Push-Ups - Equivalent to Benching What % of Bodyweight?

[imTKain]

Just wondering if anyone knows what percentage of your bodyweight benching is equal to doing a push-up. 1 Push-up = 1 ??% BW Bench press.

[nextsuperhero]

Pretty sure this can be googled, as well as % with elevated feet push-ups.

And I think you can check it yourself by putting just your hands on a scale (I accidently did that with a wii fit).

[TheRealCartman]

It is around 70-75%, depends on the person body comp to a degree

[DJAuto]

It is around 70-75%, depends on the person body comp to a degree

^^^

Around 2/3.

[imTKain]

Weird, because I can do 45-50 push-ups straight, but I certainly cant bench 140 that many times...

[Jaxxed_Fibraz_]

30%.


Around that, lol @ 70%.

[Hayeder]

a proportioned person is liftin 60% of their weight when performing a push-up.


Wikipedia is great for this type of factoid searching

[sunyatasamsara]

a pushup is 70% of BW I think.

[MaximusJuris]

Act like you are doing a pushup on a scale...

[KyleAaron]

It's equivalent to about 2/3 your bodyweight in pure force.

However, a pushup is not equivalent to a free weights bench press - you have to balance a bar, you don't have to balance the Earth beneath you, or even grip it. So a pushup is more like a machine bench press. Having it be a free weight is around 2/3 of the machine weight.

So if you can do 20 pushups with your 180lb body, you should be able to do 20 reps of 120lbs on a machine bench press, or 20 reps of 90lbs with a free weight.

Remember also that your muscles have both strength and endurance - muscular endurance, not the same as cardio. After about 30 pushups it's not really strength anymore, it's endurance. There exist people who've done 1,000 pushups in an hour, that doesn't mean they could bench 300lbs. So anything over 30 pushups won't translate well to machine or free weight bench press.

The different muscles that come into play as synergists and stabilisers in the different exercises will also make a difference after 20-30 reps.

[allsweaty]

**** I'm kinda curious about this myself, brb finding scale.

Found scale.

I weight 194.6, hands on scale I weight 138. I'm not 100% this method even works. But 138/194.6 = 71%.

[Kostabot]

2 sets of scales. Push ups with one arm on each, then addd up the weight. Try with feet elevated etc. Pr you could loopk up a formula. They're not always accurate though, depending on your build.

[MaximusJuris]

2 sets of scales. Push ups with one arm on each, then addd up the weight. Try with feet elevated etc. Pr you could loopk up a formula. They're not always accurate though, depending on your build.

No reason to make it all complicated... just use a digital bathroom scale and put both your hands on it. It'll work fine unless you're too weak to hold yourself up with your hands close together.



I did it awhile back and came out with right around 69-70% of my bw.

[-Lucifer]

'bout 3.50%.

[Staxed1989]

Approximately 2/3's of your bw. So, basically 55kg for me. I reckon I could rep that on a bench about 30-40 times, and I can do about 50 push ups, so a bit different, but not drastically. If you want to pus up the equivalent of your whole bw, add some weight to a backpack and sling that over you, or just get someone to put a plate on your upper back.

[imTKain]

Looks like the general consensus is 66-70% with the reason for not being able to bench that many times both cardio and perhaps stabilizing muscles. Thanks guys.

[Ironlife]

I always thought about 1/3rd but could be more.

[SoccerSoldier]

I've looked all over the internet and everyone seems to agree that roughly 70% of your weight is equal to one push up.

I am 200Ibs and can do about 55 push ups without a break but can only do 15 reps on the bench at 100Ibs. So how can this be right?

[oldballs]

I've looked all over the internet and everyone seems to agree that roughly 70% of your weight is equal to one push up.

I am 200Ibs and can do about 55 push ups without a break but can only do 15 reps on the bench at 100Ibs. So how can this be right?

Ok sure, its not right. Please tell me how knowing this will help you?

[PeterGibbons316]

I've looked all over the internet and everyone seems to agree that roughly 70% of your weight is equal to one push up.

I am 200Ibs and can do about 55 push ups without a break but can only do 15 reps on the bench at 100Ibs. So how can this be right?

Because that 70% includes the weight of your arms/chest that are moving. When you do a bench press you do not include that weight in the amount lifted.

[Waldo56]

Its very form dependent as well.

A lot of people do pushups with crap form, which makes them easier.

[SoccerSoldier]

Ok sure, its not right. Please tell me how knowing this will help you?

I'm in the Army and need to do 77 push ups straight for an 100% score on the physical fitness test. I am trying to set goals for myself when benching that relate directly to the amount of push ups I need to do.

[Engineer_Guy]

I've looked all over the internet and everyone seems to agree that roughly 70% of your weight is equal to one push up.

I am 200Ibs and can do about 55 push ups without a break but can only do 15 reps on the bench at 100Ibs. So how can this be right?

At that rep range it's simply an endurance exercise. The answer is that you are weak.

[TaylorJamison]

Lol ^^^

[SoccerSoldier]

Because that 70% includes the weight of your arms/chest that are moving. When you do a bench press you do not include that weight in the amount lifted.

So you're saying that the bench weight would be more like 50% to 60% of your total body weight to equal one push up?

[HeavyIron8]

I've looked all over the internet and everyone seems to agree that roughly 70% of your weight is equal to one push up.

I am 200Ibs and can do about 55 push ups without a break but can only do 15 reps on the bench at 100Ibs. So how can this be right?

It's equivalent to about 2/3 your bodyweight in pure force.

However, a pushup is not equivalent to a free weights bench press - you have to balance a bar, you don't have to balance the Earth beneath you, or even grip it. So a pushup is more like a machine bench press. Having it be a free weight is around 2/3 of the machine weight.

So if you can do 20 pushups with your 180lb body, you should be able to do 20 reps of 120lbs on a machine bench press, or 20 reps of 90lbs with a free weight.

Remember also that your muscles have both strength and endurance - muscular endurance, not the same as cardio. After about 30 pushups it's not really strength anymore, it's endurance. There exist people who've done 1,000 pushups in an hour, that doesn't mean they could bench 300lbs. So anything over 30 pushups won't translate well to machine or free weight bench press.

The different muscles that come into play as synergists and stabilisers in the different exercises will also make a difference after 20-30 reps.

He answered it for you

[PeterGibbons316]

So you're saying that the bench weight would be more like 50% to 60% of your total body weight to equal one push up?

I'm saying that is why they are different.

Really it doesn't matter. The two are different exercises and should be treated as such.

[oldballs]

I'm in the Army and need to do 77 push ups straight for an 100% score on the physical fitness test. I am trying to set goals for myself when benching that relate directly to the amount of push ups I need to do.

what if I say its 55.8% but it turns out its not? then what?

[Floider]

A pushup should also get easier as you move from the ground up to lockout because the higher you push yourself off the ground the more of your weight is transferring down to your feet. That is another difference between it and a bench press (bench press is uniform weight throughout).