Understanding your push-up test result
The table below shows the age- and sex-specific normative categories used by this calculator, compiled from standard fitness-assessment push-up norm tables (Topend Sports Network).
| Age | Sex | Poor | Below average | Average | Above average | Good | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17–19 | Male | Fewer than 11 | 11–18 | 19–34 | 35–46 | 47–56 | 57 or more |
| 20–29 | Male | Fewer than 10 | 10–16 | 17–29 | 30–38 | 39–47 | 48 or more |
| 30–39 | Male | Fewer than 8 | 8–12 | 13–24 | 25–33 | 34–41 | 42 or more |
| 40–49 | Male | Fewer than 6 | 6–10 | 11–20 | 21–27 | 28–34 | 35 or more |
| 50–59 | Male | Fewer than 5 | 5–8 | 9–17 | 18–24 | 25–31 | 32 or more |
| 60+ | Male | Fewer than 3 | 3–5 | 6–16 | 17–23 | 24–30 | 31 or more |
| 17–19 | Female | Fewer than 4 | 4–6 | 7–10 | 11–21 | 22–30 | 31 or more |
| 20–29 | Female | Fewer than 5 | 5–8 | 9–13 | 14–23 | 24–32 | 33 or more |
| 30–39 | Female | Fewer than 3 | 3–6 | 7–12 | 13–20 | 21–28 | 29 or more |
| 40–49 | Female | Fewer than 2 | 2–4 | 5–9 | 10–14 | 15–20 | 21 or more |
| 50–59 | Female | Fewer than 2 | 2–3 | 4–8 | 9–12 | 13–16 | 17 or more |
| 60+ | Female | Fewer than 2 | 2 | 3–5 | 6–9 | 10–12 | 13 or more |
- These norms assume standard push-up technique (straight body line, full range of motion, no rest). Modified variations such as knee push-ups are not directly comparable to these thresholds.
- The push-up test measures muscular endurance, not maximal strength or cardiorespiratory fitness — it is one component of overall physical fitness, not a complete fitness assessment.
- Normative tables are compiled from field-testing data and represent general population benchmarks; individual results can be affected by technique, prior fatigue, and testing conditions.
- Thresholds fall with increasing age bracket and differ between men and women, reflecting typical population differences in upper-body muscular endurance.
What is the push-up test?
The push-up test measures upper-body and core muscular endurance by counting the maximum number of push-ups a person can complete with correct technique, usually performed to voluntary fatigue or until form breaks down. It is one of the most widely used field tests of muscular endurance because it requires no equipment and can be scored simply as a repetition count.
Standard technique for the test — a straight body line from head to heels, full range of motion from extended arms to a chest height near the floor, and no rest breaks — must be maintained for the count to be compared meaningfully against normative tables, since modified variations (such as knee push-ups) are counted differently and are not directly interchangeable with standard-form norms.
The push-up test assesses local muscular endurance in the chest, shoulders, triceps and core, which is a distinct component of fitness from maximal strength (tested by something like a 1RM) or cardiorespiratory fitness (tested by something like the Cooper or Rockport tests).
How to use this push-up test calculator
- Warm up, then perform as many standard-form push-ups as possible without resting, stopping when you can no longer maintain correct form.
- Count only repetitions performed with full range of motion and a straight body line.
- Select your sex, enter your age, and enter the number of push-ups completed.
- Read your result and the normative category it falls into for your age and sex.
How the push-up test is scored
There is no mathematical conversion in the push-up test — the raw repetition count is compared directly against age- and sex-specific threshold tables to assign a category from poor to excellent.
Worked example: a 28-year-old man who completes 32 standard push-ups falls in the above-average category for his age-and-sex bracket, since the threshold for good in that bracket is 39 reps and for above-average is 30 reps.
Because thresholds fall as age bracket increases and differ between men and women, the same repetition count can land in different categories depending on age and sex.
Common mistakes
- Counting push-ups performed with an incomplete range of motion or a sagging body line, which inflates the count relative to the standard-form norms.
- Comparing a modified push-up variation (such as knee push-ups) against the standard-form threshold table.
- Resting between repetitions during the test, which is not part of the standard protocol the norms are based on.
- Using the wrong age bracket, especially near a bracket boundary (for example, entering age 39 instead of the correct 30–39 bracket comparison).
- Treating the push-up test score as a complete fitness assessment rather than one measure of upper-body muscular endurance.
Preguntas frecuentes
What does the push-up test measure?
The push-up test measures upper-body and core muscular endurance — the ability of the chest, shoulder, triceps and core muscles to perform repeated submaximal contractions. It does not directly measure maximal strength or cardiorespiratory fitness.
What counts as a good push-up test score?
It depends on age and sex. Using the norms in this calculator, 39 or more push-ups is rated good for a man aged 20–29, while 24 or more is rated good for a woman of the same age. Thresholds are lower for older age brackets.
Does the push-up test measure strength?
Not directly. It measures muscular endurance — the capacity to sustain repeated submaximal effort — which is a related but distinct fitness component from maximal strength, which is better assessed with a test like a one-rep max.
Can I compare knee push-ups to these norms?
No. These norm tables are based on standard-form push-ups (straight body line, full range of motion). Modified variations such as knee push-ups reduce the load and are not directly comparable to the standard-form thresholds.
Why do the norms differ by age and sex?
Average upper-body muscular endurance differs between men and women and tends to decline with age in population data, so the normative thresholds are banded by age and sex to give a more meaningful comparison than a single fixed cutoff.
Referencias
- Topend Sports Network. Push-Up Test — normative data tables for fitness assessment.
- American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 11th edition. Wolters Kluwer, 2021.