A Basic Guide to Tumbling for Professional Cheerleading

Performing tumbling stunts for pro cheerleading isn’t necessarily required for some teams as most coaches and judges don’t look for applicants with gymnastic skills. But, it is important that a member must know one stunt or two.

A member of a pro cheer squad who knows how to tumble is a valuable asset for the team. This is because tumbles add beauty and athleticism to an arena’s performance. If you’re an aspiring pro cheerleader, knowing some tumbling stunts can help you win a judge’s favor.

But, knowing how to perform a single tumble stunt is not enough for judges. Learning how to do one or more stunts and combining them all together isn’t easy as well. In this article, you’ll find beginner and intermediate tumbling stunts with simple instructions that even first-time tumblers can do.

1. Pick a good location for practice

Look for places where your landing platform is soft. You can go to your local gym and ask if there are safety gymnastic mats available. If there aren’t any, you can go to the local park or beach for practice.

At the park, see to it if the soft grass isn’t hiding and rocks or holes that can cause you any injuries. You can also practice at home with a couple of yoga mats. Just make sure there aren’t any objects close to you that could be hit as you practice.

2. Make your body stronger and flexible

Tumblings usually requires arm strength and body flexibility to propel the body, twist, and turn at the midair. Train your arms with bicep and tricep workouts to support your body weight. Also, accustom your body to midair tucks by starting with frontward and backward rolls.

3. Start with the handstand

If you can support your entire body weight with your arms alone, do the handstand for your upside-down balance.

Bend down and plant your palms on the ground at shoulder width.
Raise and extend your right leg upward.
Use your left leg to kick your lower body’s weight off the ground.
Keep in mind to close your legs together as they’re at midair. If you open your legs, there will be a chance where you’re thrown off to a bad back bridge that could break your spine.
Keep on practicing until you can hold a handstand for 3 seconds and more.

4. Practice cartwheeling

A cartwheel is an extension of the handstand. But, instead of using your body’s momentum for a forward handstand, you’re going to do it sideways.

Start a standing position.
Put your left leg forward slightly bent.
Raise your arms above your head.
Bend your body sideways and reach the ground.
Your left palm should touch the ground first immediately followed by your right palm.
As your left palm lands, use your left leg to kick your lower body off the ground.
Engage your core and swing your lower body to add a sideway momentum.
Keep your legs straight but separated and your toes pointed at midair.
Your body should look like the letter “Y” for the entire move.
Keep practicing until your body gets used to the routine while doing it quicker.

5. Carefully train to do a back handspring

To practice back spring, start by doing a backbend first. It is very important here that your body is flexible enough for a decent back bridge.

Start by standing straight with your feet shoulder-width apart
Raise your arms straight over you in the air.
Arch your back and reach your arms behind you.
Begin to drop your head behind you as if you’re looking behind yourself upside down.
Reach and let your hands hit the ground for landing and keep your head off the ground.
Swing both of legs upward to backward while keeping both closed.
Plant your heels firmly on the ground and don't tiptoe.
Keep practicing until you can backbend faster.

Once you’ve mastered back bending, do a back handspring by using all the steps of the back bridge. This time, start by kicking yourself off the ground or jumping backward with both legs. Keep on practicing until you can do multiple handsprings in succession.

6. Backflipping

Backflips are one of the advanced tumbling stunts for pro cheerleading. To do a backflip you must first be accustomed to the motion of a backward roll with strong jumping power. When you no longer feel nauseous from doing successive backward rolls, practice backflipping with these steps:

Start in a position where you’re getting ready to jump with your arms stretched backward.
Jump as high as you can.
Swing your hands upward then backward as strong as you can.
Throw your head backward as well.
While midair, tuck your knees in.
Force your entire body backward.
When your flip is at a ¾ circle, untuck your legs.
Land on both feet.

Remember, when practicing your backflips, make sure you have a soft landing platform to prevent accidental injuries. Better yet, invite a spotter who knows tumblings to assist and teach you the proper techniques.

NFL and NBA pro cheerleading is a combination of dancing and gymnastics. Don’t get pressured if you don’t know how to tumble yet. Just keep on practicing carefully until you perfect your own stunts. When you do, combine all the stunts you’ve mastered like these pro cheerleaders. Then, give your all at the arena and be the highlight of the show!

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