Improve Toe Touch | Cheer Technique

Improving a cheerleaders toe touches is a matter of technique, body control, and explosiveness. A cheerleader must make sure that their technique is perfect. Their arms must swing down with power to gain momentum and finish in a T position. To generate jump height, start with legs together and explode up with pointed toes, straight legs, and shoelaces towards the ceiling. Form and technique are a major part of completing a perfect toe touch. Visit our toe touch technique page for step-by-step instructions of how to perform a proper toe touch. After perfecting the toe touch technique it will be time to move into upper-level flexibility and strength training.

Toe Touch | Improve Kick Height

There are a couple of things a cheerleader can do to improve their kick height. Kicking high during a toe touch requires strong muscles and flexibility throughout the low back, hamstrings, groin, and glutes. The major muscles that contribute to the actual height of a kick are the hip flexors and quads. These muscles must be strong to reach All-Star kick height levels. A good way to strengthen hip flexors is by doing hurdle walks, reverse lunges, or front raises with Kbands. The resistance added by using Kbands will help recruit more muscle fibers with every movement. This style of training will enhance every workout and help build kick height.Another way to improve kick height is to understand body control and momentum. When cheerleaders kick their legs in the air they are using the momentum created by a powerful arm swing down and up again. This arm swing will help pre-load the muscles, which adds muscle stimulation. Muscle stimulation increases the muscle fiber twitch, which means it will increase muscle contraction and lead to higher jumps. Refer to the toe touch technique page and read through the arm position section to enhance your body's ability to produce momentum for jump height.

Kbands Toe Touch Cheerleading Routine

Cheerleaders looking for advanced level training, look no farther. At Kbands Training we have developed leg resistance bands that allow cheerleaders to train in the exact same fashion as their sport requires while they strengthen their legs, hips, and core muscles for kick height and balance. Simply strap Kbands around each of your legs and complete a five minute warm-up. When the body is loose use our Stunt Strap and go through our Stretch Routine to maximize your training. A cheerleaders body must be completely loose before undergoing the stresses of resistance. Cheerleaders have several different levels of resistance to choose from when training with Kbands. If the cheerleader is less than 110 pounds she will receive a customized set of bands that are shorter for her body type. If the cheerleader is over 110 pounds she will receive a little bit longer bands that are catered to her body type. The different levels of resistance work for every cheerleader.

Now that the cheerleader is loose and knows which resistance bands to use, begin warming up their toe touch. Complete 3 to 4 reps, or until the body is completely ready to go. Cheerleaders should then clip up Kbands and work with the desired resistance. Complete 6 to 8 resisted reps of a toe touch and immediately take the leg bands off for an additional 4 to 6 reps without the resistance. Cheerleaders must move immediately into the un-resisted reps to benefit from Kbands. Kbands will recruit more muscles than the average toe touch, which will give cheerleaders a featherlike feeling in their legs. This is the time the cheerleader needs to work for more range of motion. The cheerleader's legs will feel light and with every powerful arm swing the cheerleader must work for maximal stunt height. After completing one set, cheerleaders will take a two-minute break and then repeat for 2 additional sets. In summary: 8 to 6 reps with resistance, 4 to 6 reps immediately after un-resisted, for 3 sets. Cheerleaders must make sure to always leave at least one day of rest in between resistance training days. Below are several other cheerleading training pages. Cheerleaders can combine several of the workouts, but must leave a day of rest in between resistance training with Kbands. 

Is Flexibility Holding You Back

Kbands can strengthen a cheerleaders legs, but flexibility can still limit the body's ability to kick high. If a cheerleader's hamstrings, glutes, and low back are tight, they will not be able to reach their maximum potential. A great way to improve a cheerleader's flexibility is to use our Stunt Strap. The range of motion required by cheer stunting is different than any other sport. Cheerleaders must jump high while moving on one leg or kicking for height. No other sport requires this combination. Our Stunt Strap can make improving flexibility very easy. Cheerleaders can stretch their bodies in the same exact motions as flexibility stunts require. Use the Stunt Strap during a heel stretch and scorpion to gain the flexibility for the perfect cheer stunt. Use our free flexibility training videos Stunt Strap Stretch Routine, and Lower Back Flexibility Builder to improve range of motion and kick height.