How many press ups should I be able to do at my age?

We will not give you that number, because the chart nearly every site uses to answer it does not say where it came from. What the tool gives you instead is where you sit on a press-up progression and what to do for the next four weeks, which is the part you can act on.

Why does this tool not show an age percentile?

Because we could not find a figure we could stand behind. The widely-copied norms table states its own original source is unknown, and the genuine published studies sit inside copyrighted manuals whose actual numbers we have not read. Putting a number on the page and attributing it to a real organisation we had not read would be worse than leaving it off.

Do press ups from my knees count?

Yes, and they are rated on their own scale here rather than converted into full press ups. They are the same movement with less of your weight on it, and a lot of controlled reps from your knees is how most people get to a full one.

Why does the tool ask my age if it does not compare me to anyone?

Only to check you are 18 or over, because Trael is an adults-only product, and to word the result sensibly. Your four-week plan is built from your score, not your age. Somebody of 55 doing thirty press ups and somebody of 25 doing thirty need the same next session.

How often should I test again?

Every four weeks is plenty, under roughly the same conditions: same time of day, not straight after a heavy session. Testing more often than that mostly measures how tired you were.

Free tools

Press-up test and 4-week plan

Do one honest set, tell us the number, and get the next four weeks of training built from it. No sign-up, and nothing you type leaves your device.

Your age

Which version did you do

How many in one set

Your result

Building

That is a solid working set. From here, most of the progress comes from adding sets rather than chasing a bigger single number.

Worth writing down. The number that matters next time is this one, not somebody else's.

This rating is ours, not a published norm table. It marks the rungs of a progression, the way a climbing grade does. There is a section below on why we do not show you an age percentile.

The next four weeks

Press ups

Elbows at roughly 45 degrees to your body, not flared straight out to the sides.

Week 1: 3 sets of 5
Week 2: 3 sets of 7
Week 3: 3 sets of 9
Week 4: 3 sets of 11

Leave a day between sessions. Three sessions a week is plenty.

When week 4 feels comfortable, move on to press ups with your feet on a chair.

How many press ups should you be able to do at your age?

The honest answer is that nobody publishing that figure on the open web can tell you where it came from, and we are not going to add another one.

Almost every page ranking for this question shows the same chart: a grid of Excellent, Good, Above average and so on, split by age and sex. Follow it back far enough and it arrives at a single widely-copied page which states, in its own words, that the original source for the data is unknown. Real published norm studies do exist, but they sit inside copyrighted manuals rather than in the open, and the versions circulating online are estimates mapped onto them rather than the published figures.

So this page does something narrower and more useful: it tells you which rung of a press-up progression you are on, and what to do for the next four weeks. The rating is ours and the page says so wherever it appears.

What this test actually measures

One set, taken to the point where your form starts to go, is a reasonable measure of upper-body pressing endurance. It is not a measure of how strong you are in general, how fit you are, or how healthy you are, and a single number on a single morning moves around with sleep, food and how recently you trained.

That is why the useful comparison is with your own last score. Test again in four weeks under roughly the same conditions and the direction of travel will tell you far more than any chart could.

How to do a press up that counts

Hands roughly under your shoulders, elbows at about 45 degrees to your body rather than flared straight out to the sides.
A straight line from your head to your heels. Squeeze your glutes; that is what stops your hips sagging.
Lower until your chest is about a fist's height from the floor, then push all the way back up.
Stop counting when the line breaks. A rep where your hips drop or your head leads is not the same movement, and counting it makes your next test meaningless rather than flattering.

Why the knee version counts

Press ups from your knees are the same movement with less of your bodyweight going through your arms. They are not a lesser exercise, they are an earlier rung, and the fastest route to a full press up for most people is a lot of good reps at a height they can actually control.

Common questions

How many press ups should I be able to do at my age?: We will not give you that number, because the chart nearly every site uses to answer it does not say where it came from. What the tool gives you instead is where you sit on a press-up progression and what to do for the next four weeks, which is the part you can act on.
Why does this tool not show an age percentile?: Because we could not find a figure we could stand behind. The widely-copied norms table states its own original source is unknown, and the genuine published studies sit inside copyrighted manuals whose actual numbers we have not read. Putting a number on the page and attributing it to a real organisation we had not read would be worse than leaving it off.
Do press ups from my knees count?: Yes, and they are rated on their own scale here rather than converted into full press ups. They are the same movement with less of your weight on it, and a lot of controlled reps from your knees is how most people get to a full one.
Why does the tool ask my age if it does not compare me to anyone?: Only to check you are 18 or over, because Trael is an adults-only product, and to word the result sensibly. Your four-week plan is built from your score, not your age. Somebody of 55 doing thirty press ups and somebody of 25 doing thirty need the same next session.
How often should I test again?: Every four weeks is plenty, under roughly the same conditions: same time of day, not straight after a heavy session. Testing more often than that mostly measures how tired you were.

This plan stops after four weeks. A coach does not.

The four weeks above are fixed the moment you read them: they cannot tell that week two felt easy, or that your shoulder was sore on Thursday. Trael rebuilds your plan every week from your check-ins, notices when something has become too easy, and coaches you through each session by voice. See what it costs.

£24.99 a month with a 3-day free trial. No card needed to start.

Start your free trial

Where the numbers come from

NHS - physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64

All free tools - the rest of the free calculators and generators
Free workout plan generator - a full week of training, not just the pressing
How to restart exercise after years off - worth reading first if this was your first set in a while
Home workout generator, no equipment - A no-equipment week built around the room you actually have at home, floor space or not.

Trael provides general fitness guidance only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a doctor before starting any exercise or diet programme.