My comments on age-based push-up benchmarks, originally given to Metro, were later picked up by LADbible for a feature looking at how many push-ups men and women might reasonably aim for at different ages.
The article uses the push-up as a simple measure of upper-body strength and muscular endurance, but the main point I wanted to make was that the number on its own never tells the whole story.
Quality before quantity
Push-ups are useful because they involve much more than just the chest and arms.
A good repetition requires the shoulders, triceps and chest to work alongside the core, glutes and legs to maintain a strong body position.
But chasing a target number with poor technique defeats the purpose.
As I explained:
“Push-ups are an excellent barometer of upper-body strength and core stability, but quality always beats arbitrary quantity.”
That is the part I would want people to remember.
Age-based benchmarks are only a guide
For the original feature, I shared broad ranges for men and women across different age groups, from people in their 20s through to those in their 60s and beyond.
The ranges naturally tend to fall with age, but they should not be treated as pass-or-fail standards.
Training history matters.
Bodyweight matters.
Injury history matters.
Technique matters.
And someone who has never trained push-ups before should not compare themselves with somebody who has been strength training for years.
As I told Metro, and LADbible subsequently reported:
“Use age-based benchmarks as targets, not evaluations. Build strength gradually, safely, and in context with the rest of someone’s physical profile.”
A kneeling push-up still counts
One of the most important parts of the article was the point around regressions.
Someone who cannot yet perform a full push-up with good technique has not “failed” the exercise.
A well-controlled kneeling push-up is a perfectly legitimate starting point.
I said:
“If someone can’t do a push-up with solid technique yet, a perfect kneeling push-up is a huge and meaningful achievement.”
From there, the aim is simply to progress gradually.
You might build more repetitions from the knees, use an elevated surface such as a bench or gradually lower the height of the support until a full floor push-up becomes achievable.
What a good push-up should look like
For me, the most useful push-up is one that looks repeatable.
The body should remain controlled from shoulders through to hips.
The elbows should move in a comfortable path rather than flaring excessively.
The chest should move towards the floor with control.
And the repetition should stop when technique starts to break down rather than continuing purely to hit a number.
That gives you a much more meaningful measure of strength than counting loose repetitions.
A useful benchmark, not a judgement
Push-ups are simple, accessible and require no equipment, which is why they remain such a useful fitness benchmark.
But they should give you information, not a verdict on how fit or strong you are.
If you can currently perform five good repetitions and build that to ten, that is progress.
If you need to begin with an elevated or kneeling version, that is still training.
The number matters less than developing strength safely and steadily from wherever you are starting.
It was good to see the original Metro discussion subsequently reach another large audience through LADbible.
Joseph Webb
Expert coaching. Entirely personal.
Chartered Personal Trainer | FRSPH | FCIMSPA
