Leg Workouts and Stretching Exercises for Higher Jumps and Kicks

Spread Eagles, Pikes, and Toe Touches are some of the signature moves every cheerleading squad must perform whether they’re a professional team or not. Jumps, kicks, or a combination of both add excitement and beauty to every performance.

For aspiring cheerleaders, this will be a future challenge in your first few months of joining the team. This is because you’ll be doing a lot of exercises which will improve your flexibility. You’ll also experience a lot of squad sessions where you’ll do high jumps and kicks. But before that, it’s important to have a high vertical jump and flexible kick in advance to impress judges on the auditions. And to do that, first you must train yourself with the exercises below.

Higher Jumps Workouts

1. Squats

Start by standing with your feet positioned on a shoulder-width apart.
Lower yourself into a seating position with your toes facing outward.
Reach your hands out forward.
Don’t let your knees bend forward going past your toes.
Return to your starting position.
Perform 3 sets with 30 reps.

2. Jump Squats

Do all the first four steps from squats but as you lower yourself, reach your arms backward and downward in parallel with your back
Propel yourself upward while throwing your arms upward as well.
Perform 3 sets with 10-15 reps.

3. Alternating Step-Up Jumps

Place a foot on a bench or box.
Make sure your other foot is closer to the elevated platform. You’ll feel your form is right when there’s more weight on your raised foot than the back.
Keep your raised foot, hip, and knee bent at a 90-degree angle.
Set your upper body upright.
Brace your core.
Push yourself upward with the strength of your raised leg enough to lift you while being able to switch legs mid-air.
Land your other foot on the bench for cushioning most of the impact and use your previously raised foot to land on the floor.
Each leg switch is a rep so do 15 reps with 3 sets.

Stretching Exercises for Higher Kicks

1. Standing Adductor Stretch

Stand with your feet past shoulder-width apart with your hands on your hips.
Bend your left leg and lean to the left side while keeping your left leg straight.
Hold your leaning position for 3-5 seconds.
Then alternate to the right side.
Perform 15 to 20 pers with 3 sets.

2. Floor Y Stretch

Start by lying down on your stomach with your chest raised and arms extended outwards.
Tilt your hips to the right
Swing your right leg over your left leg.
Stretch your left leg as far to the right as possible.
Maintain facing frontward while pushing your body backward and outward against the floor.
As you push your body, keep your left leg and right leg away from each other either in a bent or straight form.
Wait for a feeling of slight discomfort then hold the position for 20 seconds
Do this stretching exercise daily to improve flexibility on your front and back kicks.

3. Straddle Stretch

Sit down on the floor.
Open your legs as wide as you can while keeping your legs straight.
Keep your heels to the ground.
Point your toes outward.
Reach your arms forward on the floor.
Slowly lower your body by leaning forward and keep your butt glued to the floor.
Lower your body further until you feel a slight discomfort.
Hold the position for 20 seconds.
Return to your initial sitting position.
Do this every day to improve your toe touch jumping.

4. Standing Split

Stand a few feet from the wall
Bend forward with your arms straight and your palms on the floor.
Raise one leg behind you with your toe pointed towards the ceiling.
Slide your foot as high as possible up the wall.
You can use your hands to push yourself backward or move your foot on the ground closer to the wall to stretch your groin.
Stop at the slightest discomfort and hold for 20 seconds.
Do this daily as your split improves and your forward kicks get higher and higher.

Jumps and kicks are important highlights of every pro cheer performance. Don’t limit your workouts to body toning and weight loss only. Improve your kick height and vertical jumping to give high-energy and beautiful future performances.

Need a Great Workout Routine for Your Pro Cheer Audition Prep?

Pro cheerleaders stay fit, flexible, and strong so they can give out their best performance in the arena. However, achieving that wow-worthy, toned physique doesn’t happen overnight. You need to arm yourself with the right daily workouts.

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