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Anatomy of a Double Base/Extension:

 

In cheerleading you use practically all of your muscles throughout everything you do. Some of the main muscles you would use would be your Quadriceps Group, Bicep Brachii, Tricep Brachii, Deltoids, Rectus Abdominus, and your Gluteal Group. The following are examples of when you would use these mucles. 

  • Quadriceps: Going from a squatted “squish” position to a straight-legged position.

  • Gluteal Group: When in “squish” position you are squatting and baring the extra weight of an entire person on you. Therefore in this squatted position you are using your quadriceps groups but you are also using your gluteal group at the same time.

  • Biceps: Going from “squish” up to double base is using your biceps because you are going from a straight-arm position, curling your arms in and bringing your arms in bent and against your chest.

  •  Triceps: This is used when going from a double base to extension or squish to extension. This is because you are going from a bent arm position to an extended arm position

  • Deltoids: As you lift the top up into the air you are using your deltoid muscles. Also when you hold the stunt up in the air for several counts this is also using your deltoid muscles.

  • Rectus Abdominous: You are using your abdominal muscles during a double base or extension because you must have a tight core. If your core is loose or your back is arched you will injure you back because it is not meant to bare such a heavy weight in certain areas of your back.

     

Weight Training Exercises To Imporve These Muscles

Quadriceps/Gluteal Groups:

  • Hill sprints

  • 3x25 Squat Jumps with ankle weights

  • 3x20 Squats with dumbbells or barbells

  • 2x20 Lunges with weights (forwards, backwards, backwards with a kick, sideways)

  • 10 Stairs (every step or every other step)

  • 2x Wall sit (One min both feet on the ground, 30 sec on one leg, 30 sec on other, 1 min on toes)

  • 3x15 Squats with person climbed on wall bar with their weight baring on your shoulders

  • 2x12 Step ups with weight (each side)

  • 2x25 Box jumps

  • 5x Standing Long Jumps down a tumbling strip, sprint back (good for power hurdle for tumbling)

  • 2x10 Elevated lunges with weights (legs go on a chair behind you and lunge with weight)(each leg)

  • 5x a fast as possible pushing block across gymnastics floor

  • 2x25 Mountain climber lunges

  • 3x20 Normal squats

  • 3x15 Pistol squat

  • At a gymnastics gym- 2x50 fast tuck jumps on ressi mat

  • Running fast through foam pit (there and back 4 times)

  • 3x15 Squats on bosu ball

Figure 1: Squish position.

Figure 2: Double base.

Figure 3: Proper form extension. 

Figure 4: Arched Extension.

Bicep/Tricep:

  • 3x12 Bicep curls

  • 2x15 Side arm push up(when extending uses tricep

  • 3x10 Push up with dumbbells, once you get to the top you do a bicep curl

  • 2x10 Resistance band curls

  • 3x15 Hammer curls

  • 2x15 Wall crawl with push ups

  • 3x10 Plyometric push ups

  • 3x12Tricep dips

  • 2x10 Triangle push ups

  • 3x10 Arms elevated push up

  • 3x8 Full body weight chin ups

  • 2x10 Burpee chin up

  • 10 Burpee backtuck

  • 3x8 One arm elevated push ups

  • 3x10 Normal push up with feet elevated

  • 2x15 Gi-I-Jane push ups: Do a tricep push up, push forwards and arch up (as side going under a fence), push back to tricep push up position, then push back up.

  • 2x10 Single arm overhead extension: Raise arm bend beside head covering ears. Straighten arms and keep arm-covering ear. Try to do 15 reps (repeat with other arm) with dumbbells, if you don’t have dumbbells use ankle weights around wrists and hold a full water bottle in hand.

  • 2x10 Sphinx push ups: Tricep push up, push back onto elbows, back to tricep position then back up

  • 3x15 Elbows to hands plank: Start in plank position, push up onto hands, onto fists, back to hands, then back to elbows (that’s one set)

 

Rectus Abdominus:

  • 2x25 of each positions of crunches:

  1. Normal

  2. Feet together knees apart

  3. Knees up feet off the floor

  4. Legs in pike(if too easy do it against a wall)

  5. Side crunches  (Try to get shoulder to hip kind of motion)

  6. Other side

  7. Still side crunches but facing more forwards and crunching forwards

  8. Other side

  9. Legs straight on ground (they stay on the ground)

  • Cheer Abletics until 1 (2-4-6-8-10-8-6-4-2)

  • Hollow hold on back with ankle weights (20 seconds on 10 seconds off 6 times-would be 3 min of on and off ab work) Then repeat without ankle weights , again repeating with ankle weights.

  • 2x25 Mountain Climbers (15 sec break between sets)

  • 3x15 V-Snaps

  • 2x20 Reverse Crunches

  • Plank hold on elbows 1 min, push up onto hand 1 min, side plank 1 min, other side 1 min, return to hands 1 min, back to elbows 1 min (30 seconds pulsing leg up and down, last 30 seconds with the other leg)

  • 2x20 tuck jacks (off a ledge if possible)(start in tuck position on the ground, kick out to hollow, back to tuck, repeat) (FAST)

  • Hollow Rockers (Front, Back, Side, Side)

  • 100 Scuba Steves (lie on stomach, lift legs and arms off ground and pulse opposite arms and legs as if "swimming")

  • 3x18 Arch ups

Energy Systems:

In cheerleading you use the ATP-LA energy system mainly. This is the same energy system and 800m or 400m runner would use. Therefore examples of cardio exercises would be the same kinds of runner drills they would do during practices. Listed below will be several different exercises those runners may do. 

  • 6-12x200m at 80% with recovery of 3 min

  • 8-15 long hill sprint at 80% jog back down the hill

  • 80m, 100m, 120m, 100m, 80m at 95-100% with 5minute recovery between

  • 3-6 x 120m at 95-100% with 6 min recovery

  • 3-5x 150m at 95-100% with 7 min recovery

  • 150m, 300m, 150m at 95-100% with 8 min recovery

  • 2-3 sets of 300m at 85-95% with 8 min rest

  • 2-4 300m at 90% with 15 min recovery (during the 15 min recovery you are jogging)

  • 300m, 400m, 300m at 90% with 15 minute jogging recovery

  • 300m, 600m, 300m at 90% with 15 minute jogging recovery

  • 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m, 500m, 400m, 300m, 200m, 100m at 90-100%  with 1 min to 1 min 30 sec rest between each

  • 8-12 x 200m at 90-100% with 2 min rest

  • 3-4 400m at 100% with 8 min recovery

  • 2x600m at 95% with FULL recovery (depends on self)

  • Run 600m, walk 400m, run 500m, walk 400m, run 400m, walk 400m, run 300m, walk 400m, run 200m, walk 400m ( no rest between your walk to your next spot is your rest)

  • 10x 100m

  • 5-6x 150m

  • 5x 200-250m

  • 3-4x 300-500m

  • 8x200m

  • 6x300m

  • 50-100-150-200-250-300-350

  • 4-6 x 600m

  • 4x 500m

  • 6x100m

  • 5x500m

  • 9x300m

  • 5x600m

  • 12x200m

Cheerleaders also use the anaerobic system a lot too so here are a few long runs you can use to enhance that system:

 

  • 15 minute run; 4 min run 1 min jog

  • 10 minute run

  • 18 minute run; 3 minute run 1 min 30s jog

  • 15 minute run

  • 3 km run

  • 20 minute run; 4 min 30s run 30s jog

  • 18 minute run

  • 2x20 minute run (2 runs in the same day)

  • 10 min warm up 4x1000m

  • 25 min run

  • 4 km run

  • 30 minute run

  • 30 min long run on trail including hills

  • 10 min warm up, 1x400m, 1x800m, 1x1200m, repeat!

  • 35 minute run

  • 5km run

  • 15 minute warm up, 5x 1000m with 3 minute rest in between

  • 40 minute run

  • 8km run

  • 10 minute warm up, 5x1000m with 2 min and 30 second rest

  • 45 minute run

  • 10km run

  • 15 min warm up, 5x1200m, 2 min rest

  • 10 min warm up, 6x1000m, 2 min 30s rest

  • 30 minute runs with 15 30-second sprint surges

  • 20 minute run with 20 10-second sprint surges

 

 

Examples of mixed workouts:

  • 100m, 15 squats, 100m, 15 pushups, 100m, 20 walking lunges, 100m, 20 v-snaps, 100m, 15 candle stick tuck jumps, 100m, 30s v sit hold

  • 20 min run, after first 5 min stop time do 25 squats then continue, at 10 min stop time do 10 side arm pushups the continue, at 15 min stop time 25 mountain climbers then continue, 20 min is the end of your run but do 5x sprints up a hill

  • 20 min run as a warm up, do the 9 positions on ab crunches (25 each), 35 squat jumps, 10 sphinx push-ups, 10 lunges each way

  • 200 skips, 100 jumping jacks, 10 tricep pushups, 3 min hollow hold on back (20 second 10 sec off), 50 sit ups

Anatomy

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