      American Council on Exercise: "4 Moves to Help You Master the Push-Up"
    
      British Journal of Sports Medicine: "Normative health-related fitness values for children: analysis of 85347 test results on 9-17-year-old Australians since 1985"
       




  references
  
      ASEP: "Push-Up Test"
    
      ExRx.net: "Push-Up"
    
      Cooper Institute: "FITNESSGRAM® /ACTIVITYGRAM® Reference Guide (4th Edition)"
    
      Vermont State Police: "Minimum Fitness Standards for Recruits"
    
      U.S. Air Force: "Are You Ready for Basic Training?"
    
      American Council on Exercise: "4 Moves to Help You Master the Push-Up"
    
      British Journal of Sports Medicine: "Normative health-related fitness values for children: analysis of 85347 test results on 9-17-year-old Australians since 1985"
    




The number of push-ups you can do depends on several factors.

Image Credit: Oscar Wong/Moment/GettyImages

Endurance Test
Women
Men
Children
1-Minute Test
Improve Your Scores

Here at LIVESTRONG.com, we make deliberate choices about the language we use. Throughout this article, we use the terms “men” and “women,” to reflect the language used in studies and national data. But when it comes to the average push-ups performed, what researchers are really talking about is biological sex at birth. According to a July 2021 study in the ‌Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research‌, people assigned male at birth (AMAB) can generally perform more push-ups than people assigned female at birth (AFAB). Researchers believe this is because people AMAB are able to perform their push-ups at a faster pace, thanks to their body’s weight distribution

According to a July 2021 study in the ‌Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research‌, people assigned male at birth (AMAB) can generally perform more push-ups than people assigned female at birth (AFAB). Researchers believe this is because people AMAB are able to perform their push-ups at a faster pace, thanks to their body’s weight distribution

        Skill Level
       
        Intermediate
      
        Activity
       
        Body-Weight Workout

  Show Instructions
  


        Skill Level
       
        Intermediate
      
        Activity
       
        Body-Weight Workout

Here’s Exactly How to Do the Perfect Push-Up Every Time

Age Push-Ups 15-19 18-24 20-29 15-20 30-39 13-19 40-49 11-14 50-59 7-10 60+ 5-11

Source: Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology

15-19 years old 11 or fewer push-ups 20-29 years old 9 or fewer push-ups 30-39 years old 7 or fewer push-ups 40-49 years old 4 or fewer push-ups 50-59 years old 1 or fewer push-ups 60+ years old 1 or fewer push-ups

15-19 years old 23-28 push-ups 20-29 years old 22-28 push-ups 30-39 years old 17-21 push-ups 40-49 years old 13-16 push-ups 50-59 years old 10-12 push-ups 60+ years old 8-10 push-ups

15-19 years old 17 or fewer push-ups 20-29 years old 16 or fewer push-ups 30-39 years old 11 or fewer push-ups 40-49 years old 9 or fewer push-ups 50-59 years old 6 or fewer push-ups 60+ years old 4 or fewer push-ups

5% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 95% 9 4 6 8 9 11 12 14 15 17 20 22 10 4 6 8 10 11 13 14 16 18 21 23 11 4 6 8 10 12 13 14 16 18 20 22 12 4 6 9 10 12 13 15 16 18 20 22 13 5 7 9 11 13 14 16 17 19 22 24 14 6 8 11 13 14 16 17 19 21 23 25 15 7 10 13 15 16 18 19 21 25 27

Source: British Journal of Sports Medicine

5% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 95% 9 2 3 5 7 8 9 10 12 13 16 18 10 2 3 5 6 7 9 10 11 13 16 18 11 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 11 13 16 18 12 1 2 4 5 6 7 9 10 12 15 18 13 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 10 12 15 18 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 11 15 18 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 11 14 18

Men’s Women’s 20-29 years old 33 push-ups 18 push-ups 30-39 years old 27 push-ups 14 push-ups 40-49 years old 21 push-ups 11 push-ups 50-55 years old 15 push-ups 0 push-ups

Source: Vermont State Police

The 24 Best Push-Up Variations for Every Fitness Level

How Many Push-Ups Should I Do a Day to Get Ripped? How Often Should I Do Push-Ups?

        Activity
       
        Body-Weight Workout
      
        Region
       
        Full Body

  Show Instructions
  


        Activity
       
        Body-Weight Workout
      
        Region
       
        Full Body
      


        Activity
       
        Dumbbell Workout

  Show Instructions
  


        Activity
       
        Dumbbell Workout
      


        Activity
       
        Body-Weight Workout
      
        Region
       
        Core and Upper Body

  Show Instructions
  


        Activity
       
        Body-Weight Workout
      
        Region
       
        Core and Upper Body

Start in a high plank with your feet raised on a bench. Bend your elbows and lower your chest to the ground. Push back up.

  Show Instructions

The 17 Best Exercises to Do Instead of Push-Ups

      ASEP: "Push-Up Test"
    
      ExRx.net: "Push-Up"
    
      Cooper Institute: "FITNESSGRAM® /ACTIVITYGRAM® Reference Guide (4th Edition)"
    
      Vermont State Police: "Minimum Fitness Standards for Recruits"
    
      U.S. Air Force: "Are You Ready for Basic Training?"
    
      American Council on Exercise: "4 Moves to Help You Master the Push-Up"
    
      British Journal of Sports Medicine: "Normative health-related fitness values for children: analysis of 85347 test results on 9-17-year-old Australians since 1985"