WAG Running with straight arms

[xrachx]

Bit of a strange one, but DDs coach has noted that she always runs with her arms dead straight by her side, like they are tied to her leo.

The coach reckons it's slowing her down which is effecting her vault and her tumbles, but no matter how often she tells DD to bend her arms when she runs, she just doesn't do it.

Since she told us, it's become so obvious when you see her run, even out of gym.

Is there necessarily anything wrong with running like that when it comes to gymnastics, and are there any tips to help her improve her technique?

 

[Flossyduck]

Take a look at Daniel Purvis vaulting... he does something weird with his arms and it doesn't seem to hold him back...

Sorry, probably not helpful!

 

[aerialriver]

I dunno the first video that came up on YouTube of him was of his vaulting on to a judge! Lol

 

[Deleted member D3987]

someone call?

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

I dunno the first video that came up on YouTube of him was of his vaulting on to a judge! Lol

I've never laughed so hard in my life. My favorite part is when the guy holds up the flag after Danny has already landed on a judge.

But here is a much better vault by him with his weird arms.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

the 'red flag' is a penalty flag. like there was a question he went out of the landing metrics? lol

 

[sce]

Typically in running for any reason, bending your arms and pumping them helps build speed. Not doing so takes energy away from the run as it keeps part of the body tight. If she's always done it, it will be hard to change as it will feel strange to her. Can she do some private lessons focused on changing her run? Or even at home, start with running in place and pumping her arms.

 

[Flossyduck]

Yeah, the landing on the judge thing was funny...but he said he had been puking up with food poisoning for 24 hours before. He looks white as a sheet and said his legs just buckled when he landed.

So, I'm no expert, but I don't think it's the funny arms

And now I feel very guilty for drawing attention to his weird arms. My dd would kill me , she LOVES Daniel Purvis!

 

[Sasha]

I have coached some young runners. It is possible to fix, yes. Things I have done...

- Have them hold small weights in hands with bent arms and practice jogging/running somewhat slow and exaggerated.
- Have them bend their arms (weights or no weights) and 'speed walk' slowly at first, gradually increasing to a faster walk, and then a slow jog.
- After practicing the above, attempt on a regular run, with increasing speed.
- Yell 'ARMS!!' every time they let their arms go straight ;-)

 

[kecks]

i am a track coach. what sasha says.

it is even enough to let them hold small stones or sticks, does not have to be heavy (it's like the bandages for horses or even agility dogs - the touching of the material makes them more aware of where their arms are and thus makes it easier for them to make the necessary corrections).

the swining action can also be practiced sitting in pike position on the floor and pumping very hard.

if she does not get it often it also helps to let them wear a not too tight t-shirt and have them put their thumbs into the arm sleeves (right thumb right sleeve, left thumb left sleeve), so the arms are really bent to the max. then continue with the arm swing drills and at the end have them sprint like that. it will feel very wired in the early stages to her but she will get it and will be able to run much, much faster!

also in warm up include every day sprints with 'wired arms' - like sprinting with arms spread to the sides, thumbs pointing to the sky, sprinting with arms up or even while holding a stick with both hands overhead etc., all done while step pattern does not change and hip faces forward (no twisting during running) all the time. these drills help breaking down the old and wrong arm movement pattern and thus make it easier to rebuild a better new one with the above drills.

gymnasts in my experience are very easy to coach in the running technique departement - most of them have great coordination and body awareness and the necessary core muscles to make the right running shapes are already there, too.

 

[kandkfunk]

My DD also runs with straight arms. She is not the fastest runner, but I think everyone has given up on correcting her (she's 15). Coaches tried really hard when she was younger, but the results were quite comical. Bending her arms resulted in her twisting her entire upper body back and forth as she ran. Her arms would cross her body instead of stay by her sides. Needless to say, this made her slowww. Straightening her arms took away that twisting and helped tremendously. Maybe coaches wil have better results with your DD.

Speaking of funny, straight arms, check out the video below of Mandi Rodriguez vaulting. The quality of the video isn't the best, but you can see her very long, straight arms in her
run. And she was a wonderful vaulter.

 

[xrachx]

Thanks for the replies everyone, glad to know she's not the only one that does it!
She's had a couple of private lessons with her main coach and although they manage to sort her arms out towards the end of the session, by the next time she's back in the gym, she's reverted back to straight arms.
Luckily she's very strong on vault, she just looks odd lol

Will get her doing some of those drills as part of her conditioning routine she's got for her off days, see if she can break the weird habit

 

[iwannacoach]

I have coached some young runners. It is possible to fix, yes. Things I have done...

- Have them hold small weights in hands with bent arms and practice jogging/running somewhat slow and exaggerated.
- Have them bend their arms (weights or no weights) and 'speed walk' slowly at first, gradually increasing to a faster walk, and then a slow jog.
- After practicing the above, attempt on a regular run, with increasing speed.
- Yell 'ARMS!!' every time they let their arms go straight ;-)

This ^^^^ and beginning the vault workout with 3 strides-hurdle-punch-rebound up to a stand on the table. Do the same thing with a 5 stride run, and then transition to a 7 stride run into a handspring vault with spot or with the table set low. Next is a 9 step run into a handspring with the table set to normal height and no spot.

Progress two strides at a time until she's up to 13 strides done with good rhythm, speed, and consistently hitting the sweet spot for her hurdle.

Have her start over if she lets her arm go straight, and no "do overs."

 

[profmom]

Interesting conversation! Just want to assure you it can and will get better. When DS was a L4, he literally wouldn't swing his arms at all. I vividly remember a frustrating vault rotation with his coach that ended with his coach shouting at him, "YOU ARE THE ONLY CHILD IN THE HISTORY OF GYMNASTICS who has had to be taught to swing his arms when he runs!" He's still a little wonky, but he's better.

 

[Alyssa]

I had the same problem. I never really fixed it. I just started covering it up.

 

[JBS]

Speaking of funny, straight arms, check out the video below of Mandi Rodriguez vaulting. The quality of the video isn't the best, but you can see her very long, straight arms in her
run.

While her arms may not be exact sprint style...they are definitely bent. She is not a vaulter that I would put in the category of bad running arms.

Choppy arms create choppy legs...she has neither.