Question by Jenny: What are some ways to practice cheerleading stunts at home?
I’m a flyer for cheerleading, and I need some ways to practice at home. What are some things I could do? I’m 5′ 1.5″ and weigh about 102 lbs. Should I try to lose some weight since I’m a flyer?
Best answer:
Answer by Cheer<3
No 102 pounds is fine! Well never stunt with out a coach, but practice flexibility and balance.
Give your answer to this question below!
well you could practice on a chair or couch or your bed. practice bow and arrows, scorpians, heel stretches, libertys and anything else you can think of. you dont need to lose weight. just have toned muscles and squeeze everything when you are in a stunt. do some ab and leg exercises. good luck!
If you are a cheerleader, can’t you ask your coach?
102 lbs. is good for a flyer. I personally have based for a long time with girls close to 20 lbs heavier, so of course you don’t have to lose any weight and don’t let anyone tell you that!
With the girls that I coach now we tell them to get a nice sized tomato sauce/coffee can to stand on to practice their skills (they sell more expensive equiptment but the home-made stuff works just as well). Another way is to put your back up against a wall and hit your skill to see how you need to hold your stunt in the air.
Also, as a flyer flexibility is huge. Stretch, Stretch. Stretch and do basic ab work (not only will it help flexibility but also help to pull up your weight). Straddles, and splits work. Again using the wall you can either hit a straddle and push yourself against it to further the stretch, or hit a heelstretch and push it towards the wall.
Hope this helps!
102 is absaloutely fine. My coach tells me to practive on the edge of the bath tub. But honestly, between you and me, the edge of a bed (Such as the foot board) or the rim of a toilet seat. Sounds disgusting, but just disinfect the seat if your unconfortable…LOL 🙂 Try strecting after, or during showers. Good Luck!!
Don’t lose weight, you’re fine. When I was a flier (I had to quit due to back injury) I weighed over 130 pounds, and my bases said I was very light, simply because I pushed off of them and held myself up really well.
As for practicing at home, if you have stairs, stand on one ledge and step to the one just above it, holding the other foot up, as though in a liberty. This will help your balance. You can do this and pull up any skills you perform (ex. stretch, arabesque, scorpion, etc.). Remember to stand on the balls of your feet, not on your entire foot, as when you are actually stunting, your base’s hands are not a flat surface.
To practice cradles (twist or not), I stood on my bed (being careful so I wouldn’t land and hit my head) and fell back, twisting or not.
You could also practice trust falls with a friend. To do twist trust falls, have your friend stand a bit to the left if you twist left, or the right if you twist right, and twist. You should fall right into their arms.
Good luck!
practice standing on something for balancing . And your weight sounds fine
Don’t lose weight!
Stretch your bridges and splits like crazy. (I mean, get your face and upper body down on your front leg or the floor kind of stretch.)
Try strengthening your ankles by writing the alphabet with your feet, or doing circles and other shapes.
You can try standing on a pool nudle. Cut a segment a little longer than your foot, then cut it in half down the long way to make a flat platform for your foot. Put the rounded side on the floor, stand on it and pull some tricks. (You can also try standing on a coffee can with rocks in it, but word to the wise if it flips you can hurt your ankle. You might be better off with a may-flyer or stunt block.)
Mae-Flyer: http://cheerleading.about.com/od/fitnesshealthandbeauty/gr/mae_flyer.htm
Tippy Disc: http://www.ten-o.com/xq/asp/deptId.346/PAGE.1/ID.2347/qx/product.htm
Stunt Stepper: http://www.ten-o.com/xq/asp/deptId.584/PAGE.1/ID.1431/qx/product.htm
The Wobble: http://www.ten-o.com/xq/asp/deptId.346/PAGE.1/ID.1654/qx/product.htm
Good luck!
your fine. your a perfect height. maybe if you were taller youd need to be lighter. and stand on a trampoline or uneasy surface so you can practice keeping your balance