Cheerleading Tips By Taylor - Stunts
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Flyer Page

 

Need To Fly
     All of these are necessities should you decide to take to the air.
So read before you're airborne.
  • No fear of heights. How can you go up there and look comfortable if you are terrified of heights?
  • Keep your eyes forward. Focus on something at eye-level with you. This will help you to not look down and off balance yourself.
  • Balance. When up in the air you want to keep your whole body tight ,and locked.
  • Know what you're doing at all times. Know what counts go where, and who's doing what around you.
  • Use your muscles. A flyer has to be able to hold their own weight, and feel light when in their bases hands.
  • Confidence. A flyer has to know that her bases will catch her if she should fall. She should also be confident in herself, as well as the stunt being performed.

Exercises for Flyers:
 
Push-ups- Make sure your arms are at chest level, and a little more than shoulder width apart. Keep your body straight, and don't let your butt or back sag.
  • Start the push-ups with your knees on the floor. 
  • Do them with one leg crossed over the other.
  • Try them with one arm.
  • Use your arms to push yourself up and clap before coming back down.

Do 5 reps of 20.

Squats- Keep your back straight and legs a little more than shoulder width apart. Be sure your toes are facing front. Put your arms straight in front or to the side of you. Bend at your knees until your quads are parallel to the ground.

  • Squeeze your abs, butt, arms, quads, or hamstrings while doing these.
  • When in the squat try to releve onto your toes.
  • When coming up from your squat push up with you legs so that your feet come off the ground a couple inches. Try pointing your toes. Land soft and ease back into another squat.
  • When your feet are off the ground try clicking your heels.

Do 8 reps of 5.

Reverse Lunge- Keep your back straight, and step back into a lunge instead of forward. Your back leg should be on the ball of your foot, and lower yourself down till your back legs knee touches the ground.

  • Try switching between forward and backward lunges.
  • Try squeezing different muscles each time you go down into a lunge. Abs, butt, quads, and hamstrings.
  • Try hoping to switch your legs. Don't go down as far as your knee when hoping. Be sure to bend your knees when landing.
  • When hoping try pointing your toes.

Do 5 reps of 10.

Problems with Balance?
 
                   Need some help balancing up there on top?
                   Here are some cool exercises to do to help you out.
  • Start by just standing on a level surface and just try lifting up one leg like a flamingo. Hold for 30 seconds at least.
  • Try standing in front of a low step stool or bench. Try jumping on it with both legs at once and standing up like in an elevator as fast as you can. Like the elevator but without the bases.
  • Then try doing it with one leg on the step stool. Hit a liberty pose now.
  • Now replace the step stool with a normal chair. Try it with one leg.
  • Then try putting only the balls of the front of your foot on the edge of the chair.
  • Once you have all of these down pat try doing things when you're up there. Check out the pictures of them on the stunts page.

How big is too big to be a flyer? Really there are no requirements for being a flyer. No weight or height is too big. It depends mostly on your own skills and your bases. Typically yes the smaller girls do fly, but in reality that's not all it takes to be a flyer. A girl who can hold her own weight is more of an asset to a squad than a dead weight girl who is smaller. This is a known fact. Usually the fyler is smaller than her bases, but not always. Plus having good balance, good bases, and no fear of heights is essential. So whether you are 4'0" or 5'4" it doesn't matter, height is not an issue. And whether you are 90 or 130 doesn't matter either, as I said if you can hold your weight, and possess the other essential skills, you are more likely to be the flyer than someone who doesn't.

What do I have to do to be a flyer? First off to be a flyer you can't be afraid of heights. You have to be comfortable with the idea of being throw around up there. This is very important. If you are afraid i suggest you try basing, or spotting instead. If you're not well you can start be doing the exercises for flyers listed below. This will help you with the strength part of the job. Next try working on your balance. Start practicing on one leg like a flamingo. Once you can hold this position without wobbling for 30 seconds move on. Try jumping onto a low chair or step stool with both legs and stand up as quick as you can and hitting a pose. Like an elevator but without the bases. Do the whole thing like you would in a regular elevator. The dip, load, and tightening of your whole body. See the stunt page on how an elevator works and what a flyer should be doing in this stunt. Once you can do this try it with one leg and hitting a liberty pose. Again do the dip, load, and tightening. This one may take a bit of work and balance, but keep it up. It's helps with other stunts as well. Next be more advanced. Switch the step stool in for a chair, one you would normally sit in. To go up even a level further when going up on the chair only put the front half of your foot on the chair, the balls of your foot. Once you can do all of this without a bit of wobbling, try doing things with your liberty. Look at the pictures on the stunts page and try doing them. Now you're ready to fly.