WFR #4: Arm Swing | Wed 17th Dec, 7:30pm | Prospect Park Weekly Form Run
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New Stuff:
This week's focus: Arm Swing (efficiency [and who doesn't need a little more of that in their life])
Arm swing is mission critical to speed production and maintaining cadence. KEEP READING! If you run with your arms bent around a 90 degree angle at their lowest point, with your elbow-angle opening to 110 degrees as your hands (one at a time, please or you'll get all tangled up) reach your back pocket, closing up by a similar amount as each hand reaches chest height in front of you, without straying across your body, and keeping your shoulders relatively still (independent of your arm movement), you will actually be able to levitate like Hermes (well almost... honestly). With your shoulders back and down (shoulder blades in your back pockets), treat your arms like pendulums. The more your average arms bend, the shorter your arm length. The shorter your arm length, the easier it is to make them swing faster - the less energy it takes make them swing with a higher cadence (re: resonance frequency). When you want to increase your cadence, shorten your arm length by bending them more around the 90 degree (mid-point) angle. Similarly, taller people might shorten their arm length more at their swing-extremes when they want to support (and drive) a faster cadence. Here's a link to an illustrative article.
(We should critique Hermes - especially on his left-arm swing)
You may get more tired and feel tightness in your shoulders and neck by holding your arms up high by your chest - and who the hell needs to be more tired?
It has been demonstrated in a lab that eliminating arm swing increases the energy cost of running. Conversely, a proper arm swing, operating fluidly with your running stride, reduces the energy needed to run. It has also been demonstrated in a lab that binge drinking is good for you. You should take lab experiments seriously.
Linking up arm and leg movements produces far more power than if done OUT OF SYNCH. Proper arm swing is critical to reducing Head Bob and body torsion.
So I know you're all thinking (between steins of egg nog) - What should a runner's arm swing look like? Well that's easy: "Your arms should swing back and forth from your shoulder and not your elbow, no criss-crossing, sideways crap and mirror the movement of your legs. Your body is a unit. Avoid sticking your elbows out (like chicken wings), and no shoulder rolling." Like this (well mostly):
Reading Bubble Diagrams:
📢 ANNOUNCEMENTS 📢
📱Join Heylo ✅
After a decade of gripes about the google group and some beta testing on what works (threaded conversations, a few dedicated channels) and doesn't work (not using real names!) with Discord last year, the club is starting the process of transferring updates and discussion to an app purpose built for running clubs called Heylo. We have been testing it amongst the coordinators and run leaders for a few months and are now ready to invite the rest of the club in. Please join: https://www.heylo.com/invite/16fd83bd-91aa-468d-9cb6-c817a98e219f
🍪Holiday Party + Cookie Swap 🎉
NBR is here for some seasonal cheer at our annual Holiday Party + Cookie Swap! Roll through on 12/21 at 3 pm to the backroom of the Gutter. All treats are welcome (and highly encouraged, not required) for our gathering, and we will have post-its and pens to label any allergens or dietary restrictions. We’ll even have some extra bags to take home the extras! Come through and celebrate your year of achievements and have a cookie (or seven!!)
Q: Why you should thank your arms?