Drive the elbows back, not across.
Hands crossing the midline, stiff straight arms, or fists carried high by the chest all waste energy and twist the torso with every step. The arms should mirror the legs: drive straight back from a roughly 90-degree elbow, hands loose, wrists unbent.
What good looks like
Elbows near 90 degrees with a sagittal (straight back-and-forth) drive and loose hands.
Fix it: 2 cues + 1 drill
1 · Cue
Elbows ~90°, drive back not across
2 · Cue
Loose fists, wrists unbent
3 · Drill
6x30m arm-only pumps
Fix the next zone
Stop Overstriding
Forward Lean for Runners
Increase Running Cadence
Head Position for Runners
Relaxed Shoulders While Running
Hip Drop When Running