What is a good Push Ups?
For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Push Ups is about 40 reps. Advanced starts around 64 reps. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.
Competition results, gym submissions, and reader logs stay labeled separately so the ranking source is clear.
A solid (Intermediate) Push Ups for a 180 lb male is about 40 reps. Use the calculator below to convert your own Push Ups into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 64 reps.
FitnessVolt strength standards, with source populations labeled separately
How strong is your Push Ups? Compare your max reps against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.
How Many Push Ups Should You Be Able to Do?
A fit adult man at about 180 lb should be able to do around 40 Push Ups in one set, which is an Intermediate result. An advanced lifter does 64+, and an elite lifter reaches 90 or more.
Push Ups rep targets for a 180 lb man, by training level:
Men vs women: a 180 lb man should do about 40 Push Ups at an Intermediate level, while a 140 lb woman should do about 19.
By age: at an Intermediate level a 30 year old does about 41 Push Ups, dropping to about 33 by age 50. See the By Age tab for every band.
What counts as a good number? Anything at or above the Intermediate target puts you past the beginner and novice bands for your bodyweight. Beginners often start with 5 and build up; clearing the Advanced number is a strong target for trained gym lifters.
FitnessVolt strength standards, with gym and competition datasets labeled separately
How Strong Is Your Push Ups?
That clears the median for this bodyweight and gives you a useful benchmark for the next tier.
Illustrative: a normal-distribution model anchored to the real Beginner to Elite percentile thresholds for your bodyweight. The marker shows where your rep count falls, not a measured frequency count.
Reader Data Is Still Building
We do not have enough reader-submitted Push Ups entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:
Baseline figures for a 180 lb male at Intermediate level, from the standards table. This is not reader-submitted data. So far readers have logged a lift here.
How Much Should You Push Ups?
Use this table to find the standard closest to your bodyweight. The tiers are standards, not claims about reader submissions.
How a male lifter's expected 1RM scales with bodyweight at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.
| BW (lbs) | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 | < 1 | 16 | 42 | 73 | 109 |
| 120 | < 1 | 17 | 42 | 72 | 106 |
| 130 | 1 | 18 | 42 | 71 | 103 |
| 140 | 2 | 19 | 42 | 69 | 100 |
| 150 | 3 | 19 | 41 | 68 | 97 |
| 160 | 4 | 19 | 41 | 67 | 95 |
| 170 | 4 | 19 | 40 | 65 | 92 |
| 180 | 5 | 20 | 40 | 64 | 90 |
| 190 | 5 | 20 | 39 | 62 | 87 |
| 200 | 5 | 19 | 39 | 61 | 85 |
| 210 | 6 | 19 | 38 | 60 | 83 |
| 220 | 6 | 19 | 37 | 58 | 81 |
| 230 | 6 | 19 | 37 | 57 | 79 |
| 240 | 6 | 19 | 36 | 56 | 77 |
| 250 | 6 | 18 | 35 | 55 | 75 |
| 260 | 6 | 18 | 35 | 53 | 74 |
| 270 | 6 | 18 | 34 | 52 | 72 |
| 280 | 6 | 18 | 33 | 51 | 71 |
| 290 | 6 | 17 | 33 | 50 | 69 |
| 300 | 6 | 17 | 32 | 49 | 68 |
| 310 | 6 | 17 | 31 | 48 | 66 |
| 90 | < 1 | 4 | 19 | 39 | 61 |
| 100 | < 1 | 5 | 20 | 38 | 59 |
| 110 | < 1 | 6 | 20 | 37 | 57 |
| 120 | < 1 | 6 | 20 | 36 | 55 |
| 130 | < 1 | 7 | 19 | 35 | 53 |
| 140 | < 1 | 7 | 19 | 34 | 51 |
| 150 | < 1 | 7 | 18 | 33 | 49 |
| 160 | < 1 | 7 | 18 | 32 | 47 |
| 170 | < 1 | 7 | 17 | 31 | 46 |
| 180 | < 1 | 6 | 17 | 30 | 44 |
| 190 | < 1 | 6 | 16 | 29 | 43 |
| 200 | < 1 | 6 | 16 | 28 | 41 |
| 210 | < 1 | 6 | 15 | 27 | 40 |
| 220 | < 1 | 6 | 15 | 26 | 38 |
| 230 | < 1 | 5 | 14 | 25 | 37 |
| 240 | < 1 | 5 | 14 | 24 | 36 |
| 250 | < 1 | 5 | 13 | 24 | 35 |
| 260 | < 1 | 5 | 12 | 23 | 34 |
Is Your Push Ups Good?
A quick read on what counts as a good Push Ups at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.
Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Push Ups is about 40 reps. Advanced lifters hit 64 reps, and Elite is 90 reps.
Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Push Ups is about 19 reps. Advanced lifters hit 34 reps, and Elite is 51 reps.
Push Ups Rep Targets by Bodyweight and Age
Men: a 180 lb male should do about 40 reps at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 5 reps).
Women: a 140 lb female should do about 19 reps at an Intermediate level.
By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter does about 41 reps, and a 220 lb lifter does about 37 reps at an Intermediate level. Find your exact bodyweight in the table above.
By age (men): at an Intermediate level a 30 year old male does about 41 reps, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 33 reps. See the By Age tab for every age band.
FitnessVolt strength standards, with source populations labeled separately
How Does Age Affect Push Ups Strength?
How Push Ups standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.
How a male lifter's expected 1RM changes with age at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | < 1 | 11 | 30 | 54 | 80 |
| 20 | < 1 | 16 | 39 | 66 | 95 |
| 25 | 1 | 18 | 41 | 68 | 99 |
| 30 | 1 | 18 | 41 | 68 | 99 |
| 35 | 1 | 18 | 41 | 68 | 99 |
| 40 | 1 | 18 | 41 | 68 | 99 |
| 45 | < 1 | 15 | 37 | 63 | 92 |
| 50 | < 1 | 12 | 33 | 57 | 85 |
| 55 | < 1 | 10 | 28 | 51 | 76 |
| 60 | < 1 | 7 | 23 | 44 | 67 |
| 65 | < 1 | 4 | 18 | 37 | 58 |
| 70 | < 1 | < 1 | 13 | 30 | 49 |
| 75 | < 1 | < 1 | 9 | 24 | 40 |
| 80 | < 1 | < 1 | 6 | 18 | 33 |
| 85 | < 1 | < 1 | 2 | 13 | 27 |
| 90 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 9 | 21 |
| 15 | < 1 | < 1 | 12 | 27 | 43 |
| 20 | < 1 | 5 | 18 | 35 | 54 |
| 25 | < 1 | 5 | 19 | 37 | 56 |
| 30 | < 1 | 5 | 19 | 37 | 56 |
| 35 | < 1 | 5 | 19 | 37 | 56 |
| 40 | < 1 | 5 | 19 | 37 | 56 |
| 45 | < 1 | 4 | 16 | 33 | 51 |
| 50 | < 1 | 1 | 14 | 29 | 46 |
| 55 | < 1 | < 1 | 10 | 25 | 41 |
| 60 | < 1 | < 1 | 8 | 20 | 35 |
| 65 | < 1 | < 1 | 5 | 15 | 28 |
| 70 | < 1 | < 1 | 1 | 11 | 22 |
| 75 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 7 | 17 |
| 80 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 4 | 12 |
| 85 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 9 |
| 90 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | < 1 | 5 |
What Do Push Ups Strength Standards Mean?
Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the movement on the Push Ups, building the shoulder stability and pressing coordination needed to handle heavier loads safely.
Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can press with a consistent path and controlled tempo on the Push Ups. You are progressing linearly and building the chest, shoulder, and tricep base needed for intermediate strength.
Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Push Ups technique is efficient under heavy loads. You use programmed variations, understand how to manage pressing fatigue, and can grind through the mid-range sticking point.
Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have optimized your Push Ups setup for maximal force production - arch, leg drive, and grip width are dialed in. You train with periodized intensity blocks and accessory work targeting weak points.
Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Push Ups is at a competitive standard. You have refined every aspect of the lift through years of structured peaking and can produce maximal force with technical precision.
How to Progress Your Push Ups
Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Push Ups to the next level.
- Train the Push Ups 2-3x per week to build pressing strength and shoulder stability.
- Use linear progression: add 2.5-5 lbs per session.
- Practice controlled eccentrics (3-second lowering) to build tendon strength.
- Keep working sets at RPE 6-7 to accumulate quality volume.
- Add a pressing variation (close-grip, incline, or paused) for weak-point development.
- Increase frequency to 2-3 sessions per week with varied rep ranges.
- Program most sets at RPE 7-8 with one heavy session including RPE 9 work.
- Build tricep and shoulder accessory volume to support the Push Ups.
- Run 4-6 week blocks with planned volume and intensity progression.
- Use RPE 8-9 for competition-style sets, RPE 7 for volume backoffs.
- Target your sticking point with specific accessory work (board press, pin press, bands).
- Manage total weekly pressing volume (12-20 sets) across all push movements.
- Peak with structured 8-12 week cycles targeting a competition or max attempt.
- Refine your setup: arch, leg drive, grip width, and bar path for maximal efficiency.
- Use the RPE chart for precise percentage work during peaking phases.
- Test your Push Ups under competition-style commands and judging.
How to Perform Push Ups
- Start in a high plank position with your hands placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet together.
- Ensure your body forms a straight line from head to heels, engaging your core and glutes.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping them at a 45-degree angle to your body.
- Lower yourself until your chest is just above the ground.
- Push through your palms to extend your elbows and return to the starting position.
- Maintain proper form throughout the movement, keeping your core tight and back straight.
- Inhale as you lower your body and exhale as you push back up.
Tips for Push Ups
- Keep your core tight and body straight to avoid sagging hips.
- Ensure your hands are placed correctly to prevent shoulder strain.
- Lower your body in a controlled manner to avoid bouncing.
- Gradually increase the number of reps as you build strength.
Where Do These Push Ups Standards Come From?
FitnessVolt keeps each data population labeled. Competition percentiles use verified raw meet results where available. Gym percentile tabs use self-reported Symmetric Strength data. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.
Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026
Is Your Push Ups Good for Your Weight?
Use this page to compare your Push Ups against clearly labeled standards and percentile datasets. Here is the cleanest way to read it:
- Start with Standards to find the tier closest to your bodyweight.
- Use Gym Percentiles when you want self-reported gym comparisons.
- Use Competition for verified meet-result percentiles where the lift supports it.
- Use By Age when age-segmented gym data is available.
If you do not know your 1RM, use the one rep max calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can Push Ups 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.
The important rule: do not mix the tabs. Standards, gym percentiles, competition percentiles, and reader logs answer different questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
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