Flyer Class

[glitterdiva]

I'm starting a flyer class what are things you do at your gym for flyer classes?

 

[cupieqt]

Lots of stretching:
Get a folding chair and stack panel mats behind it at the same level. Have them put one leg on the chair and the other on the panels and hold onto the back of the chair. Switch legs after 1 minute. Their bottom should not be supported but the knees should be. They will probably cry.

Hold onto bars and stretch legs up a cheese mat standing up against a wall behind them like in the pic below:

Put on ankle weights and stand with back to the wall and practice lifting legs to stretch without bending over or bending the standing leg. We start with 10 lbs on each leg then 5 lbs then none. The key is to kick to their high V hand without "whipping" or bending.

Balance skills include step lock onto any steady surface and for timing on switch ups (we always use the side of the tumble trak or a set of stacked panel mats for shorter kids).
Also flip a barrel or boulder on its side and make them balance one leg skills while you hold the ankle or brace the barrel. A barrel is wobblier. I usually make them pull a sequence of body positions within a 2 eight count sequence.

IF you have enough bases handy, you can actually work on loading and tossing drills too.

Ceacoach once said "flexible flyers will stay in the air" so we REALLY work on flexibility and core strength. It made a huge difference so she may be onto something.....

 

[glitterdiva]

that is a lot of help thank you! So I have kids who are flexible enough but cant hold the positions what kind of things do you do cupieqt

 

[Seeker30]

im not thread crashing* trying not to.
i too have flexible girls just cant keep a position. so if anyone can help glitterdiva lol can help me <3

 

[Ashley]

Lots of stretching:
Get a folding chair and stack panel mats behind it at the same level. Have them put one leg on the chair and the other on the panels and hold onto the back of the chair. Switch legs after 1 minute. Their bottom should not be supported but the knees should be. They will probably cry.

Andddd, you just reminded me how much I hated the high split pyramid in college, except that when I did it, it was ankles on the mid-levels shoulder for even more pain:

 

[CricketCheerMom]

I'm starting a flyer class what are things you do at your gym for flyer classes?

stretching stretchng and more stretching!

 

[SheCheers]

My cp's flyer class does a bit of conditioning, too. Not really cardio but lots of abs: regular planks, side planks, V ups, etc and arms: push ups, tricep dips, handstand push ups against the walls. They'll put their feet (heels) up on the tumble track, leave their shoulder blades on the ground and squeeze up into a plank and hold.

They also practice holding their body positions at the end of class, sometimes making it a contest of who holds the longest.

 

[cupieqt]

^^ we condition like above for flyers to be able to hold their positions. Often those skinny little flyers lack muscle to be able to hold position so we do a lot of squeezing/core strengthening exercises. Planks, hollow body holds, superman holds (on the tummy--arms shoulders and ankles lifted--looks like superman flying) and drills where they squeeze and we try to pull their arms away from their body (we shouldn't be able to).
Their favorite thing to do is lie flat on the ground and get as tight as possible. Then the coach will grab under the shoulders and try to toss them to a standing position. If they bend at the waist or get loose at all they'll just sit up. If they're tight they'll pop up onto their feet. They loooove that one (me next me next!!).

 

[Ashley]

^^ we condition like above for flyers to be able to hold their positions. Often those skinny little flyers lack muscle to be able to hold position so we do a lot of squeezing/core strengthening exercises. Planks, hollow body holds, superman holds (on the tummy--arms shoulders and ankles lifted--looks like superman flying) and drills where they squeeze and we try to pull their arms away from their body (we shouldn't be able to).
Their favorite thing to do is lie flat on the ground and get as tight as possible. Then the coach will grab under the shoulders and try to toss them to a standing position. If they bend at the waist or get loose at all they'll just sit up. If they're tight they'll pop up onto their feet. They loooove that one (me next me next!!).

I really like your ankle weights conditioning. I should do that, I never thought of it. I'm a bit of a "whipper."

BowCat said she would skype me into her flex classes!

 

[cupieqt]

Andddd, you just reminded me how much I hated the high split pyramid in college, except that when I did it, it was ankles on the mid-levels shoulder for even more pain:

Yep! That's basically it but we square their hips to be in line with the chair and support the back knee so there isn't a lot of pressure. If they're already flexible we slide them out so they're in over splits.

For girls that aren't flexible at all we help them with those body positions. For stretch I stand in front of them and hold the stretch leg while they hold my waist or shoulders. We lay them on the ground and pin the standing leg and push the stretch leg (always switch and do both legs).
Have them sit in straddle with their back against a wall. Have two people put their toes under the ankles on both sides and inch their way back ward.

The one we ALWAYS start with is ankle weights on, lay down with legs up in the air in straddle and butt against the wall. Let gravity take over as their legs get heavier and heavier. Their toes touch the ground after about 2 weeks of this one.

 

[cupieqt]

I have lots more lol!

For scales and scorpions we help hold the leg and chest. There's a pic on here somewhere of a good partner stretch. It's where they bear hug the partner while the partner pulls their leg up behind them. Also, have them lay on the ground on their tummy with arms up above their head. Grab their elbows and lift. They should try to keep their tummy on the ground and just let their shoulders stretch. They hate this one.
Another is the same concept but they push up in a seal pose and try to touch their feet to their head. Lots of backbends with emphasis on proper position (chest/shoulders back, directly over hands, arms straight and squeezed to ears, legs straight).

I have several pages of exercises/drills we do for flyers AND bases.

 

[INeverStopCheering]

We stretch, but for those that can't hold the positions, or have trouble locking out we do a lot of step-up drills with a stunt stepper/chairs to help them practice standing up by themselves

 

[cupieqt]

I challenge those that don't hold the position to do step locks and hold the position for 2 counts. Then 4. Then 6. Then a whole count. They like to challenge each other. Make it a game and they'll work even harder without knowing it. You could even do an Abby lee pyramid to see which flyer is at the top each week. I think I'll be using that one this summer (the ONLY good idea I've ever gotten from Abby lee).

 

[Aussiekat]

I was recently told by the amazing Kenny Feeley that if you can hold your lines on the ground, great. Do it on the airtrak. If you can do it there, great. Do it on the tumbltrak. If you can do it there, I'll consider putting it in routine. If you can't, you're not flexible enough or strong enough to bother choreographing into a routine. Then we did a ball up one arm stretch. I love him.

And yes, Ashley warmup starts at 730pm on Wednesday, Melbourne time! I do lots of different conditioning stretch routines. I only started running it this year so I'm figuring out what works best over time, what conditioning will be beneficial vs. what's too hard and people will slack off on, what stretches make them feel like they're making progress without being too sore, what pre-stretch stretches I can develop so if you can't do a bridge yet I can still give you something to do and you don't feel poopy. If my girls are dedicated enough to come to me, then I owe it to them to do whatever I can to work with their strengths and weaknesses (note: my class is for adults, most didn't start cheer til they were in their late teens/early 20s and are in open 18+ levels 2/3/4, oh those international weirdos ).

 

[cheerforceone]

I have lots more lol!

For scales and scorpions we help hold the leg and chest. There's a pic on here somewhere of a good partner stretch. It's where they bear hug the partner while the partner pulls their leg up behind them. Also, have them lay on the ground on their tummy with arms up above their head. Grab their elbows and lift. They should try to keep their tummy on the ground and just let their shoulders stretch. They hate this one.
Another is the same concept but they push up in a seal pose and try to touch their feet to their head. Lots of backbends with emphasis on proper position (chest/shoulders back, directly over hands, arms straight and squeezed to ears, legs straight).

I have several pages of exercises/drills we do for flyers AND bases.

I LOVE Your tips i am going to be starting a flyer class for my girls