Cheer Extreme Circuit Workouts | Advanced Cardio Exercise Routine
Cheerleaders should use cardio exercises, which are combined with core strengthening drills, in circuit workouts to achieve great training techniques in their regular training routines. The combination of the Speed and Agility Ladder cardio exercises combined with active core strengthening exercises will create an cheer extreme workout that will challenge and enhance multiple athletic skills like ab strength, balance, and foot speed. By rotating between ladder cardio exercises and core strengthening exercises in circuit workouts cheerleaders will raise their heart rate with the cardio exercise, and then use a less intense exercise to keep the heart rate elevated between cardio exercises.
Cheerleaders should not perform cheer extreme circuit workouts for every training session, but should perform a good combination of circuit workouts, sports specific training, and strength and power training. A combination of these training styles will allow cheerleaders to build functional strength, while increasing cardio exercise strength, and sport specific movements.
Cheer Extreme Circuit Workouts
To perform the Advanced Cardio Exercise Routine athletes will need a Speed and Agility Ladder and the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands. Athletes will lay the Speed and Agility Ladder down flat on the ground while attaching the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands just above the knees.
Begin the first cardio exercise by standing in front of the Speed and Agility Ladder and performing the “Icky Shuffle” down the ladder and back. Athletes will perform this cardio exercise down and back the Speed and Agility Ladder two times for one set. Athletes who are not familiar with the “Icky Shuffle” cardio exercise on the Speed and Agility Ladder can go to the Training Section and learn proper form and execution of this cardio exercise. After one set of the “Icky Shuffle” has been completed athletes will place their hands on the ground, move into the upward phase of a pushup, and begin performing Cross Mountain Climbers by actively driving the knees across the body, toward the opposite elbow. Athletes will perform this phase of the Advanced Cardio Exercise Routine for 30 seconds before moving onto their back and performing Reverse Scissor Kicks for 30 seconds. Athletes not familiar with the Cross Mountain Climber Exercise or Reverse Scissor Kicks can go to the Training Section to learn proper form and execution of this Ab Strengthening Combo.
Following the completion of the cheer extreme ab strengthening combo athletes will move back into cardio exercises on the Speed and Agility Ladder by performing the “In And Out” ladder combination. Athletes will perform one set of the cardio exercise by going down the ladder and back to the starting position two times. For information and tips on the execution of this portion of the Advanced Cardio Exercise Routine go to the Training Section and master the form of this and all drills involved in the circuit workouts. After completion of the “In And Out” portion of the Advanced Cardio Exercise Routine athletes will again complete the Cross Climber - Reverse Scissor combination before moving into the final ladder exercise of the Advanced Cardio Exercise Routine, the “Double Tap Squats”. This cardio exercise requires the athletes to quickly tap their feet two times inside of the box before executing a deep squat with both feet outside of the Speed and Agility Box.
Athletes will perform 2-3 resisted rounds of the Advanced Cardio Exercise Routine before removing the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands and performing 1 unresisted round of the circuit workouts. Allow 1-2 minutes of rest between sets of the Advanced Cardio Exercise Routine.
During unresisted sets athletes should use great body positioning and push the tempo on the ladder and ab cardio exercises. Athletes who have questions about form or execution of the drills involved in circuit workouts should refer to the Training Section for training tips and help.
Importance Of Cardio Exercises In Circuit Workouts
The ability for athletes to find challenging ways to tax their cardiovascular system and increase strength in a targeted muscle group will allow athletes to increase their overall athletic output, allowing them to train and perform at a higher level. The best part about performing circuit workouts with cardio exercises in them is that the more they are implemented in training sessions the more athletes will be able to challenge the speed and intensity of the circuit workouts.
Once cheerleaders are comfortable with the Advanced Cardio Exercises Routine they should continue to add challenging variety to their circuit workouts. Cheerleaders can go to the Training Section and use cardio exercises and strength training drills like the Strength Training Exercises For Cheerleaders, the High Knee Exchange Drill, Cheer Tuck Jumps, or the Cheer Strength Side Raise to create new and challenging cheer extreme circuit workouts.
When performing circuit workouts it is important cheerleaders use resisted, followed by unresisted rounds of the circuit workouts. This will ensure both speed, strength, and power can be effectively trained as extra muscle activation and increased intensity on unresisted rounds help develop stronger, more conditioned athletes.
Cheer Circuit Workouts
It is important athletes progress the resistance used when beginning cardio exercises, circuit workouts, or any kind of athletic training with Kbands Leg Resistance Bands. If athletes begin with to much resistance it will hinder their movements when performing circuit workouts. This limited range of motion greatly decreases the effectiveness of the circuit workouts as athletes become too fatigued to effectively train. Although the training should be kept at an intense level the resistance needs to be kept at a level where a full range of motion with the leg can be achieved. This is especially important when using unresisted rounds of circuit workouts. If only a part of the muscle is trained during resisted sets of cardio exercises then the extra muscle mass which makes the legs feel “light” during unresisted sets has not been recruited to work against the resistance to move the leg. Go to the Shop Section to learn about the different levels of resistance which can be used with the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands.