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Maintaining a steady, moderate tempo for chest compressions is essential for effective CPR. The recommended rate is about 100 compressions per minute. This pace provides enough speed to circulate blood while still allowing the chest to recoil fully between pushes, which is crucial for venous return and proper cardiac filling. If you go too slow, perfusion drops; if you go too fast, you risk shallow compressions or incomplete recoil, which reduces the effectiveness of each squeeze. Guidelines commonly cite a range around 100–120 per minute, with 100 per minute serving as a clear, practical target. A helpful mnemonic is the rhythm of Stayin’ Alive, which is about 104 BPM, close to this target. So the recommended beats per minute for CPR is 100.