Can you do enough push ups by age?

[disneysteve]

Here's How Many Push-Ups You Should Be Able To Do By Age

It's a bad news day for me, personally.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

4) Age 55

• Women: 10 pushups
• Men: 12 pushups

5) Age 65

• Women: 10 pushups
• Men: 10 pushups.

I don't normally do push ups so I wasn't quite sure but because of this thread, I took the challenge when we went to the gym this morning.

I am 60 and did 10 push ups as part of my warmup. I didn't try for more but I'm sure I could have done at least 12. I had already done a few other exercises before I thought to do the push ups. Had I started with them, it would have been even easier. So I guess I'm doing okay, especially since I then proceeded to do about 30 minutes of weight training and 15 minutes on the treadmill.

 

[ls99]

Yes.

 

[More Cowbell]

Last time I did a push up was high school so no surprise I'm not any use at them. . . but all these things reminding me I didn't take good enough care of myself are a bit discouraging. . . .

My guess is most of you will do better at this test than me.

I asked my trainer about if they’d had clients who could not do a single pushup at the start of their personal training journey. The answer was not just women, had 2 male clients who could not do a single pushup, they’d been so sedentary. But worked with them, starting with the lowest weight on the chest press machine, and over time they were able to do their first pushup. So don’t be discouraged, just keep trying! And maybe keep trying to find the trainer who works best for your unique needs.

 

[BruinBones]

I thought you meant do as many pushups as the number of years in your age. (Like shooting your age in golf).
I haven't max'd out on continuous pushups since my last Navy PFT 12 years ago, but now you've got my competitive juices flowing. I may give it a try at my next workout. (I'm 59 years old).

 

[Music Lover]

I thought you meant do as many pushups as the number of years in your age. (Like shooting your age in golf).
I haven't max'd out on continuous pushups since my last Navy PFT 12 years ago, but now you've got my competitive juices flowing. I may give it a try at my next workout. (I'm 59 years old).

I can do 4 sets of 50 at age 62, so most likely I can do my age. Maybe I'll make it a goal to do my age on every birthday going forward.

 

[brett]

Do not know about push ups or standing on one leg.

I have enough trouble reaching my 10,000 steps a day. About 5 miles. That is the recommendation for someone like me...early 70's/

Usually I can do about 7000 but it is a hike down 1200 ft to a valley, and back up so perhaps that is OK. Always can do better though. Most of us can if we resolve to do it.

 

[street]

Just tried it I did 10 and could of did more. I have always disliked pushups, but I know it would be a good exercise to do.

 

[ugeauxgirl]

This year I have really worked on my fitness and it's paying off. Every time I run into someone I haven't seen in awhile, they comment that I look very "fit". I can do 20 pushups at 52. It's still not as impressive to me as my dad, who can do 16 at 81 years old!

 

[wallygator69]

Have a neck/shoulder issue and haven't done a push up in a few years. Been benching 100lbs at gym 3 times a week 15 reps 2 sets. In college I could bench 280lbs 1 time.

60 years old and Just did 25 pushups. I probably could have done 10 more but shoulder was tightening up a little.

FYI i was a wrestler and used to do 200+ a day.

 

[badatmath]

Kind of cool you all are testing out your capabilities. . .
IRL I know so many people who can barely walk across the store without leaning on the cart or riding on one. . . and most are not very "old" just very sedentary and poor health.

 

[albireo13]

I usually do 100 a day, in sets of 20.

 

[Diogenes]

As a lifelong dabbler in weightlifting, I find it much easier to do upper-body "feats of strength" than lower body. Compare for example pushups with standing still on one leg. I find it to be easier to do n-number of pushups (without pause) than to remain standing on one leg for n-number of seconds. That is, 50 pushups - something of a canonical number in this thread - isn't a particular challenge. But approaching 50 seconds on one leg, I am teetering, hopping and essentially keeling-over.

The point here isn't to brag about some number of reps or pounds-lifted in some exercise, but to note, that standards aren't one-size-fits-all, or good litmus tests for fitness. For example, I would struggle to walk 3 miles, but I can run 3 miles more or less OK. How is that possible? Answer: walking takes 2 or 3 times longer than running. The issue isn't oxygen processing, muscle strength or vitality of the knees, but pain in the lower back, around the waist-area. That scales directly with time on one's legs. If walking, I'd be spending more time on my legs, and if the walk takes an hour, by the end of the hour, I'm in severe back-pain. But I would finish the run before the pain sets in. Even worse would be some event, say a cocktail party, where party-goers stand around with a wine glass for an hour or longer, chatting. The only way that I could endure that, is if the wine gets refilled frequently.

 

[Dash man]

I have a frozen shoulder, so put me down for zero.

 

[Music Lover]

Kind of cool you all are testing out your capabilities. . .
IRL I know so many people who can barely walk across the store without leaning on the cart or riding on one. . . and most are not very "old" just very sedentary and poor health.

I work out because I don't want to be one of those people.

I find it almost unbelievable that someone would rather struggle to move around or get out of a chair than spend 20 minutes a day building strength.

 

[Jeffman52]

At 61, I do 3 sets (morning, midday, before bed) of 40 pushups 5 to 6 days a week. As an army veteran, I try to ensure I do a proper military pushup. Straight back, feet together, hands shoulder width apart, down to parallel across the back of the arms and back then back up to a locked position. I will say I did something to my shoulder about a year ago and I went to do a my normal pushups and my right arm/shoulder would not stabilize for even 10. I had to rest, slowly work the muscles and shoulders back to health before returning to pushups. I never really figured out what I did that caused it.

 

[Diogenes]

At 61, I do 3 sets (morning, midday, before bed) of 40 pushups 5 to 6 days a week. As an army veteran, I try to ensure I do a proper military pushup. Straight back, feet together, hands shoulder width apart, down to parallel across the back of the arms and back then back up to a locked position. I will say I did something to my shoulder about a year ago and I went to do a my normal pushups and my right arm/shoulder would not stabilize for even 10. I had to rest, slowly work the muscles and shoulders back to health before returning to pushups. I never really figured out what I did that caused it.

Would you consider it to be cheating, if you bounce your chest off of the floor, on the downstroke?

As for shoulder injuries, I've found that push-ups are no problem, but flat-bench bench press, is. I can do the incline bench-press, but the flat bench, with any weight worth doing, is growing uncomfortable.

 

[Jeffman52]

Yes that would be cheating LOL. I have seen people do that, its a cheat on the down because you drop your weight down rather than holding your weight on the down portion. Then its a cheat on the up part because you are using your body's momentum to help you push up.

 

[Rickt]

64yrs old, led a sedentary life until 7 years ago. after covid i really started watching my diet and exercise .
now do 3 sets of 20 push ups with my morning exercise routine

 

[Chris7]

I can do 20 in a row. I recently began a very modified Murph work out. I do 3 pull-ups, 20 squats (w/ 10 lbs), 10 push-ups and run (well lumber) a 1/4 mile. I do this 8x.

cd : O)

 

[6miths]

Ok, made me look. I don't do that many push ups anymore but I thank my father for the ability. Just got down and did 30 without too much effort. When I got out of line after about age 10 my Dad used to make me do push ups as a 'punishment'.