Should You Strength Train Upper Body For Running?

Runners have a big obsession with being at a weight that’s allows for optimal power to weight ratio. So much so that there are a lot of runners reluctant to try things that ‘might’ increase their weight. However, increased weight does not always mean reduced power to weight ratio, as long as power is increased too.

Upper body training is one of those things but I’ll say this right from the start – in most cases upper body training is beneficial for runners. Upper body training will usually not result in an increase in weight either. It’s important to note that more strength doesn’t always mean more size. This article is going to be all about why that is and what runners should be doing with their upper body training.

‘In most cases upper body training is beneficial for runners’

How does upper body training help running?

The main way in which a stronger upper body will benefit your running is through improving your running economy. Running involves your whole kinetic chain. Your kinetic chain describes how your body is able to coordinate movement through your joints being linked together.

When you run, you first absorb impact through your ankle, then your knee, hip, back, shoulder and arms. The impact is distributed through all these joints with less and less impact absorbed higher up the chain. But the act of running also involves movement of the whole body to try to push yourself forward as efficiently as possible. The muscles and joints through your whole body need to be stable to make the movement as efficient as possible.

A weak upper body will generally be more unstable, leading to more compensatory movement patterns that waste precious energy that could be spent pushing yourself forward rather than sideways for example. When you have a stronger upper body, your muscles can ‘pull’ slightly more than weaker muscles. This means they are more resistant to being ‘pulled’ into those compensatory patterns and wasting energy.

@o_r_performance
Training your upper body should be embraced as a runner rather than feared. Just because bodybuilders are top heavy doesn’t mean the type of training you should do will make you look like that. Functional training through your whole kinetic chain can improve your efficiency on the run through coordinating your movement better and avoiding wasting energy. Strength equals stability and stability equals better control of movement and therefore better running economy. Don’t neglect your upper body. #strengthandconditioning #running #marathon #halfmarathon #foryoupage #upperbodystrength
♬ Part II (On The Run) – JAY-Z

Why doesn’t upper body training make you big?

So we’ve established how upper body can help running and now it’s time to move on to why it certainly doesn’t harm your running. Upper body strength is not always about how big your upper body is. While a big upper body would limit how fast runners can go, the amount of upper body that runners should do is nowhere near enough to build a big upper body.

Just one upper body strength session per week would be enough to make an increase in upper body strength without increasing the size of the muscle. This is because when you first start building strength, your nervous system adapts first. This means that your muscles get more stimulation rather than them being bigger.

Another benefit is that if eventually a small amount of muscle is built in your upper body, this will raise your metabolic rate. This can improve your ability to burn fat in the area which is more energy costly than muscle. However, this is only a consideration if you have a relatively high body fat percentage and should not be used as a strategy to cut weight further.

For more information on the 2 points above head to the video below and skip to myths 3 and 4.

How can I train my upper body strength?

As mentioned above, one session a week will be just enough to start building strength in your upper body. The exercises you choose should be individualised to the areas of your body that are weakest. For example if you have weak shoulders and arms you should target those. This will allow you to get the most efficient improvement for you.

If you’re able, exercises that use your whole kinetic chain will train the body to work in coordination, like in running. Exercises such as dumbbell bench press in a bridged position, rows from a plank or side plank position or push press all achieve this.

If you’re looking for inspiration on how to improve your upper body strength alongside your running programme – head to our coaching services page. There are different offers to suit your individual needs and are targeted to improve your specific weaknesses.

Summary

Upper body training is looked at by runners with fear of it negatively impacting their power to weight ratio. However, strength in your upper body can actually improve your power to weight ratio through making you more efficient. Better upper body strength reduces compensatory movements that waste energy through you being not string enough to control them.

Upper body strength can easily be gained by doing one dedicated strength session per week. Because your nervous system adapts to improve your strength first, it building upper body strength won’t increase your weight or upper body size. If you include exercises that use your body’s whole kinetic chain like bridged bench press or overhead squats then this is a great way to train your upper body strength slightly more specific to how it would work on the run.