472: Upper Body Training for Runners — Why, How Often, and What to Do

Why Upper Body Strength Matters More for Runners Than You Think

When most runners think about strength training, they picture squats, lunges, deadlifts, and maybe a few calf raises. It makes sense. Running is powered by your legs, so shouldn't most of your training focus there?

I hear this all the time, and I understand why. If your legs are doing the work of carrying you mile after mile, they seem like the obvious priority. But after years of coaching runners and working as a physical therapist, I know something that surprises a lot of people:

Running isn't just a lower body sport. It's a full body movement.

Every stride you take relies on your arms, shoulders, back, core, and legs working together. When one part of that system isn't doing its job, another part has to pick up the slack. That's often when we start seeing inefficient movement, nagging aches, and that feeling of falling apart late in a run.

If you've been skipping upper body strength because you didn't think it mattered, or because you were worried it would make you bulky, let's change that perspective.

Your Arms Do More Than You Realize

One of my favorite questions to ask runners is, "What are your arms doing while you run?"

Most people laugh and say, "They're just along for the ride."

Not exactly.

Your arms work in sync with your legs through a movement called counter-rotation. As your right leg moves forward, your left arm swings forward. This natural rhythm helps keep you balanced, stable, and moving efficiently.

Research has shown that poor arm positioning can increase the energy cost of running. That may not sound like a big deal, but over thousands of steps during a long run or race, those small inefficiencies add up. A stronger upper body helps you maintain a smooth arm swing, especially as fatigue sets in, which means you're wasting less energy and running more efficiently.

Better Posture Means Better Running

Think about how much of your day is spent sitting at a desk, driving, or looking down at your phone. Over time, many of us develop rounded shoulders and a forward head posture. Then we expect our bodies to magically stand tall the moment we head out for a run.

It doesn't work that way.

Strong muscles in your upper back and shoulders help you maintain good posture throughout your run. And I'm not talking about forcing yourself to stand perfectly straight. Good running posture is dynamic. It's your ability to stay tall and relaxed, even when you're tired.

That matters because when your posture starts to collapse, your running form usually follows. Your stride becomes less efficient, your shoulders tense up, and breathing often becomes more difficult.

Stronger Upper Body, Easier Breathing

Good upper body strength supports and improves your breathing.

When your chest stays open and your upper back is strong enough to support good posture, your rib cage can expand more freely. That allows you to take fuller, more efficient breaths while you run.

I've seen runners spend months trying to improve their endurance by adding more mileage, when sometimes what they really needed was to improve the way their body moved. Better posture and stronger supporting muscles won't replace good training, but they can make every run feel smoother and more comfortable.

Strength Can Help Protect Your Lower Back

A runner comes in complaining about lower back tightness, and their first instinct is to stretch their back. Sometimes that's the answer.

But many times, the lower back is simply doing extra work because another area isn't.

If your shoulders, upper back, and core aren't helping control the natural rotation that happens while you run, those forces often get transferred to your lower back or SI joints. Strengthening your upper body helps distribute those forces more evenly, reducing unnecessary stress and allowing your entire body to work together more efficiently.

You Don't Need to Train Like a Bodybuilder

“But Angie, I don’t want to get bulky.”

That's not what we're trying to accomplish.

As a runner, the goal isn't bigger muscles for the sake of bigger muscles. The goal is stronger, more resilient muscles that support your running.

Getting big and bulky takes a LOT of effort. It doesn’t just happen by lifting weights.

For most runners, two or three strength sessions each week is plenty. Instead of doing endless high-repetition sets with light weights, choose a weight that feels challenging while still allowing you to maintain great form. By the last few repetitions, your muscles should be working hard, but your technique should still be solid.

Quality always beats quantity.

My Go-To Upper Body Exercises for Runners

If you're wondering where to start, keep it simple. Every upper body workout should include a pushing movement, a pulling movement, and a core stability exercise.

Some of my favorites include:

• Rows to strengthen your upper back and improve postural endurance.

• Push-ups or chest presses to build strength through your chest, shoulders, and core.

• Face pulls to improve shoulder stability and counteract poor posture.

• Lat pulldowns or pull-ups to strengthen the muscles that support an efficient arm swing.

• Overhead presses for shoulder strength and stability.

• Pallof presses to improve core control and resist unnecessary rotation.

• Band pull-aparts to activate the muscles between your shoulder blades.

• Dead bugs to improve coordination between your core, arms, and legs.

• Farmer's carry to build postural strength, grip strength, and full-body stability.

• Rotator cuff external rotations to improve shoulder health and resilience.

You don't have to do all of these in one workout. Start with one push, one pull, and one anti-rotation exercise, then build from there.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned over the years is that running well isn't about having stronger legs. It's about having a stronger body.

Your upper body influences your posture, breathing, arm swing, and overall running efficiency. It helps you maintain good form when fatigue sets in and reduces unnecessary stress on other parts of your body. Those small improvements might not seem significant on a single run, but they add up over thousands of strides and months of consistent training.

So if you've been skipping upper body strength because you didn't think it mattered, I want to encourage you to start small this week. Add a few simple exercises to your routine and see how your body responds.

You don't have to overhaul your training plan overnight. Just keep showing up, stay consistent, and remember that every part of your body has a role to play in helping you become the runner you want to be.