How Much Do You Have To Weigh To Be A Flyer?

[Desire]

I'm 5'4" and weight 120 pounds. Is that too much to be a flyer? I'm trying to lose weight, tho.

 

[Fameous MOM]

Sometimes it is not a weight issue but how you hold yourself in the air.

 

[CoachMandiCF]

I agree with Fameous MOM. It's not about how tall you are or how much you weigh, it's about body control and how tight you are in the air. Some girls who are short and weigh nothing can be the heaviest people to put up.

 

[kaitlyncheer]

It depends on how Well you can hold yourself up. You are still a pretty good size for a flyer

 

[Mamarazzi]

Cow. Except I can't post it from my phone.

...Wait. I'm not calling the OP a cow, I'm just saying...the unimpressed cow thing...nevermind.

 

[cheyylovee98]

honestly, i'm a base. i've lifted girls that are my weight and bigger, and i've lifted girls that are less than half my weight. Even girls half my weight felt like cows and a girl my weight or a tiny bit less, she felt like a feather. the tighter the lighter.

 

[cupieqt]

Mamarazzi here ya go :cow:

Also, this one works well too :banghead:

It all depends on how you hold your weight. I once had a really heavy flyer. Her name was Azz. We called her Fat Azz but she only weighed 90 lbs.

 

[Lily]

This is great to know. I'm new to cheerleading and I'm 4'10.5" and my weight fluctuates about ten pounds. It's crazy--it just switches up and down. But I want to train to be a flyer.

Not that I'm giving advice because I'm not experienced but here's what I know.

I did do cheerleading kind of when I was younger. I.E. summer camp and the class I tried to start at my school, which failed since it was a small, private one. We did start a 'fake' squad for the sports but the school didn't support it. Anyway, we just did pyramids because we were untrained--kind of dangerous. I was probably around 60lbs then and 4'9 since it was fifth grade. Maybe less but I was both a 'top of the pyramid' and a base(?). Sorry, don't know the terms. Needless to say, I was a smallest girl on the 'team' but I managed to hold others up.

 

[Mom2Cheergirls]

It also depends on what the team needs. You can be light and flexible but at the same time very strong and you may be used as a base because that is where you are needed. It all depends on where (gym/team) you are and what they need at one place you could be used as a flyer and another never have a chance. But balance and staying tight as a flyer are key and a big mental piece... I have watched girls who are awesome flyers and then suddenly they fall and then fall again and they hit a bump whether it be to growing (height/weight and balance shifting) or mental and sometimes it takes a while to get out of... my CP and her friends have had long talks my CP has a trust issue and a control issue she likes being a base because she feels she can be in control of keeping her flyer up and at the very least never letting her hit the ground... whereas when she tried to fly her she says it terrifies her to trust that someone else will keep her safe (even someone she likes) - her best bud loves the feeling of being in the air and you just see it on her face -pure joy So there is a lot more than weight and height to why someone will be a flyer. Best of luck to you.

 

[ilikebigbows]

Desire YOU DON'T NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT. Don't put flying in front of your health - I know many flyers at/above that number. You are at a very healthy weight right now!

 

[saramallory]

I am 5'9" and 120 lbs and I have lifted girls that are bigger and taller than me and I had no problem. It really depends on how the flyer holds their weight and how tight they are! Weight should not be an issue at all!!

 

[Megan_cheer]

I'm taller than my bases and I still fly. It doesn't matter about weight it matters about how well u can fly!

 

[Kaytastrophe]

I don't care how much my fliers weigh. As long as they don't wobble about, I'm more than willing to put them up, even if I have to do it by myself! :P I'm the same size as you and I've lifted girls taller and larger than me that felt like feathers in the air. My favorite flyer to base actually weighs 15-20 more than I do and she's excellent at holding herself up and staying tight. She also trusts us all loads ( for some perspective, she let me base her the first time I had ever cheered and had a laugh about how " green "I was and how she was glad she could break me in before the bad habits started). Our smallest flyer also based alongside me before. It was funny because she's at least 4 inches shorter than I am so I felt like a giant.

I think the best cheerleaders are the ones who work hardest to push themselves and who can fit the needs of their team :)

Good luck!

 

[codycheerbabex]

I seriously, honestly, completely, 100% hate this question. As long as you can hold your own body weight it really doesn't matter on your size; if your bases are struggling to keep you up they need to work out more to gain more strength. There is nothing in cheerleading that should make you feel the need to risk your own health. Of course there's nothing wrong with eating healthy and working out, but there is everything wrong with going as far as risking your own health.

 

[njallday]

this picture is really just my favorite.:) but it is a phenomenal example that, no, your size does not matter. all of these girls are so incredibly muscular. the girls on the ground here are the same size as the ones in the air. some flyers are taller (and maybe more muscular) than the bases and vice versa. you do not need to be 4'7" and 70 pounds to fly (though you can be) and 5'6" or taller and 120 lbs to base/backspot.

i know it's tough to be a 15/16/17/18 year old flyer in allstars when there are small 10 year olds on the same team, but a tight 120 lb person is way easier to keep up than a 3 foot floppy noodle.