If You Can Do This Many Pushups, You’re Stronger Than Most People Over 50
Got a minute? How about testing your strength and real-world functionality? After all, you’re putting in hard work, time, and dedication at the gym, so it makes perfect sense to assess your overall fitness. Joe Ghafar, a certified personal trainer, nutritionist, weight-loss specialist, and nutritional and fitness educator for Eden, breaks down a one-minute test that instantly unveils how strong you are.
”Here’s the deal, if you’ve got one minute, you can learn a lot about your strength and real-world functionality with a one-minute pushup test,” Joe explains. “This isn’t about just cranking out reps; it’s about quality movement. This test measures upper-body muscular endurance, core stability, and even shoulder mobility. Think of it as a quick snapshot of how well your body handles repeated stress without falling apart in form.”
How To Perform the One-Minute Pushup Test
- Begin in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and body straight.
- Lower your chest toward the ground.
- Press back up.
- Count only the reps you’re able to perform with a full range of motion.
- Modify to knee pushups, if necessary.
Joe breaks down the benchmarks to gauge your results.
- Above Average: Men, 35+ reps; Women, 30+ reps
- Average: Men, 20–34 reps; Women: 15–29 reps
- Needs Improvement: Men, under 20 reps; Women, under 15 reps
“Remember, this isn’t about shaming where you start; it’s about setting a baseline,” Joe stresses. “From there, it’s all about progress.”
Focus on completing a full range of motion with each rep. Your chest should lower close to the ground and your arms should be completely extended at the top of the movement. In addition, keep your core tight and emphasize control over speed.
“Bottom line: I’d rather see someone do 15 perfect reps than 30 half-reps with bad form,” Joe says. “Quality always beats quantity when we’re measuring functional fitness.”
What Makes This Test a Solid Indicator of Strength and Fitness
Joe dubs pushups “the ultimate life movement.”
He says, “You’re training your body to stabilize through your core, control your body weight, and produce force, all things you need when lifting groceries, pushing a heavy door, or even catching yourself if you trip.”
You don’t need fancy workout equipment or machines to get into excellent shape and maintain your fitness.
“It’s about controlling your own body, which is the most functional strength you can have,” Joe adds. “Form is king. If you’re pumping out sloppy reps, you’re not testing strength, you’re testing how fast you can break down!”
