Verified by Coach David Chen, CSCS • Senior Fitness Consultant
Ever wondered how much of your body weight you are actually lifting during a pushup? Use our pushup weight calculator to determine the effective load on your upper body based on your position and weight.
Pushup Weight Calculator
pushup weight calculator Formula:
Lifting Weight = Body Weight × Resistance Factor (k)
Variables:
- Body Weight: Your total mass in your preferred unit (kg or lbs).
- Position: The type of pushup (Standard vs. Knee) which determines the percentage of weight shifted to your hands.
- Resistance Factor (k): Scientific constant (approx. 0.66 for standard and 0.54 for knee pushups).
Related Calculators:
What is pushup weight calculator?
The pushup weight calculator is a specialized tool designed to estimate the actual mechanical load placed on your arms and chest during a pushup. Unlike lifting a static barbell, a pushup is a closed-chain kinetic exercise where your feet act as a pivot point.
By understanding this value, athletes can better correlate their bodyweight training with traditional weightlifting (like the bench press). For example, a 200lb person performing a standard pushup is effectively bench pressing approximately 132lbs.
How to Calculate pushup weight calculator (Example):
- Determine your total body weight (e.g., 100 kg).
- Choose your stance: Standard (0.66 factor) or Knee (0.54 factor).
- Multiply the weight by the factor: $100 \times 0.66 = 66 \text{ kg}$.
- This result is the effective resistance you are overcoming.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Is a pushup as effective as a bench press? Research shows that for similar load intensities, pushups can provide comparable muscle activation and strength gains.
Why do knee pushups feel easier? Because your knees are closer to your hands than your feet, the lever arm is shorter and you only lift about 54% of your body weight.
How much weight is added by elevating my feet? Elevating your feet increases the factor to roughly 70-75% depending on the height of the platform.
Does hand placement change the weight? Hand width changes muscle recruitment (e.g., more triceps in narrow grip), but the total weight lifted remains relatively similar.