Need Tips On Getting Better Jumps And Getting A Backwalkover!!

[CheeringinthePNW]

I started cheer about a year and a half ago and got on a level one team for my first season. Now its my second season and I still don't have my back walkover ( but I do have my back bend!) . Also my jumps are not even close to looking at least decent. I have been trying many different stretches , workouts, etc. to improve but nothing seems to help. I really want to be in the front this season for jumps or get a tumbling pass. Any tips? or advice that can help me improve quickly?

 

[~El]

i have a couple tips for backwalkovers

- whilst in a bridge, rock back and forth so your weight passes over your shoulders. this mirrors the movement your shoulders and upper back will make in a bwo
- if you have your backbend, you can try this: stand facing a wall (so youre nearly touching it). do your backbend. your toes should pretty much be up to the wall in your bridge. rock so that your weight is over your shoulders, then lift up one foot and place it on the wall. push off this foot and you should be able to kickover. keep working this and soon you'll be able to bridge kickover from the floor.
- once you get this, work on supported back walkovers. go to open gym and have someone spot you if you can

 

[CheeringinthePNW]

thankyou!!! I will work on it

 

[Newatthis]

My daughter has really good jumps, and her advice is to focus on leg speed. She's not really flexible (she's 17 and still struggles with walkovers) but she was a softball pitcher for five years and they really worked on an explosive step. She does squat jumps, burpees, and box jumps (standing on the ground, then jumping onto a box). All of her jumps are hyperextended (the toe touch is just barely, but still...)and lest you think she's some little thing, she's 5'1" and weighs around 150.

 

[Charley]

One thing my team always does to help with jumps is sitting on the floor in each jump position and doing leg lifts. I'll be honest and say that at first, they do feel quite difficult when done correctly, but you're better to do a few really nice ones sitting up straight then do heaps leaning backwards and see no improvement. My team normally just does ten on each leg then ten together for each jump, then repeats 3 times, which doesn't sound like heaps, but it feels like forever.
During the off-season and summer, we also play an 8 count track and do constant toe-touches (Setting in between each one) for two and a half minutes, but I feel like this helps more with endurance then jump quality because by the end of this, my jumps are horrific.

 

[CougarJen]

Try practicing your jumps with ankle weights on.

 

[Cheer Dad]

Try practicing your jumps with ankle weights on.

Very light weights if you try this. Excessive weight can actually harm you if not enough leg strength. It is also incredibly important to use correct technique as well when using them.




**if you pimp your 3yo for cheer endorsements we all judge you**