Help your top girls increase their flexibility with these six drills.
By Jennifer Renée Smith
Photos by Joshua Targownik; hair and makeup by Rachel Hoke
CBN Jun/Jul 2010
The best top girls put in many hours of hard work on the ground before they can realistically hit spectacular stunts in the air. California All-Stars coach and former Top Gun cheerleader Shawn Miller breaks down six sample drills he incorporates into a one-hour “Flight School” class he’s introduced at CA’s Camarillo location.
“The best way for athletes to work toward their goal of hitting that perfect Scorpion or Scale is to teach their muscles how to move through to the final position, as opposed to just doing static stretches,” says Miller. “For example, when doing a Scorpion, those back muscles aren’t stretching, they’re pushing into themselves, so the more athletes practice drills, the more those muscles learn what they need to do. Instead of repeatedly going up in the air and attempting a skill, [top girls are] working on their flexibility to be able to hit it more cleanly, confidently and safely.”
Lead your athletes through these drills with Miller’s step-by-step instructions.
Warm Up Before Stretching
Before leading your athletes in this series, start with at least 10 minutes of cardio to warm up their muscles.
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Super Splits
Benefits: Increases back and hamstring flexibility; opens hip flexors
Good for: Scorpions and Arabesques
a. Place the back foot on a panel mat, with shoelaces pointing down and slide into a split, making sure your front leg is straight and directly in front of you. Your goal is to keep your back leg as straight as possible and elevated off the floor. Raise your arms up near your ears and hold for one minute (advanced athletes can arch back). Don’t get frustrated if you can’t arch all the way back at first. As long as your arms are up and you can look at the ceiling, you’re working those back muscles. b. Slowly lean forward to grab your ankle or foot with both hands and rest your chest on your thigh. Hold for one minute. Slowly return to position a. and hold for one minute before switching legs. Take long and steady breaths while holding these poses to help your body relax and ease tight muscles.
Beginner: Use one panel
Intermediate: Use two to three panels
Advanced: Use all four panels (as seen in the photo)
Training Tip
Placing the back leg onto the panel mat, instead of the front leg, puts less pressure on the knee.
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Slow-motion Hip Rotators
Benefits: Strengthens hip flexors and your ability to rotate hips smoothly in stunt transitions; improves balance
Good for: Arabesques and no-handed Heel Stretches
a. Start by lifting one leg up to 90 degrees and hold for an 8-count. Make sure your body stays upright and doesn’t lean back to make the leg lift easier. Beginners can ask a coach or teammate to hold the tip of the toe for support. b. Slowly rotate the lifted leg to the back for one full 8-count. c. Once you’ve hit the Arabesque position, hold for an 8-count. Make sure your chest stays lifted and you don’t lean too far forward. Continue by reversing the movement through to positions b. and a., making sure you’re counting slowly to get the full effect of the drill. This counts as one set. Your goal is to maintain the lift in the leg and avoid putting your foot down in between sets.
Training Tip
Athletes should keep their standing leg straight throughout the drill. It’s better to have the lifted leg lower than 90 degrees than to bend the standing leg to get it higher.
Beginner: 1 set
Intermediate: 5 to 6 sets
Advanced: 10 sets
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Gravity Splits
Benefits: Strengthens inner thigh muscles; strengthens core
Good for: Overall flexibility and strength in stunts
a. Lie on your back with your hands by your sides, legs raised and buttocks flat up against a wall. b. Slowly straddle your legs down the wall and hold the straddle position. You should feel the pressure of gravity on your inner thigh muscles. c. Holding position b., extend your arms through your legs and do pulsing crunches. As you crunch, you may notice that your legs simultaneously lower without having to think about it.
Beginner: 1 minute
Intermediate/Advanced: 3 to 5 minutes
Training Tip
Athletes can partner up and have a teammate press their legs closer to the floor while holding the straddle position or performing crunches.
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Straddle Sliders
Benefits: Strengthens and stretches inner thigh muscles
Good for: Heel Stretches
a. Start in a seated pike position, with hands by your sides. b. Open up to a straddle and place your hands in the middle. c. Lean forward on your abdomen and bend your elbows, positioning them close to your sides. Slowly pull your legs back to avoid straining your muscles. d. Stop when your legs meet. Your goal overall is to pull yourself through a split rather than pick yourself up into it. Repeat these steps in reverse until you end in the pike position to finish the drill.
Training Tip
Athletes should keep their hips as low to the floor as possible throughout the entire sequence.
Beginner: 3 reps
Intermediate: 5 reps
Advanced: 10 reps
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Kick-Up Scorpion
Benefits: Increases back flexibility and strengthens balance
Good for: Learning how to hit a Scorpion
Beginner: a. Stand upright with one foot in front of the other. b. Drive your leg back and swing your arms forward and overhead simultaneously. Return to position a. and repeat 20 times. Intermediate: Complete steps a. and b. and add c.: Touch your foot for a second before returning to position a. and repeat 20 times. Advanced: Complete steps a. through c. and add d.: Grab onto your foot or ankle and pull your leg up as hard as you can while maintaining your balance before returning to position a. Repeat 20 times.
Training Tip
Warn athletes not to throw their head back to look for their foot. This drill can also be modified for Heel Stretches and Arabesques.
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Wrap-Around
Benefits: Increases hamstring flexibility; strengthens hip flexors and balance
Good for: Scale
Lean your right shoulder against a wall for support throughout the sequence. a. Stand upright and lift your left leg toward your face (don’t lean forward). Your right hand grabs your left foot while your left hand grabs right underneath the calf of your left leg to pull it in even closer to your face. b. Rotate your left leg into the Scale position without allowing your left hand to let go of your leg. Hold for 10 seconds before rotating it to the front and repeating.
Beginner: 5 reps
Intermediate/Advanced: 10 reps
Shawn Miller started his cheer career as an athlete for Miami Elite before transferring to Top Gun Allstars in Miami, FL. Miller currently coaches for California All-Stars and has recently teamed up with celebrity dietician and personal trainer Cindy Costly to design All-Star Edge, a nutrition and fitness program specifically designed to meet the needs of competitive cheerleaders. The program includes a workout DVD and the opportunity for athletes to send in their nutrition log for professional analysis. For more info, visit allstaredge.net.
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