The push-up test: what does your score say about your fitness?

TLDR

• How many push-ups you can do in a row says something about the strength and endurance of your upper body and core.
• A study in firefighters linked a higher push-up score to fewer cardiovascular problems in the years that followed. That is an association in one group, not a diagnosis.
• See it as a free measuring point: test every two to three months, the same way each time.
• Can’t do them on the floor yet? Start against a table or bench. Progress counts for more than the number.

I like little tests that cost nothing and that I can do at home. The push-up is one of them. I did it again a while ago, after a long time without trying, and the result was disappointing. Reason enough to find out what that number actually tells you.

What the firefighter study found

In 2019, JAMA Network Open published a study by Yang and colleagues in more than 1,100 active firefighters. They did a push-up test at the start and were followed for ten years. Those who managed more than 40 push-ups had far fewer cardiovascular problems over that period than those who did fewer than 10.

Sounds spectacular, but read it with the necessary nuance. These are fit, middle-aged men, the study is observational, and anyone who can do lots of push-ups is usually fitter in other ways too. So the push-up is no magic heart protector. It is, however, a simple mirror of your overall fitness.

Why strength is such a good predictor

It fits a broader picture. A meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (Momma and colleagues, 2022) found that 30 to 60 minutes of strength training a week went hand in hand with a lower risk of early death, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Grip strength also turns out to be a strong predictor of how well you age. Muscle strength is simply one of the best investments you can make, as I also wrote in strength training as a longevity tool.

How I test it at home

• Warm up with some arm swings and a few easy push-ups.
• Hands shoulder-width apart, body in one straight line from head to heels, chest to just above the floor.
• Only count clean reps. If your hips sag or your chest doesn’t get low enough, you stop.
• Write down the number and the date. Test again in eight to twelve weeks, the same way.

Women or beginners can do the test on their knees or against a bench. What matters most is that you use the same version every time.

Getting better without breaking down

I train push-ups two to three times a week, each time a few sets with two to three reps “in reserve”. You can read more about that principle in my piece on RIR. One extra rep a week is already great.

Practical Engy tip

Do your baseline test today and write it down. If you have shoulder problems, high blood pressure or heart problems, check with your doctor or physio first.

Sources (selection)

• Yang J et al. (2019). Association between push-up exercise capacity and future cardiovascular disease events among active adult men. JAMA Network Open, 2(2), e188341.
• Momma H et al. (2022). Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 56(13), 755–763.
• Garber CE et al. (2011). American College of Sports Medicine position stand: quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 43(7), 1334–1359.