Over the years I have noticed in my race pics that it looks like I am over rotating my upper body when I run. My elbows are coming across my body,so there has to be some level of inefficiency. Its not to mid-line or anything too crazy, but enough for me to think I might be able to run faster if I “correct”.
I have tried working on it during my training runs, but believe it may have something to do with a lack of flexibility and tightness? Curious if anyone else has experienced this and found a solution.
Not sure there is anything to “fix”. Arm swing and upper body rotation is whatever is needed to balance the forces in your stride, so everyone is a bit different and there is a biomechanical reason your body is doing this. Frank Shorter (Oly gold medalist) was famous for having his left arm swing across his body, but it was to balance an asymmetry in his stride.
If you watch a women’s marathon you notice many of women in the front pack crossing their arms across their body. The reason this happens with them is their hips rotate a great deal. You’ll also notice they are running quite fast. I wouldn’t worry about your arms moving across your body. That said here are some things I tell athletes:
December and January is a great time to work on cadence. Your goal is to get as close to 90 or 180 depending how you measure all while running an easy pace.
Most runners run with their hands too low. Again watch the runners at the front of the pack of any marathon. Maybe you’ll see one with their hands down but you’ll see 90% or more with their hands up and fairly tight to their chest.
If you simply work on those two things, you will find minor improvements in your overall run posture.
An asymmetric rotation of the upper body, typically noted by one hand crossing over, is a response to asymmetry lower in the system (an equal and opposite reaction). NEVER try to “fix†such asymmetry from the top down by straightening the arm sway without recognizing that this will cause an equal and opposite reaction lower in the system, often resulting in injuring the system. If you can’t identify the cause, don’t mess with a symptom. If you are running healthy then carry on.
As for the height of arm carriage… YES to the point that many runners carry too low and are swinging too much weight (the low arms essentially move the weight further from the fulcrum). The great runners do have rotation, it is often asymmetric and they carry their hands fairly high. A lot of Kenyans run with good elbow action (the arms ARE swinging) but the hands are close to the armpits and are relaxed, often palms up.
Whatever your body is doing, it is probably correct.
Sorry, But disagree.
Running isn’t swimming, in terms of how perfect ones form needs to be, but many people have inefficiencies that either waste energy, or lead to injury.
Sounds like it’s time for some stick work. Take a broom stick, with no broom on the end and, put it behind your neck and fold your arms over top of the broom on either side. Now run some 50 m striders, and you’re really notice how much your upper body is twisting from side to side. Over time try to reduce that rotation. By separating your lower body from your upper, you should become smoother and more efficient.
We used to do this in university all the time and it was a great form drill for awareness.
What you guys are saying isn’t inconsistent. Stick work can help identify the cause. They’re just saying don’t fall over backwards trying to fix what’s actually the effect.
