With midriffs bared, cheerleaders typically show off exquisitely chiseled abs. For cheerleaders, it's important to have a strong core in order to do tumbling, toe touches or pike jumps. If you're inspired by the pep team's flat bellies, adopt some of their abdominal exercises for yourself. For best results, balance your ab strengthening routine with plenty of general cardio.
Targeted Ab Work: Crunches and Variations
Crunches, an abbreviated type of situp, are among the most popular and effective abdominal exercises you can practice. The cheerleading squad of Malone University includes crunches and crunch variations in all their workouts, doing anywhere from 15 to 30 repetitions of each exercise. For the basic crunch, lie on your back with your legs slightly bent and slightly further apart than your shoulders. Gently hold the nape of your neck or the base of your head with your hands, pointing your elbows outward. Contracting your abdominal muscles, bring your upper torso off the ground. Keep your neck muscles relaxed and don't move your lower back, buttocks or legs. To work your side abdominal muscles, do the same movement, but angle to alternate sides each time you lift upward. Twist your body slightly, as though you were to touch your elbow to the opposite knee.
Targeted Ab Work: Reverse Crunches
Reverse crunches, such as the bicycle, are also good ways for cheerleaders and other athletes to strengthen the abs and core. Assume the same starting position as you would for standard crutches. Instead of lifting your upper body, keep it still and raise your legs off the ground, with your knees bent and your lower legs suspended horizontally, roughly parallel to the floor. From this position, move your feet in steady circles, as if you were riding a bicycle. To heighten the benefit, lift your arms as you would for side crunches. When you raise your left knee closer to your head, lift your elbow to touch the knee. Do the same on the other side.
Targeted Ab Work: Weights and Stability Balls
You can expand your ab workout options with basic equipment such as small dumbbells. An abs workout presented by the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders involves small dumbbells, ideally around 5 lbs. Begin by lying flat on the ground and holding your bent arms outward, so your elbows are at your sides and your forearms are perpendicular to the ground, supporting the weights in the air. Raise the weights upward, straightening your arms and simultaneously use your upper abs to bring your upper body off the ground. As a variation, you can do the same weight lifting, without moving your upper body, but balancing on a stability ball. Position yourself so your shoulder blades sit on the surface of the ball.
General Conditioning
While targeted abdominal exercises are the way to define your midsection musculature, you can't expect to see a six pack unless you also reduce your overall body fat. Accordingly, most cheerleading squads incorporate a mixture of cardiovascular and weight training activities in their workouts. Malone University cheerleaders do 30 minutes of running or jogging, 20 minutes of lunges and up to 100 repetitions each of various weight training exercises.
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