How to Become a Stronger Cheerleader Base

Cheerleading is much more than pom poms and cheers. Today's cheerleading is a competitive sport where the individual cheerleaders are trained and toned athletes. A cheerleading base supports the flyers in the stunts and flips, so it's important that a base be strong. Use the following as a guide to learn more about becoming a stronger cheerleading base.

Instructions

    • 1

      Develop muscle strength in the legs, hips and quads if you're a girl cheerleading base. The girls primarily use their legs for support in lifting and flipping the flyers. This is going to involve a mixture of exercises. Some of the best ways for a base to develop strength is to incorporate many areas of body. Get some of your cardio from using an exercise bike. In addition, do the leg presses and work with some free weights while you train to lift from your legs. Ask your trainers or coaches the best exercises for your particular body type to develop the legs, quads and hips.

    • 2

      Pump some iron if you're a male base. Many high schools and colleges have male bases primarily for the strength they can bring to the squad. The guys still have to have the leg strength like the girl bases, but they also need to be well developed in the chest, shoulders, back and arms. The male bases tend to do more lifting and holding a flyer straight up over their head. The arms, shoulders, chest and back all need to be well developed in strong muscles to do these lifts repeatedly. Free weights, chest presses, bicep curls and push-ups are all excellent exercises to develop that upper body area.

    • 3

      Work on the abdominal core for both male and female cheerleader bases. A strong body core helps support the back and helps the entire body in lifting and going through all the movements and stunts that are required of a cheerleader base.

    • 4

      Eat a healthy diet as a cheerleading base. Cheerleaders and all athletes need a well-balanced diet with tons of fresh vegetables, fruits, dairy products and protein. The vegetables and fruits should be fresh, the dairy products low fat and the protein lean. The type of muscles that a cheerleader base builds should come from healthy nutrients from the foods you eat rather than bulking up on fatty foods and lots of carbohydrates.

    • 5

      Make the strength building exercises and the healthy diet a way of life to build and keep the correct type of muscle strength to be a cheerleader base. Incorporating the right exercises, building the correct body strength and eating healthy will guard against illness and injuries.