TouchTally · Features

Push-up counter with a form score: count clean reps, not just reps

How TouchTally counts push-ups with the iPhone camera, scores each rep for depth, tempo and hip line, and adds voice form cues and a fatigue alert with Pro.

· 6 min read

Short answer

TouchTally counts push-ups with the iPhone camera from the side and gives every rep a form score from 0 to 100. A rep loses points if it is not deep enough, too fast, uneven or if your hips drop out of line. You see the score and your clean reps live and on the result screen for free; Pro adds spoken cues, a left/right check and a fatigue alert.

Counting push-ups is easy until you get tired. Then reps get shorter, faster and saggier, and they still feel like reps. TouchTally counts them for you and keeps an honest record of how many were clean.

How the push-up counter works

Push-ups are one of the free drills. Put the phone on the floor to your side and the camera follows your shoulders, elbows and wrists. A rep is counted when you go down and come back up; each one gives a light haptic tap, and the count can be spoken every 10 reps.

Count push-ups with a form score

  1. On the Train screen, pick Push-ups.
  2. Place the phone on the floor 1.5–2 m (5–6.5 ft) to your side. Landscape works best. Shoulders, elbows and wrists must be in view.
  3. Wait for the checklist to go green. It checks the light, that your whole body is in view and that the phone is steady.
  4. Tap Start and use the 3-2-1 countdown to get into position.
  5. Do your reps. Tap Stop when you are done to see the result.

If your body does not fit, the app suggests: "Tip: switch to 0.5× to fit your whole body." For more on placing the phone, see the guide to counting jump rope and push-ups.

TouchTally Train screen listing Juggling, Jump rope, Push-ups, Squats and Jumping jacks, each with a best score, session count and a short phone setup tip
Each drill on the Train screen carries its own setup tip, so you know where the phone goes before you start.

What the form score measures

Every scored rep starts at 100. Points come off for each fault the camera sees:

FaultWhat it means
Not deep enoughYou did not bend your elbows far enough at the bottom
Too fastThe whole rep, down and back up, took less than about 1 second
Uneven sidesOne arm bent noticeably more than the other
Hips out of lineYour hips sagged or rose away from a straight shoulder-to-ankle line

A rep that is not deep enough loses the most. The score never goes below 0. The session's FORM SCORE is the average over all the scored reps.

Clean reps

A clean rep is a scored rep with full depth and your hips in line. Tempo and left/right faults lower the score, but they do not stop a rep being clean. The result shows CLEAN REPS as, for example, "16 / 18".

Scores of 80 and up show in the accent colour, 50 to 79 in amber and below 50 in red, so you can tell good, fair and poor at a glance.

What you see during the set

At the top of the live screen a small chip keeps score as you go, for example "FORM 100 · CLEAN 8/9 · ↓0.6s ↑0.6s". The arrows are how long your last rep took going down and coming up. The chip turns amber when the form score drops below 70.

Under the count, BODY MOTION — Joint angle draws your elbow angle as a wave, with a dot for each counted rep. The stats bar shows PACE (reps per minute), REP INTERVAL and TIME.

Close-up of the push-up live screen: 18 REPS with a FORM 100 chip, the down and up times, L/R 0° and an ELBOW 163° readout
The form chip and, with Pro, the elbow angle readout. The L/R part of the chip is also Pro.

With Pro: the form view and spoken cues

Pro adds more coaching while you move:

  • Form view. An ELBOW angle readout next to the chip, and the big count changes colour with the last rep's form score.
  • Spoken cues. When the same fault shows up on 2 reps in a row, TouchTally shows a banner and says a short cue: "Go deeper", "Slow down", "Keep both sides even", "Lift your hips" or "Lower your hips". Cues are spaced at least 4 seconds apart so they do not talk over you.
  • Fatigue alert. TouchTally compares your last 3 reps with your first 3. Once you have done at least 6 reps and your reps get noticeably slower or shorter, it says once: "Your form is slipping. Take a short rest?"

In Settings you can turn Voice form cues on or off, choose which cues are spoken under Spoken cues, and set Fatigue alert to Sensitive, Normal or Relaxed. Turned-off cues still appear on screen, without the voice.

The result screen

After you stop, the result shows PACE, REP INTERVAL, BEST STREAK and TIME, plus FORM SCORE and CLEAN REPS. A Rep quality card adds your average Tempo down / hold / up and how many times each fault came up, such as "Not deep enough ×3".

With Pro, the same card adds Left/right difference in degrees, Form dropped at with the time the fatigue alert fired, and how often each cue was given. A Form per rep chart draws one bar per rep in its form colour; tap a bar to open the replay at that rep. A Next session card suggests a goal, such as one more rep or another set.

List of TouchTally Pro features: replay every session and fix counts, overlay videos, full history and progress charts, every drill including plank, form coach and voice cues, sets, metronome and highlight clips, CSV and JSON export, no watermark on images
Form coach and voice cues are part of Pro. The form score and clean reps are free.

Getting more from the score

Do your first sessions without changing anything and see where your score sits. Then work on one fault at a time: depth first, then tempo. Squats use the same scoring with knee depth; see the squat counter. For a hold instead of reps, try the plank timer.

Is the TouchTally push-up counter free?

Yes. Push-ups are a free drill with unlimited live counting, and the form score and clean reps are free too. Pro adds voice cues, the left/right check, the fatigue alert and per-rep form bars.

Where should I put my phone for push-ups?

On the floor 1.5–2 m (5–6.5 ft) to your side, ideally in landscape, so your shoulders, elbows and wrists are in view.

What counts as a clean push-up?

A rep with full depth and your hips in line with your shoulders and ankles. A rep that is a bit fast or uneven still counts as clean, but scores lower.

Can I turn off the spoken cues?

Yes. Turn off Voice form cues in Settings, or switch off single cues under Spoken cues. Turned-off cues still show on screen.

Does the form score tell me if I am doing push-ups safely?

No. It measures depth, tempo, evenness and hip line as the camera sees them. It is a training aid, not medical or injury advice.