Cheerleading jumps are one of the most important skills a cheerleader can posses. Jumps are one of the only activities that you do alone in a cheer routine. You cannot rely on the support of your team and you must be able to carry out the jump with the same accuracy as your teammates. Great jumps make a cheer routine look polished and impressive. Understanding the physics behind your jumps can considerably improve performance.
Physics of the Vertical
Technically speaking, any cheer jump is simply a variation of the vertical jump. Therefore, understanding the vertical jump is important in understanding the mechanics of a cheer jump. The vertical jump is a combination of the force and speed your body uses to act against the force of gravity. A typical cheerleading jump is considered a countermovement jump. This means that the jump originates from a standing position, increases in tension as the knees bend in preparation, and moves through maximum force as the jumper extends the knees and leaves the ground.
Force
Newton's Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. As the force of jumping into the air is applied, the force of gravity reacts, bringing you back to the ground. In basic jumps, such as the toe touch, pike, and herkie, among others, to increase the height of the jump, you must increase the force you exert against gravity. This means you need to work on increasing your momentum, in order to execute maximum force.
Momentum
Momentum equals mass times velocity. Velocity is the rate and direction of the change in the position of the object. In basic jumps, you should focus on increasing the mass of the object acting against gravity. With multiple jumps, not only is mass important, but you must increase the velocity, or speed, of your jump as well. This will allow you to not only jump higher, but quicker, to execute multiple perfect jumps.
Putting it Together
When applying the mechanics of physics into your cheerleading practice, be aware of the force, mass, velocity relationship. To build mass, effectively, you want to increase the mass of the muscles used during jumping. Add in strength training exercises for your hamstrings, lower back, and glutes to increase the force you exert. To increase your velocity, consider a plyometrics program to increase your speed of jumping. Build these principles into your jumping practice, and watch your jumps reach explosive new heights.
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