Push-up test.
Clean push-ups until your form breaks.
Count clean push-ups until your form breaks: body in one straight line, chest close to the floor. In a ten year study of men, those who managed more than 40 had 96% fewer heart events than those who managed fewer than 10; adjusted for other factors, the figure is nearer 90%. That is a link found across a group of men, not a forecast for any one person.
Where you sit.
Do the test, then enter your count. For men from the toes, it shows your band from the study. For everyone else, the number becomes your own baseline.
| Clean push-ups, men, from the toes | Result |
|---|---|
| More than 40 | Strong |
| 21 to 40 | Good |
| 11 to 20 | Fair |
| Up to 10 | Worth working on |
Source: Yang 2019 (JAMA Network Open). Reference data for men only. The bands describe groups of people, not a diagnosis for any one person.
Count the clean ones.
- 1. Start in a plank, hands under your shoulders, body in one straight line from head to heels. Use your knees if you need to, and note which you chose.
- 2. Lower until your chest is close to the floor, then push back up to straight arms.
- 3. Count each clean push-up. Stop when your form breaks: your hips sag or lift, or your chest no longer comes close to the floor.
- 4. Write down your number and whether it was from your toes or your knees, so next time you test the same way.
If your number is in the lowest band, it is the result I would raise first. I would build pressing strength and a steady trunk.
One test is one piece of the picture. The Five Minute Baseline adds a one leg stand, a floor sit and rise, an overhead squat and waist to height, each against the published average for your age.
What people ask first
How many push-ups should I be able to do?
The bands we use come from a ten year study of men: up to 10, 11 to 20, 21 to 30, 31 to 40, and more than 40. Men who managed more than 40 had 96% fewer heart events than men who managed fewer than 10. We do not yet use a published reference for women, so for women the number becomes your own baseline to improve on.
Do knee push-ups count?
Yes, as your own baseline. The bands are for push-ups from the toes, so a count from the knees is not compared with them. Note which you did, and retest the same way.
What does a low number mean?
In the study, men who managed fewer than 10 had far more heart events than men who managed more than 40. That is a link found across a group, not a diagnosis or a forecast for you. If it worries you, talk to your GP. It is also the result I would raise first: I would build pressing strength and a steady trunk.
Is this the same as a timed push-up test?
No. Some tests count push-ups in one or two minutes. This one counts clean push-ups until your form breaks, with no time limit.
Is it safe to do at home?
Stop if you feel pain. If you have a shoulder, wrist or heart problem, ask your GP before you try it.
Twenty minutes, with me.
We talk about your week, your health and what you have tried before. If the programme fits you, I will say so. If it does not, I will say that too.