Week 5: Strength Training Arms
If you’re a point guard for a cheerleading team, you already know that arm strength is crucial to becoming a better point guard. Throwing, lifting, twisting and grabbing other girls in the air is not for the weak or weak. Many women, in general, tend to lack the arm strength that their male counterparts have, so arm strengthening is the key ingredient to a cheerleading base’s workout routine. From his triceps to his wrists, I have a fitness plan that will turn him into a slim, mean lifting machine. Remember to stretch and warm up before doing any of these exercises to avoid injury.
Aside from gym machines, here are some exercises at home you can do to strengthen your upper arms.
- Push-ups: Lie on your stomach with your toes on the mat and your legs straight, together and parallel to each other. Your hands should be placed at shoulder level, but slightly farther than shoulder width apart, palms flat, and fingers spread apart to aid balance. Do not look at the ground while doing this exercise. You want to look forward to keep your whole body in a straight line. Slowly stretch your arms and keep your back and legs straight as you push your body off the floor. Stop for a moment once your arms have reached the top and then slowly lower your body towards the floor by bending your elbows. You will want to lower your body until your chest touches the floor. Keep repeating this exercise in series to see the full results. For more of a challenge, place your hands together in a diamond shape with your thumbs and index fingers at shoulder height and do the pushup.
- Backward push-ups: Get into position by doing a handstand against the wall (you’ll use the wall to help you balance). When doing the handstand, make sure you are not too far from the wall by placing your fingertips as close to it as possible. Standing too far away will strain your back and neck. Lower your body by bending your elbows and keeping your body straight against the wall. Then straighten your elbows to push up. This exercise will work best when done in multiple repetitions.
- Chair Bends: Grab a chair and sit up, with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor. Hold the front edge of the chair and turn your palms so that they are facing away from you. Walk with your feet in front of you until your buttocks are no longer on the chair, but in front of the chair. Keep your back as close to the chair as possible and lower your body by bending your elbows and keeping your back straight. Dive in until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, then straighten your elbows to return to the starting position. This exercise will work best when done in multiple repetitions. If you need a bigger challenge, grab a second chair and prop your heels on it. Repeat the dipping motion, but this time your body will be completely raised off the floor.
The weakest part of your arm is your wrist and you will be surprised how many other cheerleading bases share the same fight. Weak or injured wrists will cause the pyramid construction to stop in its tracks. It is important to take precautions and prevent injuries by developing muscle strength in the wrists. Here are some tried and true wrist exercises that other cheerleaders use to strengthen their wrists.
- Wrist lift – You’ll want to start with a weight that is light enough to avoid straining a weak area. A can of soup weighs about ten ounces and is great for beginners. If you need a bigger challenge, grab a free weight of about two pounds. Remember that you will be doing a lot of reps, so be sure to grab a weight that you are comfortable with. Hold the can in your hand and turn your palm up. Raise and lower the can slowly with your wrist. It is very important that you do this movement slowly to target your wrist muscles. Start with two sets of twenty-five for each hand and slowly add more reps as your wrists get stronger.
- Handshakes: Grab a tennis ball or stress ball and squeeze and release slowly in each hand. Do two sets of twenty-five on each hand and slowly add more reps as your wrists, hands, and forearms get stronger.
Also, before putting your shuttlecock in the air, make sure you and your fellow basemen grab a shoe and calculate timing, hand and finger positions, and coordination. This gives you and your teammates the opportunity to resolve any confusion before putting the safety of your steering wheel at risk.