Push-Up Test: Protocol and Reference Tables

The push-up test is one of the classic fitness battery exercises, and it's still useful today: it's quick, needs no equipment, and gives you a very direct picture of muscular endurance in the chest, shoulders, and triceps, while also demanding solid core stability.

It's a great test for group assessments, periodic check-ins, or as a complement to other maximal strength tests.

What does this test measure?

It measures the maximum number of push-up repetitions a person can perform with good technique, generally until technical failure or within a time limit (1 minute). It mainly reflects upper-body muscular endurance (pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, triceps) and, to a lesser extent, core control.

Equipment needed

• Flat surface
• Stopwatch (if time is limited)
• Optional: a height reference (tape, foam pad) to standardize range of motion

Step-by-step protocol

1. Starting position: hands on the ground (slightly wider than shoulder-width) and feet, body in a straight line from ankles to head
2. Controlled descent until the chest is about 5-8 cm from the floor (or touches a reference)
3. Full arm extension on the way up, without losing body alignment
4. Count only complete repetitions with good technique
5. Stop the test when the person can no longer maintain correct technique or the time limit runs out (if using the 1-minute format)

Common mistakes

• Counting repetitions with incomplete range of motion
• Allowing the hips to sag or pike excessively during the movement
• Not telling the person the criteria for a "valid rep" before starting, which makes results hard to compare between assessments

How to interpret the results

Level	Men (reps)	Women (reps)
Low	< 10	< 5
Acceptable	10-20	5-15
Good	20-35	15-25
Very good	> 35	> 25

These are reference values for young-to-middle-aged active adults, using standard push-ups (hands at shoulder width). Modified versions (knee push-ups) require their own reference table and shouldn't be compared directly with the standard version.

How this test relates to others

The push-up test pairs well with other upper-body strength-endurance tests:

• Pull-Up Test — assesses the pulling pattern, complementing the pushing pattern
• Parallel Bar Dip Test — another pushing variant with greater triceps involvement

Track your progress

Comparing today's result with one from three months ago is tricky by eye, especially if you coach several people. With Movalytics you can record the number of reps, the variant used (standard or modified), and see each athlete's progress in a clear chart, without keeping track on paper.

FAQ

Should it be done to failure or with a time limit? Both formats are valid. The important thing is to always use the same format so results are comparable between assessments. Do knee push-ups count the same? No. They're a less demanding variant, so they shouldn't be mixed with standard-version data or compared with the same reference tables. How does this test relate to bench press 1RM? There's a correlation, but it's not direct: the push-up test measures muscular endurance (reps), while the 1RM bench press test measures maximal strength in a single rep. Both provide complementary information.