I am an allstar cheerleader but since this is conditioning, maybe I can help. I am on a coed worlds team, so our endurance and strength are very very important. Just for further info, my team has four practices a week, 3 practices are for 2 hours, 1 practice is for 3 hours. Before every 2 hour practice, we run .8 miles and have a 7 minute timer but normally we all finish by 6ish. During practice, if we do poorly or do something dumb, we will run that .8 miles either right then or after practice. Sometimes this second (or third or fourth) run is ran as an individual, sometimes as a stunt group, mostly as a team. Also, for the last half hour (or 15 minutes, depending on how distracted my coaches get) we do team conditioning to do with abs, or tuck/standing full circles, or leg work that is all done on the floor. Then during the 3 hour practice, we tumble for an hour and then the older athletes drive the rest of the team to a local park, where we do hill running and field conditioning for 2 hours. I dread it all week but I know that it makes my team soooooo much stronger every year. Also, my gym has strength and conditioning privates that we are encouraged to take advantage of. The boys on my team mostly utilize these privates and work with weights. I have never done high school cheer, so I don't know how this compares. I know my team is very intense with conditioning but by the time that routines come along, we can focus on what we are doing and technique rather than trying to catch our breath and not dying. As an athlete, it sucks and we complain about it ALL the time. But I don't think any of us would say that we don't need it to be successful.
