| RATING | 17-19 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50-59 | 60-65 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent | 57+ | 48+ | 42+ | 35+ | 32+ | 31+ |
| Good | 47–56 | 39–47 | 34–41 | 28–34 | 25–31 | 24–30 |
| Above Average | 35–46 | 30–39 | 25–33 | 21–28 | 18–24 | 17–23 |
| Average | 19–34 | 17–29 | 13–24 | 11–20 | 9–17 | 6–16 |
| Below Average | 11–18 | 10–16 | 8–12 | 6–10 | 5–8 | 3–5 |
| Poor | 4–10 | 4–9 | 2–7 | 1–5 | 1–4 | 1–2 |
| Very Poor | 0–3 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| RATING | 17-19 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50-59 | 60-65 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent | 31+ | 33+ | 29+ | 21+ | 17+ | 13+ |
| Good | 22–30 | 24–32 | 21–28 | 15–20 | 13–16 | 10–12 |
| Above Average | 11–21 | 14–23 | 13–20 | 10–14 | 9–12 | 6–9 |
| Average | 7–10 | 9–13 | 7–12 | 5–9 | 4–8 | 3–5 |
| Below Average | 4–6 | 5–8 | 3–6 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 2 |
| Poor | 1–3 | 1–4 | 1–2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Very Poor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| RATING | 17-19 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50-59 | 60-65 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent | 36+ | 37+ | 38+ | 32+ | 26+ | 24+ |
| Good | 27–35 | 30–36 | 30–37 | 25–31 | 21–25 | 19–23 |
| Above Average | 21–27 | 23–29 | 22–30 | 18–24 | 15–20 | 13–18 |
| Average | 11–20 | 12–22 | 10–21 | 8–17 | 7–14 | 5–12 |
| Below Average | 6–10 | 7–11 | 5–9 | 4–7 | 3–6 | 2–4 |
| Poor | 2–5 | 2–6 | 1–4 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 1 |
| Very Poor | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Norms: ACSM / Canadian Standardized Test of Fitness (CSEP) push-up test, as tabulated by Topend Sports (topendsports.com/testing/tests/home-pushup.htm). All values are reps completed in one set to fatigue with correct form.
The ACSM and CSEP norms come from large, representative samples of the general adult population — not gym-goers or athletes. For a man in his 40s, the Good category starts at 28 reps; Excellent at 35. These are achievable with consistent training, but sit well above what a sedentary 40-year-old walks in with.
If you've been sitting at a desk for a decade, Average is a real achievable goal for 6–8 weeks of focused work. Good is a season of consistent daily effort. Excellent usually reflects a year or more of training.
If you Google "average pushups by age," you'll find wildly varying numbers — many pulled from fitness forums where participants are self-selected. People who track their reps are people who do reps. The ACSM/CSEP data comes from standardised population testing, not self-reporting. That's why the Average categories may look lower than you expected. They're probably more accurate, not less.
Research on neuromuscular adaptation is consistent: frequency matters more than volume for beginners. Doing 26 pushups every morning — even modest reps — trains the motor pattern daily, accelerates neural recruitment, and accumulates volume in a way that three-days-a-week programming can't match for building the specific habit.
Most people who test as Below Average or Poor haven't "failed" — they haven't started a consistent practice yet. Four to six weeks of daily pushups is enough to move one full rating tier. That's not inspiration — it's how adaptation works.
"Show up daily. 26 pushups. The chart handles itself."
— 26 Pushups, field manual