Cheerleading today involves a high degree of athleticism. Cheerleaders must cheer, dance, jump, kick, tumble and stunt, and these skills require advanced physical fitness. Training for cheerleading should be done inside and outside of practice. Instruct your cheerleaders in the proper form and method for training while they are at practice, and encourage them to repeat the exercises independently as well.
Strength Training
Cheerleaders need a great deal of strength for tumbling and stunting. Body weight exercises are a good idea for training because they do not require any equipment and can be done as a squad in practice or independently at home. Some body weight exercises that especially benefit cheerleaders are pushups, squats and lunges. Also make sure to include exercises to target the core muscles, such as crunches or, better yet, V-ups, in which the cheerleader lifts both arms and legs off the ground forming a V shape. This cheerleading-inspired move works abs and hip flexors, which will greatly improve jumps.
Plyometrics
Plyometric exercises increase the amount of power a cheerleader can exert. They are especially beneficial for improving jumps and tumbling. A great way to incorporate plyometrics into your training is by the use of jump drills. In a jump drill, cheerleaders complete five jumps in a row without a prep or pause in between. Landing with knees slightly bent and immediately springing back up into another jump is a plyometric motion that will increase power. Repetition of the jumps will tax the muscles required for that jump, improving form when cheerleaders execute a single jump.
Improving Balance
Balance is important for all areas of cheerleading but is especially vital in stunting. Include balance training in your practice and encourage your cheerleaders, especially those who stunt as the top person, to repeat balance exercises on their own every day. Stunting positions such as an extension, cupie, liberty, heel stretch and scorpion should be held on the ground. Cheerleaders should strive to balance in those positions for at least 30 seconds. One-foot positions should be done on the stronger and weaker legs. Once balance is solid on the ground, have cheerleaders challenge their balance even more by executing the positions on a pillow or balance cushion to create instability.
Increasing Flexibility
Flexibility is essential for jumps, kicks and many stunting positions, and daily stretching should be a part of every cheerleader's life. Prior to stretching, perform a five- to 10-minute cardiovascular warm-up. Static stretching, those held in a stationary position, is effective for improving flexibility. Hold static stretches for 30 seconds and repeat stretches two to three times. Cheerleading stretching should focus on split and straddle stretches. Make sure to improve back flexibility by performing bridges, too.
References
- American Council on Exercise: Lift your Body Weight to Get in the Shape of your Life
- Sports Fitness Advisor: The Physiology of Plyometrics
- Sports Injury Clinic: Wobble Board/Balance Board Exercises
- Sports Injury Clinic: Stretching Exercises
- National Center for Biotechnology Information: The effect of time and frequency of static stretching on flexibility of the hamstring muscles; WD Bandy, JM Irion, and M Briggler; October 1997
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