How do I stop swinging my arms across my chest when I run?

Maybe there is a biomechanical reason that you are swinging your arms that way, and if you tried to change it, you would actually run slower? It’s a possibility. Maybe you just need to put in more speed work and mileage without getting injured.

If your form is breaking down at the end of a race, it is because you are tired, and as you get into better shape, you will be less tired at the end of your race (i.e., you will be able to extend the duration for which you can maintain form).

I used to have horrible arm swing but my junior year I dedicated most of my winter to building strength and these are the lifts that helped me the most

Bench press

Running arms with dumbbells

Shoulder flys

Curls

Pull-ups

I’d give that a try and see if it helps at all. Do the whole range of low to high reps (8 super heavy all the way to 50 super light)

My arm form improved a lot doing this. I would also not worry too much if yours doesn’t though. I think it’s a lot more important for the 1600 and lower but I’ve got a friend that’s poised to be top 10 in NCAA D1 XC next season and his arms swing like a mad man

Everything that moves you forward happens under and (mostly) *behind* you. When you're emphasizing your arms in the last part of a race, focus on their *backward* swing.

And be sure your elbows are not locked. As the arm swings back, the weight of the forearm should open the elbow; as the arm swings forward, the forearm's weight will close the elbow some. This opening and closing should occur at any speed (though it may not be very apparent at easy paces) and will be significant when you're running at full power.

Look at sprinters. When they're at full speed, the elbow opens to 140 degrees (or more) as it swings back, then closes to 90 degrees or even a bit less when it's in front of the torso. While the opening and closing will be less extreme at slower speeds, there should always be that relaxation--some "play"--in the elbow. LOCKED ELBOWS *FORCE* YOU TO SWING YOUR ARMS ACROSS YOUR BODY, TO BALANCE WHAT THE LEGS ARE DOING.

https://athletesacceleration.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/sprinter.png

Backward swing of a relaxed elbow: If that's your emphasis in the homestraight, or whenever you're running hard, you'll avoid the cross-chest problem.

be a caveman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyVaZ8fA9Hg

Canada Rnr wrote:

Maybe there is a biomechanical reason that you are swinging your arms that way, and if you tried to change it, you would actually run slower? It’s a possibility. Maybe you just need to put in more speed work and mileage without getting injured.

^^This. It's okay to have your arms go across. The body needs some rotation so it actually helps you run faster. Ask your coach if he/she has had any biomechanics training as it relates to running. I'm guessing no and he's just repeating what has been taught for decades.

biomechanicsObserver wrote:

Ask your coach if he/she has had any biomechanics training as it relates to running. I'm guessing no and he's just repeating what has been taught for decades.

This should go over well, especially when you mention that an expert on LRC told you to ask...

Maybe Alberto Salazar would work with you and get your form sorted out.

badadviceObserver wrote:

biomechanicsObserver wrote:

Ask your coach if he/she has had any biomechanics training as it relates to running. I'm guessing no and he's just repeating what has been taught for decades.

This should go over well, especially when you mention that an expert on LRC told you to ask...

Haha! Yep. Regardless of your take on that advice, do not bring it up in the manner suggested!

CopperRunner wrote:

I used to have horrible arm swing but my junior year I dedicated most of my winter to building strength and these are the lifts that helped me the most

Bench press

Running arms with dumbbells

Shoulder flys

Curls

Pull-ups

I’d give that a try and see if it helps at all. Do the whole range of low to high reps (8 super heavy all the way to 50 super light)

My arm form improved a lot doing this. I would also not worry too much if yours doesn’t though. I think it’s a lot more important for the 1600 and lower but I’ve got a friend that’s poised to be top 10 in NCAA D1 XC next season and his arms swing like a mad man

This is good advice. I was going to post basically the same thing.

whahaha wrote:

My coach told me I need to fix on that. Wondering how though. Every time it’s the final stretch I die out and my arms go across my chest. I really want to run sub 19 min for the 5k as my first race I ran 20:29. 12 second off my p.r

This is easy to fix. First, however, a little crossover is okay, especially for women. A lot of crossover means that your upper torso is twisting too much, which prevents runners from having a kick and from increasing your cadence for hills, sprints, etc.

Here's the fix.

Bend your left arm a little and put your left wrist loosely by your side. I find that just above the left hip bone is comfortable for me, but the exact position is unimportant. Just find a comfortable bent arm position. Now, start running, but don't move your left arm. YOU WILL ONLY SWING YOUR RIGHT ARM WHILE RUNNING. You will find that it is impossible to swing your arm across your body while running with only one arm swing. Do this for only 30 seconds and then switch arms (hold your RIGHT arm by your side in a bent position and run swinging only your left arm). This will feel awkward at first. That's normal.

Repeat this drill six times with each arm for 30 seconds each time. You're done. The next day your arms and shoulders near the shoulder joint will be sore. That's normal. Just do it every day. Don't overdo it. You are stretching ligaments and tendons that haven't been stretched that way. You could get injured if you overdo it.

Think about your wrists when doing this drill. Your wrists should be moving back and forth in the same plane you are running. (Your elbows might flail out a little. Don't worry about the elbows during the swing. Focus on the wrists. )

Once you've done the drill enough times that it doesn't feel totally awkward, add this very important step.

While swinging one arm, concentrate on getting that swinging elbow as far BACK as possible. Ideally, your upper arm should be parallel to the ground, but some runners simply can't do that.

On the front part of the swing, your hands should not be far out in front of your body, but close. As a DRILL ONLY, concentrate on keeping your hands really close to your body on the front swing. For example, the meaty part of your thumb just above the wrist might lightly touch the outside edge of your breast on the front swing. Remember, this is a drill. When you're actually running, you can find a more natural position.

Watch some marathon footage of top Kenyans. They are almost cookie-cutter alike in arm swing, getting the elbows back to the point that the upper arm is parallel to the ground and keeping the hands and wrists close to the body on the front swing.

fisky wrote:

This is easy to fix. First, however, a little crossover is okay, especially for women. A lot of crossover means that your upper torso is twisting too much, which prevents runners from having a kick and from increasing your cadence for hills, sprints, etc.

I've coached a few women who'd never played ball sports. The drill I just explained was so foreign to them (and their shoulder ligaments were so tight) that they could not do this drill.

If, after several tries, you still can't do this drill, do this.

Bend your left arm and put it against your side as before. Don't move this arm. You'll only swing your right arm while running.

Now, before running, bend your right arm as much as comfortably possible. (Depending on your shoulder flexibility, your right thumb should be touching your right shoulder.) Now, keeping your right arm bent, run while swinging only your right elbow. Your right elbow will be moving in a semi-circle. Once you can run moving your right elbow in a semi-circle, you can relax the bend in the right arm a bit and try running with a more normal one-arm-only swing.

Just keep working on it. Your arm swing should improve dramatically in a few weeks.