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Pushups are a top compound bodyweight exercise for enhancing upper-body strength, muscular endurance, and core stability. You can perform pushups anywhere without the need for a gym. Whether you are challenging yourself in a pushup contest, assessing your strength levels, or aiming to boost overall fitness, completing pushups within a minute acts as a solid measure of your functional strength and stamina.
Unlike exercises done on machines, pushups engage several muscle groups simultaneously. These include the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. Pushups also test your endurance as you need power and control when tiredness sets in. The ability to execute pushups swiftly and effectively while maintaining proper form indicates your fitness level, athletic performance, and muscle efficiency.
But how many pushups should you be able to do in a minute? And what does your pushup count say about your overall strength? Let’s break it down.
Pushups require more than sheer strength. This timeless bodyweight exercise demands coordination of the entire body, engagement of the core muscles, and muscular endurance for sustaining efforts with high repetitions. Your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core work together to keep your body steady and under control as you move up and down. I often instruct my athletes to envision a pushup as a dynamic plank where they don’t just lower and push back up; they engage their core, brace themselves, and maintain full-body tension while going through a controlled range of motion.
A 60-second pushup test challenges you by maintaining solid form under fatigue. Keeping your core tight, moving through a full range of motion, and staying explosive as the seconds tick down separates serious strength from just going through the motions.
It’s time to put your pushup prowess to the test. Here’s where your rep count lands you:
- Beginner (10–20 pushups): You’re building foundational strength in your chest, shoulders, and arms. To boost your numbers, keep working on technique and endurance.
- Intermediate (25–40 pushups): A solid performance showcasing strength and muscular endurance. Your upper body can handle sustained effort, and you’re well on your way to elite levels.
- Advanced (45+ pushups): Serious upper-body power! Knocking out this many pushups in a minute signals top-tier strength, endurance, and efficiency. It’s time to challenge yourself with weighted or explosive variations.
Want to dominate the 60-second pushup challenge? The key is building muscular endurance, upper-body strength, and core stability. Here’s how to get there:
- High-Rep Bodyweight Pushups: To build stamina, perform sets of 15–25 pushups with minimal rest. If that’s easy, increase your reps.
- Plank Holds: Strengthen your core with front and side planks. A rock-solid core helps maintain pushup form as fatigue sets in.
- Tempo Training: Slow down the descent (3–5 seconds), then explode back up. This improves strength and control, leading to more efficient reps.
- Circuit Workouts: Add pushups to high-intensity circuits to build endurance under fatigue, alternating with exercises like burpees or mountain climbers.
- Progressive Overload: Gradually increase reps, decrease rest time, or add resistance (weighted pushups or bands) to push past plateaus.
- Pushup Variations: Mix different styles to target specific muscles and movement patterns. Try:
- Archer Pushups: Build unilateral strength and control.
- Diamond Pushups: Emphasize the triceps for a firmer lockout.
- Deficit Pushups: Increase range of motion and chest activation.
- Clap Pushups: Develop explosive upper-body power.
- Test & Retest: Perform the 60-second pushup test every 4 to 6 weeks to track progress.
- Log Your Workouts: Write down your sets, reps, and variations to measure improvements over time.
- Recover & Rebuild: Give your muscles time to recover with mobility work, stretching, and proper rest days.
And if you enjoyed this article, don’t miss How Long Your Walking Workout Should Be To Shrink Belly Fat.
Jarrod Nobbe, MA, CSCS
