Challenge: Can You Beat the 1-Minute Max Push-Up Test? (See Where You Rank Nationally!)

Push-ups are probably the most popular, widely performed exercise in the world. Athletes from almost every sport, military personnel, fitness enthusiasts, and kids in physical education classes all include push-ups in their workouts. Even non-exercisers recognize the mighty push-up, even if they can’t actually do any themselves!

Despite this, push-ups are sometimes viewed as a beginner exercise, but that’s not a point of view I share.

I’m a veteran personal trainer with more than 30 years of experience, and I prescribe push-ups to many of my clients. In fact, I insist that they master push-ups before attempting exercises like barbell or dumbbell bench presses.

Push-ups teach you how to stabilize your body and control your limbs, which are skills you need before progressing to free weights. Plus, according to studies, push-ups can be just as effective as conventional training for building strength and muscle mass (1). There really is no reason not to include push-ups in your workouts.

But how many push-ups should you be able to do, and how does this number change as you get older?

There are lots of different push-up standards from a range of authorities, including the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, and numerous other organizations.

However, I’ve found the simplest way to test a person’s push-up performance is with a simple 60-second test.

In this article, I reveal how to perform my 1-minute push-up test, provide a chart so you can assess your performance, and share a 4-week training plan to improve your result.

The No-Cheat Guide to Perfect Push-Ups

 Cheats never prosper, or so the saying goes. While I don’t think this is true 100 percent of the time, I do think it applies to the push-up test you’ll find later in this article. That’s because even small form faults can artificially inflate your score, making it impossible to judge your results fairly—either against a rankings chart or your fellow exercisers.

So, to that end, this is how you should perform your push-ups. You may find that you cannot do as many this way, but such a strict form ensures that all test participants are assessed by the same criteria.

Follow these steps to ensure all your push-ups are legal!

1. Kneel on all fours and place your palms flat on the floor. Your fingers should point forward with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Brace your core and walk your feet out and back so your legs and body are straight.
3. Pull your chin in and slightly extend your neck so your ears, shoulders, hips, knees, and feet form a straight line.
4. Bend your arms and lower your chest—not your head or belly—down to within one inch of the floor.
5. Extend your arms and push yourself back until your elbows are straight but not locked.
6. Bend your arms and repeat.

Additional tips:

• Think about pushing the floor away rather than lifting your body—this may improve your form and performance even more.
• Place a small object, e.g., a thick book, under your chest to ensure you hit the same depth for all your reps.
• Time your breathing to your movements—inhale as you descend, and exhale as you come back up. However, you don’t need to breathe every rep.

Breaking these “rules” will allow you to do more reps, but they won’t really count. It’d be like claiming the world record for the 100 meters but only running 90! So, perfect form only, please!

Take the Test: How Many Perfect Push-Ups Can You Do in One Minute?

Now you know how to do a perfect push-up, it’s time to put up or shut up and take the test. As you’ve probably guessed by now, this simple test involves doing as many push-ups as possible in 60 seconds.

While you can administer this test yourself, it’ll be easier if you recruit a friend, training partner, or family member to act as your timer and rep counter. But, if you do it alone, I suggest using a timer with a count-in function, so you don’t have to worry about pushing buttons at the start of your test.

Remember too that only perfect reps count. While you can go as fast as you want—which is the aim of the test after all—perfect form = fair scores, so NO cheating. I also suggest doing a brief warm-up before attempting the test and only doing it when you are well-rested, e.g., after a recovery day.

Once you’ve done the test, simply compare your results to the charts below:

Male 1-Minute Push-Up Rankings

Percentile	Ages 20-39	Ages 40-49	Ages 50-59	Ages 60-69	Ages 70-79
99th	65+	60+	55+	50+	45+
90th	55-64	50-59	45-54	40-49	35-44
75th	45-54	40-49	35-44	30-39	25-34
50th	35-44	3-39	25-34	20-29	15-24
25th	25-34	20-29	15-24	10-19	5-14
10th	15-24	10-19	5-14	0-9	0-4
Bottom 10%	0-14	0-9	0-4	0-4	0

Female 1-Minute Push-Up Rankings

Percentile	Ages 20-39	Ages 40-49	Ages 50-59	Ages 60-69	Ages 70-79
99th	50+	45+	40+	35+	30+
90th	40-49	35-44	30-39	25-34	20-29
75th	30-39	25-34	20-29	15-24	10-19
50th	20-29	15-24	10-19	5-14	0-9
25th	10-19	5-14	0-9	0-4	0-4
10th	5-9	1-4	0-2	0	0
Bottom 10%	0-4	0-4	0	0	0

Related: Push Ups Strength Standards for Men and Women

About These Standards

For the 1-minute push-up test, I pulled the performance figures from trusted sources like the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and military standards (Army, Navy, Marine Corps).

However, instead of directly applying those figures, I adjusted them for the one-minute format. Military tests typically require sustained effort over two minutes or more, so I recalibrated the expectations to suit the higher intensity of a shorter test.

Additionally, I made adjustments for age as performance tends to decline over time, particularly after 40. To account for this, I factored in a 5-rep reduction per decade for people over 40.

These adjustments make the 1-minute push-up test a practical, accessible tool that provides a clear measure of upper body strength and endurance, while still staying true to the original standards. It’s simple and works for all fitness levels, including men and women.

Essential Push-Up Performance Boosting Strategies

Regardless of your one-minute push-up test rankings, you probably want to improve your score. I’ve helped lots of people go from average to awesome at push-ups, and these are the main techniques I use. Incorporate them into your push-up training and you’ll soon go from push-up zero to certified hero!

Grease the Groove

Regular practice is the best way to master any skill—including push-ups, and that’s where grease the groove or GTG training comes in…

The goal of GTG is to clock up lots of submaximal or easy sets of push-ups every day for a few weeks. For example, if you can pump out 25 push-ups in a single set, your job is to do multiple sets of 10-12 reps throughout your day, say every 1-2 waking hours.

But, make no mistake, these easy practice sets will have a huge impact on your 1-minute push-up test score, and you’ll crush your previous record after a few weeks of GTG training.

Read more about greasing the groove in this in-depth guide.

Weighted Push-Ups

Weighted push-ups will strengthen your muscles and make conventional bodyweight push-ups feel much easier. Consequently, you’ll be able to pump out your reps faster and do more before tiring. Needless to say, this will elevate your performance and help you achieve a better one-minute push-up test score.

You don’t need to go too heavy for this strategy to work—about 10% of your body weight is enough. More weight than this will probably change your form, making any strength improvements less transferable.

Related: Weighted Push-Up: Target Your Chest, Arms, and Core Effectively

Increase your Range of Motion

No weighted vest? No problem! You can make push-ups more challenging—and make conventional push-ups feel easier—by increasing your range of motion. The simplest way to do this is by using push-up handles. Alternatively, you can rest your hands on yoga blocks, weight plates, or even a couple of old books.

Lowering your chest below the level of your hands increases the amount of work you do per rep which will boost your push-up performance. You’re also less likely to get stuck at the bottom of your reps, which is a common sticking point for many exercisers.

Related: Deficit Push-Ups: Target Your Chest, Arms, and Core Effectively

Train For a Longer Test  

Athletes often do something called over-distance training. For example, when getting ready to run a 10km race, they’ll include 12-15 km runs in their training schedule. This builds a “fitness reserve,” and the confidence that they can run further than the required distance.  

You can use this same rationale when training for the 1-minute push-up test.

Try doing push-ups for 75 or even 90 seconds and a minute won’t feel so daunting. Plus, you’ll build the endurance to keep pushing out reps for the entire duration of the test. Fewer stops will automatically translate to a better score.

Work On Your Rep Speed

Once you can do push-ups for one minute straight, the only thing standing between a good score and a great one is rep speed. The best way to develop this is to do short, fast sets and practice blasting out the reps.

Try doing 15-second sets that focus on rep speed. You should have no problem doing non-stop push-ups for this short timeframe, leaving you free to focus on the speed of your movements. However, still maintain good form—don’t try and cheat yourself faster.

Using these methods regularly and consistently will do a lot for your push-up test score. However, you’ll get better results if you follow a program designed to specifically increase push-up speed and endurance. Check out the next section for a four-week push-up performance-boosting plan.

Training Plan to Boost Your 1-Minute Push-Up Test Score

If you are currently in the lower percentiles, i.e., below 50%, you probably don’t need to follow a specialist program to improve your 1-minute push-up test score. Instead, you should just focus on doing push-ups regularly and consistently, incorporating some of the training methods outlined above.

However, if you’re already pretty good at push-ups, you will likely benefit from a more targeted approach.

Here is a four-week training program designed for intermediate exercisers looking to jump up the rankings for their one-minute push-up test score.

Weeks 1 & 2—Solidify Your Push-Up Foundation

Goal: Focus on volume and perfecting form. The emphasis is on doing moderate reps with good quality.

Day 1: Push-Up Basics + Stability

Exercise	Sets	Reps/Time
Push-Ups (Decline)	3	8–12 reps
Band Pull-Aparts	3	15–20 reps
Incline Push-Ups	3	8–12 reps
Plank	3	30–45 seconds

Day 2: Push-Up Endurance 

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Push-Ups (Standard)	4	10–15
Push-Ups (Deficit)	3	8–12
Band Pull-Aparts	3	15–20
Side Plank	3	30 seconds per side

Day 3: Push-Up Power + Speed

Exercise	Sets	Reps/Duration
Push-Ups (Standard)	5	6–10 reps*
Push-Ups (Diamond or Close-Grip)	3	6–8 reps
Band Pull-Aparts	3	15–20 reps
Push-Up Hold (at the bottom position)	3	20-30 seconds

*Speed reps—do your push-ups as fast as possible while maintaining good form.

Week 3–4: Increase Volume and Intensity

Goal: Increase overall volume, reduce rest between sets, and build more explosive strength.

Day 1: Push-Up Endurance & Form

Exercise	Sets	Reps/Time
Push-Ups (Standard)	4	12–18 reps
Push-Ups (Decline)	3	10–15 reps
Band Pull-Aparts	3	20 reps
Plank	4	45–60 seconds

Day 2: Push-Up Power + Speed

Exercise	Sets	Reps/Time
Push-Ups (Standard)	5	8–12 reps*
Push-Ups (Diamond or Close-Grip)	3	8–12 reps
Band Pull-Aparts	3	20 reps
Push-Up Hold (bottom position)	3	20-30 seconds

*Speed reps—do your push-ups as fast as possible while maintaining good form.

Day 3: Push-Up Max-Out Test + Stability

Exercise	Sets	Reps/Time
Max Push-Up Test	3	45 seconds
Push-Ups (Knee or Incline, if needed)	3	12–15
Band Pull-Aparts	3	20
Side Plank	3	30 seconds

On completion of this program, take 2-3 days rest and then retake the one-minute push-up test. You should expect to see a marked improvement in your performance.

Closing Thoughts

Are you ready to take your push-up game to the next level? The 1-minute push-up test is a simple yet powerful measure of upper body strength and endurance. By following the strategies and training plan outlined in this article, you can improve your performance and see noticeable gains in just four weeks.

Don’t forget to track your progress and share your results in the comment section below. Take the test now, see where you rank, and start your journey to becoming a push-up pro.

Related: How to Train For 20 Consecutive Pull-Ups and 50 Push-Ups

References:

1. Calatayud J, Borreani S, Colado JC, Martin F, Tella V, Andersen LL. Bench press and push-up at comparable levels of muscle activity results in similar strength gains. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Jan;29(1):246-53. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000589. PMID: 24983847.

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