3 Most Basic and Effective Cheerleading Drills

Cheerleaders are known for their pep and physical fitness. In addition to eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, cheerleaders need to stay physically fit. Strength, endurance and flexibility all are aspects of a successful cheerleader. Set a workout schedule that includes cardio and strength training workouts as well as exercises that increase flexibility.
Warm Up
Before starting any workout, warm up your muscles. Spirit Cheer, one of the first companies to implement cheerleading camps and competitions, encourages cheerleaders to spend five minutes or so running in place, jumping rope, jogging on the treadmill or any other activity that helps raise your heart rate. After warming up, spend a few additional minutes stretching all major muscle groups. Use exercise equipment designated for stretching or perform static stretches, such as shoulder rolls or knee raises.
Cardio
Once you've warmed up, spend 30 minutes or so on some form of cardiovascular exercise. Examples include running on the elliptical machine, swimming, step aerobics, cardio kickboxing and dance class. To prevent overtraining, potential sprains, strains and other injuries and/or premature exhaustion, Spirit Cheer advises working out at 75 percent of your maximum heart rate. Use a heart rate monitor to keep track of your heart rate throughout your workout.
Strength Training
For cheerleaders to perform stunts such as partner lifts, pyramids and basket tosses, it is important to build strong muscles. Spend time performing strength training workouts either using exercise equipment or your own body weight. Focus on large muscle groups, such as your arms, back, legs, glutes and shoulders. Examples of bodyweight workouts include pushups, pull-ups, situps, partner leg lifts, plus squats and lunges. Perform 10 to 12 reps of each exercise, then work your way up to 75 to 100 reps.
Flexibility
To help increase your flexibility, as well as prevent injuries, enroll in a yoga or Pilates class or perform stretches at home. Cheerleaders use many major muscle groups including the hamstrings, quads, glutes, abdominals, chest, shoulders, back and pectorals. The Stretching Institute recommends incorporating three types of stretches that focuses on these major muscle groups. Start off with the elbow-rotator stretch by placing one arm behind your back. Rest the back of your hand against your back. Grab your elbow with your other arm and pull the elbow forward gently. Other stretching exercises to try include the lying knee roll-over stretch and the standing, high-leg bent knee hamstring stretch. Warm up before your workout routine as well as before performing advanced stunts. Include stretching exercises at the end of your workout routine, too.

3 Effective Stretching Exercises for Cheerleading

Cheerleading requires a great deal of strength, mobility, balance and body control, along with a huge amount of flexibility -- particularly in your legs, hips, lower back and core. To improve and maintain your flexibility, you should stretch regularly. Light stretching should be performed before a workout or practice session, and more intense stretching should be done afterward, and on your rest days.
Adductor Stretch
Sit on the floor with your heels together and your elbows resting on the insides of you knees. Use your elbows to push your legs down toward the floor until you feel a stretch on the inside of your hips. While this is a fairly basic stretch, it is imperative that you master this before moving on to more complex cheerleading stretches. The National Academy of Sports Medicine guidelines on stretching state that to improve flexibility, you should hold all your stretches for 20 seconds, and do them three times each in every session.
Hamstring Stretch
Place your legs out straight in front of you and wrap a towel around your right foot. Lie back, while lifting your leg up in the air, then pull back on the towel, bringing your foot toward your head, until you feel a stretch in your hamstring. Hold this for 10 seconds, then lightly push your foot back against the towel for five seconds, then relax and stretch again. Do this three times on either side. This is a technique known as proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, or PNF, and produces greater flexibility improvements than static stretching. If you have a partner, it may be easier to do partner assisted stretching here, rather than use a towel.
Bow 'n' Arrow Stretch
This is a far more complex stretch, but is great at targeting your gluteals, hamstrings, core, lower back and shoulder girdle. Stand straight, lift your right leg straight up in the air and grasp it at shoulder-height with your right hand. Then place your left hand on the leg and take your right hand away. Bring your right hand forward, in front of your right leg, then stretch it out to the side. Do both sides in this way, holding the end position for as long as possible.
Guidelines
Always perform a light warm-up before doing any stretching, as cold muscles won't be flexible, and stretching them could can lead to pulls, tears and injuries. According to the MayoClinic.com, you shouldn't bounce when holding your stretches as this can cause mini tears in the muscle, tightening it further. Lastly, stretching should feel slightly uncomfortable, but should not be painful -- if it hurts, you've pushed too far.

3 Basic Techniques for Pyramid in Cheerleading for Beginners

The days of cheerleaders standing on the sidelines and simply cheering for their teams are over. Cheerleading has emerged into a sport of its own with flipping, pyramids and high-flying stunts. These acts do not come without consequences though. According to the U.S. Sports Academy, college cheerleading accounts for 70.5 percent of all catastrophic sports injuries and 65.2 percent of catastrophic high school sports injuries. Cheerleading is the most dangerous female sport. With that in mind, it is important for beginners to learn strong foundations by practicing easy and safe pyramids.
Cheerleader Roles
There are three important roles when it comes to building pyramids in cheerleading. A base is the bottom of a pyramid and supports the weight of another person. The mounter -- or flyer -- is the person who stands on top of a base's hands or shoulders. You will find that mounters are generally short, lightweight and have excellent balance. The final position is the spotter. The spotter is there to help catch the mounter in the event she loses her balance or begins to fall. Almost all cheerleading pyramids require spotters.
Thigh Stand
A thigh stand requires two bases, a spotter and a mounter. The bases should each position themselves in a side-lunge position. One should lunge with the left leg and the other should lunge with the right leg. The feet on the lunged leg of each base should be touching each other. The mounter positions her hands on the shoulders of the bases. One leg should be placed in the thigh of a base -- the base can hold onto the mounter's foot for support. The mounter should then push off the ground and position her other foot on the remaining base's thigh. The spotter can hold on to the waist of the mounter in order to help her on to the bases' thighs. The mounter should then straighten up and lock her legs. The spotter should keep a constant eye on the mounter.
Shoulder Sit
A shoulder sit requires one base, a spotter and a mounter. The base should assume a side-lunge position -- which side is up the mounter and the base. The mounter should stand behind the base. The mounter should place her foot on the thigh of the base. She should then stand up straight and swing her leg over the other shoulder of the base. Once the leg is secure, swing the leg up off the base's thigh onto her other shoulder. Legs should be tucked behind the back of the base, and the back of the mounter should always remain straight. A spotter can be used to hold onto the waist of the mounter as she positions herself on the base.
Double Base Elevator
A double base elevator is a fairly simple cheerleading pyramid. This pyramid requires two bases, a mounter and a spotter. Bases stand facing each other. Bases should bend their knees and hold their hands out in front of them palm side up. The mounter uses the bases' shoulders for stability and support as she jumps into the hands of the bases. The bases will then bring their hands up to chin level -- bases should be very close in height. The mounter will straighten her legs and stand straight up. The spotter will grab the ankles of the mounter for support.

Making the Pyramid in Cheerleading

Cheerleading is an energetic way to build school spirit and cheer on your favorite teams. Stunts, including pyramids, are one part of an effective cheerleading squad because they build interest and awe the crowds. It is essential that all cheerleaders know how to safely build a pyramid so no one is injured while executing the stunt. Learning the parts of the pyramid is the first step in building safe and attractive pyramids to accompany performances and cheers.
Base
The base of your cheerleading pyramid is the most important because it will hold all of the other squad members, which, when done effectively, makes the pyramid stable and less likely to collapse. The base of the pyramid should include your heaviest and largest squad members because they are more likely to be able to carry the amount of weight necessary to create a strong and steady stunt. These squad members most often position themselves on their hands and knees with their backs straight. Their shoulders should be touching to help strengthen the base.
Second Row
A pyramid is usually built with three layers, and the second row will help stabilize the stunt and hold up the top row. The most common way to build a cheerleading pyramid requires the second row to get on their hands and knees on the backs of the base, with one less person than the base has. These squad members place their right hand and right knee on one person's back and their left hand and left knee on the back of the next person lined up in the base so the pyramid has a sloped appearance on the sides.
Flyer
The flyer is the squad member that makes up the top of the pyramid. This is usually the lightest and smallest member of the cheerleading squad. This person most commonly kneels on the back of the middle person in the second row. The flyer can also stand on the back of the person in the middle of the second row with her arms in a high "V" formation.
Spotter
Spotters are required to pay close attention to the safety of the cheerleaders performing the stunt. Usually the spotters are responsible for catching the flyer since many pyramid stunts end with the flyer doing a jump into the air and landing in the arms of the spotters. Spotters also stand next to and behind the pyramid to help stabilize it in the event that one squad member loses her balance or wobbles. This helps prevent the entire pyramid from collapsing, which can lead to serious injury.

Proper Side Base in Cheerleading

Side basing is one of the central spots in all-girl stunting. Whether performing an elevator, an extended elevator or a liberty, side basing is pretty much the same. With a second side base, you will lift the flyer up into the stunt, hold her there, and then dismount the flyer. Starting as a beginner, master perfect form in an elevator so when you are ready to advance to more difficult stunts you are in the habit of proper stunting.
Step 1
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Keep your back straight. Your hands should be palms up and close together. Hold your hands at belly button level with your elbows touching your sides.
Step 2
Curl your fingers gently around the flyer's foot as she loads into your hands. Dip down with your legs and and shoot up using your leg and then buttocks muscles. Follow through with your core muscles, shoulders and finally your arms. Use your hands to lightly grip the flyer's foot as you lift it up above your head.
Step 3
Settle the flyer's foot down to chest level once her foot is above your head, rotating your hands so they cup her toe and heel. Do not rest her foot on your chest. Keep your eyes focused on your flyer.
Step 4
Dismount the flyer by reversing all the motions of the stunt. Start by dipping down. Shoot up with your legs, then buttocks, shoulders and finally arms as you lift the flyer's foot up above your head, bringing her feet together.
Step 5
Rotate your hands until your fingers are pointing to your other base as you lower hands back to the starting position. As you settle the flyer's weight back down to the starting position, bend your knees, dipping down.
Tips and Warnings
Stay in control of your body. Do not allow the flyer to push you back. Stand strong.
Stunt only under the supervision of a qualified, properly trained coach.

What exercises enhanse proper base in cheerleading?

Bases are very important people on a cheerleading squad, even if their positions seem less flashy or dangerous compared to flyers'. Bases remain on the ground. They are the people on the bottom of the pyramid, who lift, throw and catch flyers or people doing stunts. Bases need immense strength to support the flyers but need to be flexible too. Bases especially need strength in their shoulders, legs and core.
Leg Exercises
Leg strength is important for bases so they have a stable base to support the weight of other cheerleaders during pyramids and stunts. Exercises such as the wall sit are beneficial for bases, who often hold static positions, such as when they are holding flyers up during stunts. To perform a wall sit, simply place your back against a wall and bend your knees until the thighs are parallel to the floor, then hold the position. Adding weights during leg exercises such as squats as lunges also is an effective form of training, because bases must hold their own weight and that of other members of their squad.
Shoulder Exercises
Bases should perform strength training exercises for the shoulders so they are able to lift flyers up and hold them. When a base raises a flyer over she head, she is basically performing a shoulder press to lift a person. The dumbbell shoulder press can increase shoulder strength, using a similar motion to that of pressing or tossing a flyer upward. To perform a dumbbell shoulder press, stand holding dumbbells in front of your shoulders with your palms facing out and your elbows bent. Then, push the dumbbells straight upward. Dumbbells are ideal because you can modify the weight incrementally to increase strength as soon as you're ready. They also force each arm to work independently so one side won't get stronger than the other.
Core Exercises
V sit-ups are a challenging exercise that cheerleaders use to improve core strength. Unlike a standard sit-up, the V sit-up requires movement in the upper and lower body. The V sit-up is basically a combination of a partial sit-up and leg raise. To perform the V sit-up, lie on your back with your arms straight on the floor over your head and your legs straight as well. Then, raise your arms, head, shoulders and legs toward the ceiling and toward each other as if to touch your toes. You can increase the difficulty by holding the end position for two seconds before lying back on the floor.
Flexibility
Bases do not require the same level of flexibility as flyers, but they should still stretch daily to increase flexibility. Bases must be able to perform front and side splits. Two stretches you can do to prepare for the splits are the pike stretch and the wide straddle stretch. To perform the pike stretch, sit with your legs straight and pull your toes toward you as you bend forward from the waist and get your nose as close to your legs as possible. Open your legs wide and bend forward to touch your chest to floor to perform the wide straddle stretch. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds.

Tips to Base Properly in Cheerleading

Cheerleading bases are the unsung heroes of the cheerleading squad. Crowds will cheer as flyers are tossed into the air in complicated stunts without realizing the strength and precision that is needed to be a good cheerleading base. In order to properly base, you must follow a set of strict guidelines to ensure the safety of your flyer. Never practice stunts without a knowledgeable coach. Practicing stunts unsupervised could lead to life-threatening injury or death.
Step 1
Warm up and stretch before practicing a stunt. Jogging, dancing or jumping rope for five minutes will get your heart pumping and warm your muscles. Stretch the major muscle groups, especially the thighs, back and arms.
Step 2
Wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move freely. Supportive sneakers or cross-trainers should be worn for protection.
Step 3
Cover the area where you are practicing stunts with a gymnastics mat to protect the flyer in case she falls.
Step 4
Pair up with another base who is close in height and strength to you. This will help you to evenly distribute the flyer's weight while performing a stunt.
Step 5
Set your feet shoulder-width apart, facing the second base. Bend your knees to come into a double lunge position, squatting slightly. Your toes should be turned out.
Step 6
Keep your back and head straight throughout the stunt.
Step 7
Cup your hands in front of your abdomen and keep the arms in close to your body when you are preparing to lift the flyer.
Step 8
Use the strength of your legs to push and stabilize the flyer during every stunt. Cheerleader bases employ a "sponge" technique when lifting a flyer. As you push the flyer up, bend your knees and squat down a few inches before you bounce up, using your leg muscle strength. The sponging bounce will give you a slight boost in momentum and strength.
Step 9
Keep your eyes on the flyer at all times.
Step 10
Stay close to the second base at all times. You should never be farther from the second base than the flyer's shoulder-width.

Gymnastics and Cheerleading Difference

While cheerleading and gymnastics have several things in common, they are vastly different as well. Both are highly athletic activities that require a great deal of physical fitness and expertise. Cheerleading and gymnastics also combine execution of powerful, awe-inspiring moves with grace and finesse. While these two sports could be considered close relations, the differences make it clear that they stand alone as their own entities.
Gymnastics Apparatus
Gymnasts compete on four different apparatus. They must learn to do tumbling, jumping and dance moves on the floor and the balance beam. The vault requires gymnasts to do explosive skills off of a spring board and over the vault. The uneven parallel bars require swinging, flipping, and release moves. While a gymnast may excel in one of these areas, they must learn to compete on all four apparatus in order to be successful.
Cheerleading Components
Cheerleaders do not complete on different apparatus. They do all of their skills on the flat surface of a competition mat, athletic court or the track in front of a field, such as a football field. Cheerleaders do incorporate tumbling and jumps that are very similar to those used in gymnastics; however, that is where the similarities end. Cheerleaders use their voices along with choreographed motions in an attempt to get the crowd to cheer along with a game. Cheerleading also involves stunting, where either one cheerleader or a group of cheerleaders lifts or tosses another cheerleader into the air.
Roles
Cheerleaders and gymnasts hold different roles in their respective sports. Gymnasts play a primary role, with the attention solely on their performance, during competitions. Cheerleaders sometimes play a primary role, such as when they are competing, and sometimes play a secondary role, when they are supporting another sports team by cheering them on to victory. When cheering for a sports team, cheerleaders need to consider timing for cheers and stunts so as to not distract from the game. Gymnasts do not need to do this because their performance is the main event.
Teamwork
While both cheerleaders and gymnasts benefit from the support of a tightly knit team, gymnastics is more of an individual sport. When performing, one gymnast takes her turn alone. While cheerleading does sometimes have some solo events in competitions, it is more of a team sport. A cheerleading squad performs together as a unit at games and competitions. Therefore in cheerleading, synchronization and uniformity are much more important than in gymnastics.

4 Stunts for Cheerleading Fun

Cheerleading stunts are fun to watch and demonstrate power by those performing them, but require time for practice and coordination to carry out each move perfectly. Stunts require a certain number of people who must perform their jobs to accurately complete the moves: The base is made up of one or more people who provide support for the stunt, and the flyer is the person who goes up in the air. Cheerleading stunts also require spotters, those who provide support and also stand by to help catch the flyer if she begins to fall. Cheerleading stunts range from basic to advanced.
Shoulder Sit
A shoulder sit is a basic stunt that requires three people: base, flyer and spotter. To perform a shoulder sit, the flyer stands in front of the base with the spotter at her side. The flyer bends at the knees and lifts one foot for the spotter to grasp. The base holds the waist of the flyer and when he lifts her, she pushes with her foot that is being supported. The base lifts the flyer up and back until she is sitting on his shoulders. To return, the base grasps the hands of the flyer at approximately shoulder level and pushes up while she locks her arms. She is lifted up and forward to stand back on the ground in front of the base.
Thigh Stand Extension
Performing a full extension from a thigh stand requires four people: one flyer, two bases and one back spotter. From the starting position, the bases stand facing each other with legs bent, each grasping a foot of the flyer. The flyer stands with one foot on each "pocket" of the bases. The pocket is the area of the upper thigh beneath the hipbone. This is a beginning thigh stand. When the flyer is extended up, she pushes off the shoulders of the bases. They in turn push up using their grips on her feet. The spotter in the back has a grasp on the flyer's ankles and also pushes up until the flyer is at chest height. The flyer maintains an erect position the entire time. The bases step inward and straighten their legs, extending their arms straight up and pushing the flyer up into a locked extension.
Basket Toss
A basket toss is an advanced stunt that requires careful planning and practice. This type of stunt requires four people: two bases, one back spotter and one flyer. The bases face each other and lock their arms by gripping each other's forearms, forming a basket and allowing the flyer to step in. The flyer supports much of her weight on the shoulders of the bases. Keeping their arms locked together, the bases quickly lift the flyer up into the toss, extending their arms above their heads. As the flyer comes back down for the catch, she brings her feet out in front of her and the bases and the spotter catch her in a cradling position, with the spotter grasping her under the arms and shoulders
Safety
Cheerleading stunts can be extremely dangerous when members of the squad are not concentrating. Significant injuries can result from poorly performed cheerleading stunts. According to the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital, most cheerleading injuries occur because of stunts, particularly when practiced on hard floors that are unable to absorb the shock. For safety purposes, always practice with a spotter or trainer who can supervise your stunts and help with catching. Practice stunts in an area that has a mat that is at least 4 inches thick to soften landings.