Push-Ups Test Calculator – Measure Your Upper Body Strength
This is a maximum push-ups test to assess your physical fitness. To receive your results, simply enter your age and the highest number of push-ups you can perform in one attempt.
Push-Ups Test Calculator
Rate Your Upper Body Strength
This test is only for adults (18+).
Rating: -
Push-Ups Test Instructions
You will need to perform as many push-ups as possible with no rest and in correct format for the push-ups test. You will need to:
- Hand pointing forward and shoulder width apart.
- Keep your back straight.
- Hold your head up
- Keep your legs together.
- Go down until the chin touches the floor; the stomach should not touch the floor.
- Going up by using the straighten the elbows
- The back must always be straight
The Push-Up Test To Evaluate Muscle Endurance and Physical Strength.
The calculator utilises a rating system as outlined by Hamill, J., Knutzen, K., and Derrick, T. (2017) in their book titled “Biomechanical Basis of Human Movement.” The push-up test is recognised as a valid method for assessing the endurance of upper body muscles.
The push-up is an excellent exercise for developing strength and endurance in the upper body, mainly targeting the shoulders, chest, and arms. This effectiveness explains why it is widely utilised in military training and sports worldwide.
Due to its simplicity and effectiveness, push-ups have remained a popular exercise for decades. Many individuals rely on push-ups and their variations to build upper body strength.
Research indicates that, on average, pushing-ups engage approximately 69.16% of your body mass when you start, increasing to 75.04% as you lower yourself. This is quite impressive! Even modified push-ups, where the knees serve as a pivot point and are particularly popular among women, involve lifting 53.6% of body mass in the up position and 61.8% while descending.
As a general guideline, it is widely accepted that all adults should incorporate muscle-strengthening exercises, such as weight training or push-ups, at least two days per week.
Main muscles work during Push-Ups.
As I mentioned earlier, your shoulders are the primary muscles targeted during push-ups. Push-ups are an excellent choice if you aim to develop strong shoulders and deltoids. Specifically, the anterior deltoid is heavily engaged as you push upward and controls the movement as you lower yourself back down. Additionally, the chest muscles, particularly the major and minor pectoralis, work hard throughout the entire push-up motion, both when you go down and push back up. Research indicates that if you commit to doing push-ups daily, you can achieve similar results to those gained from bench presses and free-weight chest exercises.
For the push-up test, you begin in a down position and then push yourself up by straightening your elbows, thus lifting your body weight using your triceps. The triceps play a significant role in this upward movement. Your abdominal muscles are also actively engaged; both the rectus and transversus abdominis muscles contract consistently during the exercise. The transversus abdominis, being a deep abdominal muscle, aids in burning stubborn belly fat. Therefore, don’t underestimate push-ups if you aim to develop six-pack abs and reduce excess abdominal fat.
Your biceps also contribute to the movement as stabilisers, along with your back and forearm muscles, which help support your upper body. Indeed, push-ups are a comprehensive exercise for your upper body. They engage your abs, pectorals, shoulders, back, and all your arm muscles—from triceps and biceps to forearms. While push-ups primarily target your shoulders, triceps, and chest, they also support the development of other upper body muscles.
Validity and Reliability of the Push-Ups Test
The push-up test is a well-known way to measure arm and shoulder strength and endurance. Many studies prove that it effectively assesses these abilities. When we talk about validity, we mean how well the test measures what it intends to—strength and endurance. Research shows a strong connection between push-up scores and other tests, like the number of bench press reps at a percentage of body weight, with scores having correlation coefficients of 0.80 for women and 0.87 for men. These results indicate that the push-up test is a good measure of upper body strength.
Research also supports the reliability of the push-up test, which looks at consistency across different raters and over time. Many studies report reliable results, showing that the test produces consistent outcomes in various conditions. For example, research has shown correlations ranging from r = 0.22 to r = 0.99, depending on how the test was conducted and how many raters were involved. This range highlights the need for standardised testing procedures.
However, objectivity is a challenge for the push-up test. Objectivity refers to a rater’s ability to count repetitions correctly and assess technique consistently. Differences in rater judgment, caused by fatigue, personal bias, or differing views on what proper form looks like, can affect test results. Studies with multiple raters have shown significant differences in counts, especially during fast-paced tests or when watching video recordings in real time. This variability raises concerns about how free the push-up test is from subjective judgment.
Despite these challenges, the push-up test is generally valid and reliable. While there can be issues with objectivity, these can often be reduced through training raters and sticking to standard procedures. When done correctly, the push-up test is a practical and effective way to assess physical fitness. Its simplicity, ease of access, and strong link to upper body strength make it useful, even with ongoing discussions about its objectivity.
References
Baumgartner, T.A., Oh, S., Chung, H., Hales, D. (2002). Objectivity, reliability and validity for a revised pushup test protocol. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 6, 4, 225-242.
Kellner P., Neubauer J., Polach M. (2006) “Objectivity of push-up tests and technique assessment”. Journal of Physical Education and Sport ® (JPES), Vol. 21 (4), Art 206, pp. 1629 – 1634
Mayhew, J. L., Ball, T. E., Arnold, M. D., Bowen, J. C. (1991) Push-ups As a Measure of Upper Body Strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 5(1):p 16-21.
Dhahbi, W. et al. (2018) ‘Kinetic analysis of push-up exercises: a systematic review with practical recommendations’, Sports Biomechanics, 21(1), pp. 1–40. doi: 10.1080/14763141.2018.1512149.
McArdle w., D, Katch F., I., & Katch V., L. (2017) Exercise Physiology: Nutrition, Energy, and Human Performance. 7TH Edn, LWW
