The push-up is a widely recognized measure of physical fitness, often used in military, law enforcement, and general health assessments around the world. Although the movement is simple and requires no specialized equipment, the ability of the general population to perform it correctly varies considerably. This simple bodyweight exercise provides a quick, practical metric for evaluating upper-body strength and endurance, serving as a useful benchmark for overall physical conditioning.
Defining the Standard Push-Up
For a push-up to be counted as a valid repetition in a standardized fitness test, specific criteria for form and range of motion must be met. The standard version involves starting on the hands and toes, with the body held in a rigid, straight line from the head to the ankles, maintaining core stability. The hands are typically placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. The downward movement is considered complete when the chest is lowered to a predetermined height, such as touching a partner’s fist, or reaching a 90-degree bend in the elbows. A successful upward phase requires a full return to the starting position, where the arms are fully extended and the straight body line is maintained. Proficiency rates are typically collected using this “standard” version, which requires lifting approximately 60 to 70 percent of a person’s body weight. Modified versions, such as those performed on the knees, are generally not the benchmark for official proficiency data.
The Data: Push-Up Proficiency Rates
The percentage of people who can successfully perform a standard push-up is challenging to pinpoint with a single number, as it depends heavily on the strictness of the form criteria and the population being measured. Surveys of American adults suggest that over one-third of the population, specifically 36.4 percent of respondents in one survey, could perform fewer than five consecutive push-ups. This highlights a significant portion of the general public that struggles with even a low number of repetitions.
For men, the average number of continuous push-ups decreases noticeably with age. Men aged 20 to 29 are often expected to perform around 20 to 34 repetitions to be considered “average” in fitness assessments. This average drops to a range of 12 to 24 repetitions for men in their 40s, and further still to 8 to 14 repetitions for men in their 60s.
Women typically demonstrate lower average capacities due to physiological differences in upper body muscle mass relative to total body weight. The average range for women aged 20 to 29 is generally lower, around 15 to 24 repetitions. By the time women reach their 40s, an average performance is considered 8 to 14 repetitions, while women in their 60s often fall into the 5 to 11 repetition range.
What the Push-Up Really Measures
The push-up test is primarily a measure of muscular endurance in the chest, shoulders, and triceps, as well as the relative upper body strength needed to move one’s own body mass repeatedly. It is not designed to measure maximal strength, which is the heaviest weight a person can lift once. The capacity to perform multiple repetitions reflects the muscle’s ability to resist fatigue.
The significance of push-up capacity extends into a person’s long-term health outlook. Research has demonstrated a strong inverse correlation between the number of push-ups a person can perform and their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. One study of middle-aged, occupationally active men found that those able to complete more than 40 push-ups had a 96 percent lower risk of experiencing a CVD event over a ten-year period compared to men who could complete fewer than 10 repetitions. This suggests that push-up performance serves as a simple, no-cost functional marker of overall cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, which are important components of longevity.