Author: Steven Stratton

You made your resolution to get in shape, you have even found an exercise program that you like, but where exactly do you start? One of the first things that you should do is to find out what your current fitness level is. This is important, because you want to make sure that you increase at a healthy rate to prevent injury. There are several ways to test your fitness level.

Upper Body Strength
A great way to test upper body strength is by using the push-up. Men should use the traditional military style push-up, while women can use the bent-knee position. To perform the test, do as many push-ups as you can, and count them as you are going. The average number of push-ups is listed below:
WomenMen
Age 20-29: 17-33Age 20-29: 35-44
Age 30-39: 12-24Age 30-39: 24-34
Age 40-49: 8-19Age 40-49: 20-29
Age 50-59: 6-14Age 50-59: 15-24
Age 60+:   3-4    Age 60+:   10-19

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