A Call To Arms

A STRONG UPPER BODY IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS TRAINED LEGS FOR RUNNING FAST AND EASY. TO GET IT, REACH FOR THE HEAVY STUFF.

- Samantha Lefave

LET’S FACE IT: RUNNERS AREN’T necessarily known for their arms. That’s not a dig – it’s just easy to neglect your top half when it seems like your legs do all the work. Failing to train your upper body, however, can hold you back big time.

“Have you ever tried to run without your arms? It’s weird, inefficient, and hard as hell,” says Pamela Geisel, an exercise physiologist at Hospital for Special Surgery’s Tisch Sports Performance Centre. “Arm drive is a big part of running –when your legs get tired, you use your arms more because of the kinetic chain; you can’t have one without the other.”

That means your strength-training has to include more than just deadlifts and squats. Building a strong upper body will help you maintain good form as the kilometres tick by, and that stable, upright posture can increase your endurance by improving your lung capacity, Geisel explains. “Improved upper-body strength also reduces oxygen requirement, meaning you’ll run faster while using the same amount of energy.” In other words, seconds get sliced off your splits.