High School Fitness Suggestions

[hejcheercoach]

What extra steps does your team take to get in shape? I know there's the typical conditioning at the end of a practice but what else can I do? I'm really trying to put an emphasis on health and fitness in the program this year.. Do your teams have any policies on what they can or can't eat on game day (ie: no soft drinks on game day) or anything like that? And would it be "overkill" at the high school level to try to get my team in the weightroom some days? New to coaching and would love any input!

 

[cscheerio]

What extra steps does your team take to get in shape? I know there's the typical conditioning at the end of a practice but what else can I do? I'm really trying to put an emphasis on health and fitness in the program this year.. Do your teams have any policies on what they can or can't eat on game day (ie: no soft drinks on game day) or anything like that? And would it be "overkill" at the high school level to try to get my team in the weightroom some days? New to coaching and would love any input!

I wish someone had taken me into the weight room and given me a workout to do as a cheerleader in high school. All of the other programs seemed to get some sort of a tutorial.

 

[Josie Quinn]

My coach makes us go into the weight room alot, even in free periods for the sophomores and up (freshman don't get free periods at my school) and we have to do conditioning at home every night too, kinda like 'cheer homework' is what I call it

 

[BuegeSmalls]

During summer we had summer workouts 3 days a week in the morning. They were led by the seniors and we ran a mile, stretched, did flyer stretching, abs, frog jumps, all that condition stuff. It was a good way to stay in shape over the summer and bond with teammates.

 

[hejcheercoach]

Thanks everyone!

 

[Ahmadse]

Indian Sprints, Suicides, Wall Sits, and lots of planks.

 

[cheer coach k]

What extra steps does your team take to get in shape? I know there's the typical conditioning at the end of a practice but what else can I do? I'm really trying to put an emphasis on health and fitness in the program this year.. Do your teams have any policies on what they can or can't eat on game day (ie: no soft drinks on game day) or anything like that? And would it be "overkill" at the high school level to try to get my team in the weightroom some days? New to coaching and would love any input!

over the summer, I bring in one of the football coaches to do an hour and a half of conditioning with the girls, twice a week. they really love it, because it is something different than regular practices, and it builds up their strength, endurance and fitness!! talk to one of the coaches at your school and see if they would be interested in doing something like that!

 

[0riginal]

I wish I would've done more weight training too, we have a great weight room but only football and basketball players get to really use it...

Anyways, RUN. More than anything I wish my coaches would've made me run a few laps every day. It will build stamina for the routine and just help with having a healthy heart. I've started running on my own (okay, once but I'm getting on it!) and it's amazing how out of shape I am. If I was training girls, I would do cardio for everyone, focus on arms and legs for bases and then abs and stretching for flyers. Then maybe have them do the opposite stuff on their own?

 

[SparkleSpankies]

We are meeting once a week for conditioning in the summer, it is "optional" as if I don't put that label, kids who are out of town for the summer (we have mountain and shore all summer people) feel that others get special treatment. Some weeks will ne not so fun conditioning, the basics running, squat thrusts, push-ups sit up's, planks, etc. However, we have people who do Yoga, Aerobics, and Zumba, so we will change it up to keep it fun and not have them "dread" going to condition!

However, I did 10 minutes the other day and they were dead so lets see how these conditioning practices go!

 

[retiredl5cheer]

Get your kids in the weight room! There is nothing better than building your strength the good old fashioned way. Girls may be apprehensive about "getting bulky" but if they lift smaller amounts of weight for more reps, they will become toned instead of big.

Plyometrics are also great for tumbling and jumps.

 

[cheerislovee3]

RUN! One of my coaches made us run while screaming our cheer! It was hard in the beginning but it got us fit and it built up our stamina.

 

[YesWeServedIt]

Since our football season is starting up soon at the end of summer... Our coach has 'open gym' every Wednesday for the whole entire summer, and it's not mandatory, but we can go in and work on anything we want, including tumbling or cheer, just anything, then the last 15 minutes we usually condition... Then once summer starts, it is mandatory that we attend 7 'strength conditioning's' over the summer. There are two held every week... Then the week before school starts, we have "Boot Camp" (which i'm not looking forward too! lol ) We have practice early in the morning from 6-8, i believe. Then we come back later in the day like 5:45-8, so it's double days. Last year, we ran a mile the first few days of boot camp, then we ran 2 for the rest of the week, and tons and tons of other types of strength conditioning. We also went to the beach, and ran a lot, did jumps, and conditioned a lot! (it was rough!)

 

[westviewwildcat]

The weight room helps so much! We did it twice a week, once right before tumbling practice and another session before our wednesday practice. We did the weight room on top of practice we didn't lose any practice time. Optional summer workouts really helped the team get in shape before the season started. Another way to condition the team (if you guys compete) is to run your routine 2-3 full out with a 10 second break in between. We even went so far as to do the routine with weights on (minus the tumbling and stunting). You should also encourage your girls to bring water bottles to practice and even to school to keep hydrated. It makes a difference

 

[dreambigcheerhard]

We rarely condition after practice. I wish we went to the weight room as a team or conditioned more often. Our overall endurance as a team is very poor. I am really big into fitness and trying to stay healthy and fit, but I wish my coach and the rest of my team were too... :/

 

[bestbackspot]

We are starting to practice more in the summer/spring. We also run sometimes, but I know a lot of the girls on my team are health concious. We walk into practice with yogurt, fruit and such. At our carwash one of the parents even brought a fruit tray!! It was gone in 5 minutes.