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- Push-ups work multiple upper-body and core muscles simultaneously, making them a functional, efficient strength exercise.
- Push-up capacity varies widely, but higher reps generally reflect greater strength, endurance, and overall fitness.
- Ultimately, proper form and progression matter more than rep count—quality, controlled push-ups are more effective than improper ones.
The push-up is an exercise classic for a reason: It can be done anywhere, it doesn’t involve complicated steps or directions, and it gets lots of important muscles working. So it’s not really a surprise that it’s become a popular way to gauge upper-body fitness.
The number of push-ups you can do can tell a lot about your strength, muscle endurance—and even your long-term health. Here’s what you need to know, plus some tips on how you can perfect your push-up form and make the most out of the exercise.
Why Push-Ups Matter for Your Health
“Push-ups are one of the most functional upper-body movements you can perform,” Evan Williams, CSCS, head strength and conditioning coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, told Health. That’s because they train a movement pattern that you do in lots of activities over the course of a day, like pushing open a heavy door, placing an object on a top shelf, bracing a fall, or getting up from the ground.
They’re also incredibly efficient because they work a bunch of different muscles. While they primarily target your chest, they also hit:
- Shoulders and muscles around the shoulder blades
- Triceps
- Core stabilizers
The ability to do push-ups might be indicative of your overall health, too. A 2019 study of male firefighters found that those who could do more push-ups had a much lower risk of cardiovascular events over 10 years. In particular, men who could do 40 push-ups or more had about a 95% lower risk than those who could do fewer than 10, though this likely reflects overall fitness rather than push-ups themselves directly preventing heart disease.
How Many Push-Ups Should You Be Able to Do?
There’s no set number of push-ups you “should” be able to do—it’s very individualized and can be influenced by many factors. Push-up performance depends on age, body weight, strength, and experience with the movement, said Williams.
Still, the American Council on Exercise provides this chart for fitness group instructors to gauge push-up performance in their clients by age and sex. (The number for women uses a modified, bent-knee version.) Here’s what is considered “good” for those ranges:
- Ages 20–29: 22–28 for men; 15–20 for women
- Ages 30–39: 17–21 for men; 13–19 for women
- Ages 40–49: 13–16 for men; 11–14 for women
- Ages 50–59: 10–12 for men; 7–10 for women
According to Williams, here’s a breakdown by age and sex (for women, using traditional or modified) that would be considered “excellent”:
- Ages 20–29: 35–45+ for men; 25–35+ for women
- Ages 30–39: 32–40+ for men; 20–30+ for women
- Ages 40–49: 28–35+ for men; 18–25+ for women
- Ages 50–59: 22–30+ for men; 15–20+ for women
What If You Can’t Do That Many (Or Any)?
It’s really, really common to struggle with push-ups. Even though they are a bodyweight exercise—meaning they’re not done with any added weight—that doesn’t mean they’re easy. “A standard push-up requires lifting 60–70% of your body weight, which can be challenging at first,” said Williams.
Modified push-ups can make the move easier. Plus, they help your chest, shoulders, and other muscles get stronger and become familiar with the push-up motion, which helps when you’re ready to try a full push-up.
Here are some push-up modifications Williams recommends:
- Incline push-ups: Place your hands on a wall, bench, or step
- Knee push-ups: Keep your hands on the ground, but drop to your knees
- Partial range-of-motion push-ups: Shorten your range of motion—say, by stopping midway down—to reduce the load. This also helps you focus on control as you build strength, said Williams.
How to Do a Proper Push-Up
“Proper form is essential to ensure the movement is effective and safe,” said Williams. “Good form ensures you recruit the correct muscles, protect your joints, and build strength that transfers to everyday activities and sports.”
A push-up is essentially a moving plank, so you want to make sure you’re keeping a straight line from your head to your heels. Brace your core, glutes, quads, lats, and shoulders throughout the move; you don’t want your lower back to sag, your hips to shoot up, or your shoulder blades to collapse.
Position your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, with your elbows at 30–45°—flaring them out at 90° can over-stress your shoulders. “Think about ‘screwing’ your hands into the floor as if trying to rotate them outward to create upper-body stability,” Williams said. Then lower your chest to just above the floor and push to rise back up.
How to Improve Your Push-Up Count
If you want to get better at push-ups, you need to actually do push-ups. Add them to your workout two to four times a week, said Williams, with three to four sets per session. You should strengthen the upper-body muscles that help you do push-ups with other exercises, too, like chest presses (with a barbell, dumbbells, or a machine), shoulder presses, tricep dips or extensions, and band work for the smaller muscles in your shoulder.
Don’t forget about your core, either—again, a push-up is a moving plank, so you need core strength to complete the move. Try different plank variations and Pallof presses.
Just remember: “Even a few perfect push-ups are more effective than many sloppy reps,” said Williams. “Focus on controlled movement and full range of motion.” If full push-ups start to get easy, you can add challenge—say, by elevating your feet or playing with the tempo during your lowering and rising stages.
