What is a healthy push-up benchmark for a 62-year-old man by fitness level?
Executive summary
A reasonable "healthy" push-up benchmark for a 62-year-old man depends on whether he is untrained, moderately active, or well-trained: roughly 5–10 consecutive full push-ups indicates a basic/low level, 11–20 indicates moderate or "good" fitness for age, and 20+ signals above-average to excellent capacity—benchmarks supported by a mix of clinical guidelines, military norms, and community strength standards [1] [2] [3] [4]. These numbers must be read alongside form, testing rules (full range, cadence, or one-minute max), bodyweight and medical status, because published charts and percentile tables use differing definitions [5] [6] [7].
1. Why push-up counts vary and which rules matter
Different sources measure push-ups differently — some count maximum consecutive, some use one-minute tests, and others allow modified (knee) push-ups — so any benchmark must stipulate "standard full-range push-ups" (hands and toes on floor, chest to near-floor) as in common clinical charts and guides [6] [7] [8]. National and clinical norms such as those adapted from ACSM produce percentile tables for age brackets but don’t always publish a single "healthy" cutoff; instead they present distributions [5]. Community-driven sites like StrengthLevel and Gym-Mikolo report averages and practical targets but are drawn from self-selected samples, which biases toward fitter people [3] [9].
2. What clinicians and mainstream guidance recommend for older adults
Practical clinical guidance frequently used in consumer coverage points to roughly 10 push-ups as a target for older adults: the Mayo Clinic–quoted charts recommend about ten push-ups for someone in their mid-60s as an indicator of good fitness, and mainstream outlets that cite Mayo translate that to a similar goal for men around age 62–65 [1] [10]. Those recommendations are conservative, meant to be attainable for people without formal strength training while still indicating functional upper‑body capacity [10].
3. Military and performance benchmarks that influence "good" scores
Military and occupational standards provide stiffer comparisons: older age bands in extended fitness standards (for example, Army-style tests that include 52–56 year-old ranges) treat 11+ consecutive push-ups as a baseline performance requirement for that bracket, implying that 11 and above is at least serviceable strength for duty-style fitness [2]. This creates a useful mid-range benchmark: 11–20 push-ups is reasonably viewed across multiple sources as a solid, moderately trained level for older men [2] [3].
4. What "excellent" looks like and the tails of the distribution
Community and enthusiast data show that many highly trained men in their 60s can do well into the 20s and beyond — anecdotal reports and informal testing pages include examples of men in their 60s doing 40–50+ push-ups, but these represent outliers and self-selected samples rather than population norms [11] [12]. StrengthLevel and other aggregated standards place top-tier performers well above 20 consecutive full push-ups, but those numbers should be treated as aspirational rather than typical [3].
5. Health implications and why raw counts aren’t everything
Beyond a vanity number, push-up capacity correlates with broader health markers: observational research noted by fitness coverage has linked higher push-up ability in middle-aged men to lower cardiovascular event risk in cohort studies, though causality and applicability to older cohorts are not definitively established [2]. Equally important is proper form and safety — people with joint problems, recent cardiac history, or uncontrolled conditions should adapt tests (modified push-ups, incline versions) and consult providers; test protocols and normative tables explicitly distinguish between full and modified versions for this reason [5] [6] [7].
6. Practical takeaway and how to use these benchmarks
For a 62-year-old man seeking a practical self-assessment: consider under 5 consecutive full push-ups as a low starting point, 5–10 as fair/basic (work to improve), 11–20 as good/age‑appropriate fitness consistent with several standards, and 20+ as very good to excellent but uncommon; if unable to do full push-ups, begin with knee or incline progressions and re-test regularly while tracking form [1] [4] [6]. All source charts vary; treat these targets as guidance, not absolute medical thresholds, and use them in combination with other fitness measures such as endurance and mobility tests [10] [13].