Experts Reveal How Many Push-Ups You Should Be Able To Do Based On Your Age

There are plenty of ways to measure your fitness level, but one medical institution suggests that a simple push-up test might give you a quick answer.

Now, be honest... when was the last time you attempted a push-up?

According to experts at the Mayo Clinic, push-ups are a simple but effective way to gauge both muscular strength and endurance. They provide a quick and easy assessment of upper body strength that requires no equipment.

The Mayo Clinic has also provided a guideline outlining how many push-ups an individual should be able to complete based on their age.

While fitness can be assessed in many ways, the report suggests that using these benchmarks for different age groups might help people see where they currently stand and whether they need to improve.

So, how do you think you would stack up against the expected number for your age? The numbers may be higher than you expect, and they also vary depending on gender.

How many can you do? Getty Stock Image

For individuals around the age of 25, women are expected to complete 20 push-ups, while men should be able to do 28.

By age 35, the recommended count drops slightly 19 push-ups for women and 21 for men.

At age 45, the suggested number goes down further to 14 for women and 16 for men.

By the time individuals reach 55 or 65, women are expected to complete 10 push-ups, while men are expected to manage between 12 and 10, depending on age.

Although the Mayo Clinic has pointed out that push-ups can be a good indicator of overall fitness, not everyone in the fitness industry agrees with their benchmarks.

In a conversation with Mail Online, personal trainer Natalya Alexeyenko commented: "I respect various experiments and studies, but in this case, I lean more on my personal experience training individuals."

The expectations for men and women depending on their age Mayo Clinic

"Most of my clients lead a moderate lifestyle and work out two to three times a week."

"Given that, I believe realistic norms might be lower for women by about three to five repetitions and higher for men with a sports background by about five to 10 repetitions compared to the Mayo Clinic's recommendations."

Alexeyenko also pointed out that various factors influence strength and endurance, making it difficult to establish a rigid connection between age and push-up ability. According to her, fitness levels are far more complex than a simple age-based chart.

Several key factors could impact an individual's ability to perform push-ups. These include training history, past injuries, joint mobility, diet, and even stress levels.

So, if you find yourself struggling to hit the expected number, don’t be too hard on yourself. Fitness isn’t just about a single test - it’s about consistency and progress over time.