Why is it harder for women than men to do push ups? - Project Sports
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Why is it harder for women than men to do push ups?

3 min read

Asked by: Don Monroe

Females also have less of their muscle mass in the upperbody compared to males, another factor that makes pushups in particular harder to do for a woman. Show activity on this post. Women, on average, have less muscle mass than men1, and have a lesser proportion of their muscle in the upper body2.

Why do women find push ups harder than men?

Women, on average, have just 50 percent of the upper-body strength of men because they have smaller muscle fibers and less of their musculature distributed in the upper body, according to research published in 2014 in the International Journal of Exercise Science.

Are push ups easier for men or women?

The main reason it is tougher for women is because of the muscle groups required to do the push up. The three big ones involved are the pecs, the deltoids and the triceps. ON AVERAGE, these are larger, better developed in males.

Why are male and female push ups different?

Generally, women have shorter stature and arm length, and hold a lower proportion of body mass in the upper body compared to men (1, 12). Because of these differences, it is possible that load expressed relative to body weight during the push-up would also differ between men and women.

Why can’t females do push ups?

Women, on average, have less muscle mass than men1, and have a lesser proportion of their muscle in the upper body2. These make it less likely than a random woman will have the upper body strength needed to perform a pushup compared to a random man.

Can most women do a push-up?

Yes, females are biologically different than males. But both sexes are fully capable of doing a regular push-up, so long as they have the strength and mobility required to do so. As an instructor, I’ve seen many men do “girl push-ups.” I’ve also seen many women do push-ups on their toes.

Why do women have less upper strength?

Because women, on average, possess about one-tenth the testosterone levels of men, it makes sense that they’d have more difficulty developing upper-body strength.

Are girl push-ups good?

Are push-ups good for females? Yes, push-up exercises are amazing for women. They help strengthen the core, and tone the arms, chest, and shoulders. If you maintain proper form while doing push-ups, you will also help improve your overall body strength and fitness.

How many push-ups can the average girl do?

Table: push-up test norms for WOMEN (modified – performed from the knees)

Age 17-19 50-59
Good 27-35 21-25
Above Average 21-27 15-20
Average 11-20 7-14
Below average 6-10 3-6

What percentage of girls can do push-ups?

According to the survey’s findings, 53.8% of men and women reported that they can perform only 10 or fewer push-ups in succession. Among those who reported they were unable to do more than 10 push-ups, 69% were women and 31% were men.

How can girls get better at pushups?


You can simply extend one leg and continue with the same movement. With one leg extended. You're actually working more with the upper body because you have lost a contact point that was to the floor.