![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-667151080.jpg\")
\n\t\tEver wondered how many push-ups you should be able to do? The answer\u2019s in (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tEver wondered how many push-ups you should be able to do? The answer\u2019s in (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
No matter how many push-ups you\u2019re used to doing, reaching the end of a set can feel like a slog.<\/p>\n
But a push-up can often be a good indicator of your overall strength<\/a>, particularly your upper body form. It\u2019s not just about looking impressive in the gym, either. Working on your chest, shoulders, core and tricepts will help you lug a heavy suitcase up a flight of stairs, improve your posture, aid joint pain, and enable you to push yourself back up after a fall.<\/p>\n At 66, Simon Cowell<\/a> recently claimed he completes up to 1,000 each day. Consider us impressed. But how many should you be able to do?<\/p>\n Metro chatted to two personal trainers to find out the ideal push-up range,based on you age.<\/p>\n Not meeting the mark? Fear not: there\u2019s a sneaky improvement plan in there too.<\/p>\n How many push-ups should you be able to do in your 20s?<\/p>\n Personal trainer Joseph Webb tells Metro the answer depends on \u2018form, bodyweight, training history, and physical limitations.\u2019 The most important thing isn\u2019t necessarily the number of reps: it\u2019s the movement pattern itself.<\/p>\n \u2018If someone can\u2019t do a push\u2011up with solid technique yet, a perfect kneeling push\u2011up is a huge and meaningful achievement, and should be the first goal before worrying about hitting age\u2011norm numbers,\u2019 Joseph explains.<\/p>\n However, Joseph suggests that men in their 20s should be able to do an average of between 30 and 43 push-ups, adding that between 30 and 54+ is an \u2018excellent\u2019 measure of overall fitness. <\/p>\n For women, between 15 and 29 is the average, but between 14 and 48+ is even better.<\/p>\n \u2018A slow, full-range push-up with a neutral spine is far more valuable than chasing a big number with poor mechanics,\u2019 he adds.<\/p>\n \u2018This simply leads to poor posture and inevitable injury.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t Throughout your 30s, Joseph suggests aiming for the following:<\/p>\n Men: Between 20 and 34 on average (or 22-44+ to hit that \u2018excellent\u2019 band)<\/p>\n Women: Between 10 and 24 on average (or 10 to 39+).<\/p>\n \u2018Push\u2011ups are an excellent barometer of upper\u2011body strength and core stability, but quality always beats arbitrary quantity,\u2019 he adds.<\/p>\n \u2018Use age\u2011based benchmarks as targets, not evaluations. Build strength gradually, safely, and in context with the rest of someone\u2019s physical profile.\u2019<\/p>\n In your 40s?<\/p>\n Throughout your 40s, Joseph suggests the following targets:<\/p>\n Men: 15-28 on average (15 to 39+ for the \u2018excellent\u2019 band)<\/p>\n Women: 6-19 on average (6 to 34+ for the \u2018excellent\u2019 band).<\/p>\n As personal trainer Scott Harrison says, one might assume that age would have a heavy influence on how many push-ups you\u2019re capable of. But it\u2019s not always that way \u2013 and it all depends on how much you\u2019ve been training.<\/p>\n \u2018A lot of people say that when you get older, everything\u2019s a bit harder. It\u2019s not if you\u2019ve been doing it since your 20s, and you\u2019ve carried it on,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n \u2018If you\u2019ve looked after yourself for all those years, you\u2019ll be just as good in your 40s, in your 50s, and in your 60s as you were in your 20s.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t Throughout your 50s, Joseph suggests:<\/p>\n Men: 10 to 24 (or 10-34 for the \u2018excellent\u2019 band)<\/p>\n Women: 3 to 14 (or 3-25+).<\/p>\n 60 and over?<\/p>\n And, throughout your 60s and over:<\/p>\n Men: 6-19 (or 6-29+ for the \u2018excellent\u2019 band)<\/p>\n Women: 1-12 (or 1-24+ for the \u2018excellent\u2019 band).<\/p>\n Why are push-ups such a good measure of fitness?<\/p>\n As Scott says, doing as many as 1,000 in a day is arguably \u2018too much\u2019 \u2013 even if they\u2019re split into sets of 100.<\/p>\n In his opinion<\/a>, doing this exact number on a daily basis would be \u2018very painful on your joints eventually, causing repetitive strain injuries.\u2019<\/p>\n That said, push-up or not, exercise should be a \u2018non-negotiable\u2019 practice. As Scott says: \u2018Every week, from now until the day you leave the planet, you should exercise, especially if you don\u2019t want a frame around your toilet when you\u2019re older, or a seat in your bath. <\/p>\n \u2018You still want to dance on the beach, walk through the forest, play with the grandkids and walk up and down the stairs without being out of breath.\u2019<\/p>\n Even a 10-minute workout can add to the \u2018pension<\/a> pot of life,\u2019 and as Scott says, walking also counts as exercise. And it\u2019s certainly \u2018underrated.\u2019<\/p>\n He says: \u2018You can burn a lot of fat with walking, and being outside in nature is good for your heart and lungs. Any exercise is good, but always choose the one you enjoy, because you\u2019re more likely to do it.<\/p>\n \u2018A push-up is one of the pinnacles of exercise. If you\u2019ve got a strong push-up, whatever your age, I think it\u2019s a good sign of overall health<\/a>.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tA six-week plan to help you get better at push-ups\t\t\t<\/p>\n Weeks 1 and 2<\/p>\n Scott recommends starting each session with a set of push-ups that feels manageable \u2013 and stopping \u2018before your form starts to dip.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018After that, do two or three more sets at a number you know you can complete well. If full push-ups are hard, try raising your hands on your stairs, kitchen top or bench. You could also drop to your knees,\u2019 he explains.<\/p>\n \u2018This takes some weight off while still building strength. Move slowly, and controlled with some time under tension, especially on the way down, and keep your body in a straight line.<\/p>\n Weeks 3 and 4<\/p>\n At this point, the push-ups might start to feel easier \u2013 and you might want to increase the challenge slightly.<\/p>\n Scott suggests: \u2018Open each workout with a stronger set where you\u2019re really pushing yourself, then follow it with a few easier sets at a repeatable number of reps that you know you can finish.<\/p>\n \u2018If you\u2019ve been using raised hands, maybe it\u2019s time to lower them a little. Focus on controlled reps rather than rushing to hit high numbers\u2019<\/p>\n Weeks 5 and 6<\/p>\n For these final two weeks, Scott recommends improving your best set by just one or two reps at a time.<\/p>\n \u2018Slowing the lowering phase or pausing briefly at the bottom makes push-ups harder without putting extra strain on your joints,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n \u2018Throughout the six weeks, rest well between sets and stop if your technique slips. Push-ups work your chest, arms, shoulders, and core together, so good form really matters more than how many you can do.<\/p>\n \u2018Stick with this plan, and most people notice a clear improvement in both strength and confidence by the end.\u2019<\/p>\n Do you have a story to share?<\/p>\n Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2172009318.jpg\")
\n\t\tOne personal trainer says that a well-executed, slow push-up is best (Picture: Getty Images)
\nIn your 30s?<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-1425203196.jpg\")
\n\t\tIf you\u2019re not able to do a full push-up, there are alterations you can make (Picture: Getty Images)
\nIn your 50s?<\/p>\n
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