How many push-ups by age
For men aged 30–39, roughly 17–21 push-ups is average and 30+ is excellent; for women in the same band, 12–16 is average and 25+ is excellent — though the published women's norms assume a modified bent-knee push-up. Norms fall with age. Enter your age, sex and best set below, and read the form standard first, because most self-reported counts use partial reps.
| Band | Your age group |
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Two caveats that matter. Norms are drawn from commonly published fitness-testing tables (ACE, ACSM and similar) and the sources genuinely disagree — treat the bands as approximate reference points, not a standardised assessment. More importantly, the published women's norms are based on the modified bent-knee push-up. If you are a woman performing full push-ups from the toes, you are almost certainly outperforming the band shown.
What counts as a rep
Most self-reported push-up counts are inflated, and not through dishonesty — reps get shallower as you fatigue, and you cannot see your own depth. A valid repetition means:
- A straight line from head to heels. Hips sagging or piking is the most common fault.
- Hands roughly shoulder-width, fingers forward.
- Descend until the upper arms are at least parallel to the floor — about a 90° elbow bend. This is where partial reps creep in.
- Full lockout at the top, without resting.
- Continuous — pausing in the up position to recover ends the set.
Why range of motion matters more than the count
A set of 30 partial push-ups is not a better result than 18 full-depth ones; it is a different, easier exercise. Training through a fuller range produces greater strength and hypertrophy adaptations than partial reps at the same load, so shortening your reps to hit a number works directly against the reason you are testing.
This is also why comparing your count month to month only works if depth stayed constant — which, unfilmed and unmeasured, it usually does not.
Testing yourself consistently
Same time of day, same surface, same rest beforehand, and ideally the same verification method. Filming from the side is the low-tech option. An app that tracks elbow angle through the camera does it automatically and will not flatter you when you get tired.
RepSquad — automatic rep counting
Counts push-ups through your iPhone camera with on-device pose detection and a live range-of-motion bar, so partial reps do not quietly inflate your numbers. No video leaves your phone.
View on the App StoreFrequently asked questions
How many push-ups should I be able to do?
It depends on age and sex. A 30-something man averages around 17-21 in a single max set and a 30-something woman around 12-16, with 30+ and 25+ respectively counting as excellent. Norms decline roughly every decade.
What counts as a proper push-up?
Body in a straight line from head to heels, hands roughly shoulder-width, and descent until the upper arms are at least parallel to the floor — around a 90-degree elbow bend — then full lockout at the top. Sagging hips or a partial descent invalidates the rep.
Are push-ups a good fitness test?
They are a reasonable proxy for upper-body muscular endurance and are widely used precisely because they need no equipment. They say nothing about cardiovascular fitness, lower-body strength or mobility, so treat the result narrowly.
How do I count push-ups accurately?
Counting your own reps to failure is unreliable, and self-counts skew high because tired reps get shallow. Filming the set or using an app that tracks range of motion through the camera gives a count you can actually compare over time.