How Many Pushups Can You Do?

The push-up is the all-American exercise. Too bad most Americans would have a hard time cranking out a single repetition, let alone the number they should be able to do for their age.

It’s time to start re-gaining your upper-body strength. And in a challenge I put together for Men’s Health Magazine last summer, I set the bar very high.

Here, for example, are the numbers I gave for men under the age of 45 to determine their level of fitness:

• Able to do less than 20 push-ups = out of shape
• Able to do 20-34 push-ups = average
• Able to do 35-49 push-ups = fit
• Able to do more than 50 push-ups = “Men’s Health” fit

(For a woman, cut the number of repetitions by 60 percent. So, to get an “average” fitness score, a woman under the age of 45 would need to be
able to do at least 12 pushups.)

If you are a beginner, start with kneeling push-ups to build strength. Do one set of 5-10 reps today, and add one set every other day until you are able to do three sets of 10 kneeling push-ups.

Once you are able to do that, you’ll be ready for the next level: lowering yourself to the ground for a 3-count, then relaxing onto your knees and getting back up to the start position. Work your way up to 8 repetitions…and then you’ll be ready to do full push-ups.

If you’re already doing full push-ups, here’s how to improve your fitness score: Start by doing half the number of repetitions you can do, rest 30 seconds, repeat that same number of push-ups, rest 30 seconds again, and then repeat the push-ups. Do this two or three times per week, decreasing
the rest period by 10 seconds each week. Retest your max after three weeks.

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week.

For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training for Fat Loss