How many pushups can you do?

[EliKoehn]

I just completed a wellness assessment at my gym, with caliper bodyfat measuring and a few other basic tests, one of which was to see how many pushups you can do. I went into this fasted (though I'm not sure that makes a big difference) and was able to do a total of 39. That was honestly lower than I was expecting.

Anyone tried this recently? What's a good benchmark for that? I tend to think of pushups as one of those exercises that a reasonably strong person should be able to do an infinity of, but apparently not lol.

[air2fakie]

From your posts you say you carry a decent amount of bf, so 39 is pretty good. If you want to experiment, BP about 50-60% of your bodyweight and see how many reps you can do. Probably ends up being around the same # of reps.

[EliKoehn]

From your posts you say you carry a decent amount of bf, so 39 is pretty good. If you want to experiment, BP about 50-60% of your bodyweight and see how many reps you can do. Probably ends up being around the same # of reps.

Yes, I am disappointed in myself, because I actually gradually got to be in pretty good shape by the end of last year with a below 50% WHR running decent times while keeping my lifts relatively high, and then more or less let myself go this spring/summer. Right now I'm at least 30 pounds overweight. I know I can get there again without too much difficulty, but it is discouraging that I squandered a lot of progress so quickly. Making permanent-minded lifestyle changes is the issue so that wild swings like that aren't something to expect. At this point I think it would be better not even to cut, but rather just to implement smart choices on a regular basis with a really slight deficit while just going about life and training normally.

That's a cool point of reference, though, thanks. Didn't know that there was a rule of thumb for a ratio there.

[BeginnerGainz]

Ive done upwards of 60 before, I’ve also done over 70 dips in a row and ran 2 miles in under 16 mins.

Definitely not enjoyable anymore.

I’m all about the hand release pushups these days.

[EliKoehn]

Ive done upwards of 60 before, I’ve also done over 70 dips in a row and ran 2 miles in under 16 mins.

Definitely not enjoyable anymore.

I’m all about the hand release pushups these days.

Very nice!

Is that the variation where you clap between reps?

[AdamWW]

Im actually not sure... If I was totally fresh I would guess it's between 30-40 but never tested it.

[BeginnerGainz]

Very nice!

Is that the variation where you clap between reps?

No, you go down, and pull your hands up off the floor and retract your shoulder blades, then start from a dead stop each rep.

[Casca]

Depends on what you think a "push up" is.

Before when I didn't really think about it, I could do 80+ regularly and 100+ on a good day. I thought they were good form at the time as well as range of motion. For a military PFT, they would count.

I look at it different now. What I did before really gave a "pump" burning feeling and was the limiting factor. I had to stop because of lactic acid build up. It wasn't really muscular failure strength wise.

I don't do "slow" push ups, it's just controlled. Going up, going down, I can stop at any point, hold for time and continue on. Same thing with pull ups. I don't just drop down, I lower myself down. Pacing is controlled. Doing it fast is using momentum....making it easier, using less strength. Yes, you can do more reps that way.....but what are you doing push ups for?

I go down till chest touches ground, pause (chest not resting on ground), controlled push back up....not a hard push and ride the momentum up. Just a steady controlled push back up.

I go all the way to a FULL scapula protraction. Really pushing tall. They call this "push up +" for rehab physical therapy. I just call it a push up. This range of motion will fix/prevent some shoulder problems and will cut down how many reps you can do. Being strong in full protraction is what allows me to hold planche. Currently just at advance tuck planche and sorta straddle planche.

I just do 10 reps 6 sets, with some planche stuff inbetween to warm up and then move on to progressing my planche.

[jademonkey]

Now? Probably about the same as you. Maybe 50. At my best probably 80-100. Never tracked PR though.

[TolerantLactose]

Us old geezers should aim for 40.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...rticle/2724778

[GrouchyUSMC]

I just completed a wellness assessment at my gym, with caliper bodyfat measuring and a few other basic tests, one of which was to see how many pushups you can do. I went into this fasted (though I'm not sure that makes a big difference) and was able to do a total of 39. That was honestly lower than I was expecting.

Anyone tried this recently? What's a good benchmark for that? I tend to think of pushups as one of those exercises that a reasonably strong person should be able to do an infinity of, but apparently not lol.

I like to go by the old Army Ranger standards. 2 minutes max reps, minimum 55 reps.

Full lockout, elbows at least parallel to ground at bottom, body needs to form a straight line throughout, you can only rest in the up position and if your knees touch the ground the test is over.

Age standards if you're curious - https://usarmybasic.com/army-physica...shup-standards

Even though I'm in my 40s, I still aim for the 27-31 range as it's the highest. The last time I took a mock test was earlier this year and I got 66 in two minutes. My best overall was 76 previously.

[MinisterOfLust]

I have done 200 pushups in one setting before. Granted I was accused of doing half pushups because I didn't go all the way up.

I always do five hundred pushups upon awakening

[GeneralSerpant]

Not much considering I mainly employ them for form, volume, balance, and pump, haven't been doing them more than about twice a week, and my bb bench press isn't particularly high in the first place.

Though I did get 40 in my rotation some months back and I go by strict full form.

[weiss1967]

I just completed a wellness assessment at my gym, with caliper bodyfat measuring and a few other basic tests, one of which was to see how many pushups you can do. I went into this fasted (though I'm not sure that makes a big difference) and was able to do a total of 39. That was honestly lower than I was expecting.

Anyone tried this recently? What's a good benchmark for that? I tend to think of pushups as one of those exercises that a reasonably strong person should be able to do an infinity of, but apparently not lol.

brings some good memories... Way back in my 20's, while in the navy I did 120 pushups on a bet, and could keep going. Years later, in my 40's, when one of boxing coaches jokingly said there is a pro boxing contract if you can do 90 in 90 seconds, good shape as I was, I could barely get to 50, with cheating and going shallow.

39 is a good number. It doesn't speak about BF or chest muscle etc. Pushups are very specific exercise, you need to do them to get better at them. Same as pullups.

[Darkseidd21]

About 90,but it doesn't count I'm featherweight..

[jaxqen]

In the past I could do 45-50.
Then I had wrist problems.
So I started doing them with my knuckles
Better stretch, more ROM.
I could do around 30 with good form, slower, deep stretch, using knuckles.
Then I stopped doing them when I joined a gym.
Weight lifting ruined my goal of getting into the Guiness book for most knuckles pushups.

[paulinkansas]

I can't do any since I'm a feeble little old man. I took Tae Kwon Doe when I was about 14-15. We had to do finger push ups. That's where you support yourself with extended fingers. Our trainer was pretty good. He took his purple belt crew to another town to spar with their black belt crew. The purple belts knocked the snot out of the black belts. One of those purple is doing something now that would get me killed if I mentioned it.

[GrouchyUSMC]

One of those purple is doing something now that would get me killed if I mentioned it.

Campaigning for Biden?

[tadpole25]

I'm not gonna lie. When I was 311 lbs, I could only do 1-2 pushups. Now at 199 lbs, I can only do 8 in a row. This is not as big of an improvement as I expected.

But maybe it's parabolic, and if I keep at it, I'll see way more progress in the next 12 months than I did in the past 12 months.

[Channel83]

I stumbled upon this a few weeks back and have been trying to increase reps to this tempo, progress is very slow... Started at at 27 and up to 34 now as a max effort after approx 8 weeks.

Elbows should be tucked into lats, and chest should go down to approx 3 inches from the floor on each rep.

Can't submit links but youtube PRMC Press Up Test Audio

[Ironface]

If we’re talking super strict, probably around 40 or so.

The problem is most people don’t do them super strict, so it becomes hard to compare between people.

I can probably do around 60 if I’m just banging them out at a partial RoM like most people do them

[RapidFail]

I've always done push ups strict - touching my chest to the ground and locking out every rep. I also do them later in workouts with some fatigue. The most I've done in a workout is about 26 at around 170lb bodyweight.

In my early 20s I did 60 at about 150lb bodyweight but I was much weaker then. Form probably wasn't as good either.

[weiss1967]

I'm not gonna lie. When I was 311 lbs, I could only do 1-2 pushups. Now at 199 lbs, I can only do 8 in a row. This is not as big of an improvement as I expected.

But maybe it's parabolic, and if I keep at it, I'll see way more progress in the next 12 months than I did in the past 12 months.

this isn't linear for sure. With every pound you lose, you will see accelerated progress in all BW exercises, situps, pullups, who knows, you might get to pistol squats eventually.