Push-up standards, like pull-ups, are read in reps rather than pounds, and they are one of the oldest fitness-test measures because they need no equipment. How many push-ups you should be able to do depends on age and sex, and the military and school test tables that define the bands are read against exactly those.
Reps against age and sex
A push-up standard is read as reps in a set, against age and sex, because both change what is typical. The long-standing fitness-test tables place a number of clean, full-range push-ups into bands from poor through excellent for each age group, which is why how many push-ups a man should be able to do has a different answer at twenty and at fifty.
What full-range means
The standards assume a full push-up: body straight, chest to roughly fist height, arms locked at the top. A shortened push-up read against a full-range table flatters the count, so judge your number by the depth the test assumes, the same discipline the barbell standards demand.
How many is good
A couple of dozen clean push-ups is a solid marker for most adults, and the excellent band in the fitness-test tables sits well above that. How many push-ups the average person can do drops sharply with age and rises quickly with a few weeks of practice, so the standard is best used to set a fair target for your own age band.
Questions people ask about push up standards
How many push-ups should I be able to do?
It depends on age and sex; a couple of dozen clean full-range push-ups is a solid marker for most adults, with the excellent fitness-test band sitting well above that.
How many push-ups should a man be able to do?
Read the fitness-test table for your age band: the typical and excellent counts fall as age rises, so the fair target is set against your own age group.
Do half push-ups count?
The standards assume a full-range push-up with the chest lowered to about fist height, so a shortened rep read against a full-range table overstates where you sit.