American Cheer Express:Cheerleading Source:Fitness

When it comes to competing in cheerleading, having a strong "core" goes a long way to putting you on the road to success. The core refers to the muscles that make up the abdominals, the obliques, and last, but certainly not least, the lower back, particularly the erector spine. Your core muscles work to enable you to maintain good posture and to stabilize your upper body or trunk. Having a strong core means tumbling runs can be executed with much less effort and for greater distances, tops can maintain better balance, and cheerleading bases can hold tops more easily.

The importance of core stabilization training is no longer lost on coaches or most athletes. Core stability is what helps your muscles exert greater power. The core helps transfer energy through the body. For example, when executing a jump, the energy must pass through the core to elevate the body; without a good strong core, that energy will not be used as efficiently as it could be. Training the stabilizing muscles to hold the torso steady while introducing resistance from the arms, legs, and even gravity, is important. Energy is also transferred on our lifts, catches, and tumbling runs.

This is how I build a strong core in my cheerleaders. First we work the abdominals. This group of muscles runs from just under your chest down to just below your belly button. It is one continuous muscle, so the concept of "upper" and "lower" abs is a myth. But you can work the upper and lower regions of the muscle. This muscle gives you the ability to bend from the waist, and keeps your upper body stable. Great exercises for this would be the crunch or the curl up. If you haven't recently done your crunches or curl ups like a good cheerleader should, begin with a number that is moderate but won't leave you hurting too much. The target I'd like to see you shoot for would be a nice even 100. And you would do two sets of them, for starters. When training to tumble, stunt, and jump, be aware of the importance of making sure that your abs are fit and strong.

Next, we work on the obliques, or love handles. This group of muscles is responsible for twisting from side to side or doing side bends. When doing these exercises, stay in a moderate rep zone, somewhere between 12 to 15 reps should do the trick. Every other day will suffice and remember, when you are executing this move, always keep your knees bent to take the pressure off your lower back.

Finally, the erector spine, or lower back, consists of muscles that run the entire length of your back and are responsible for straightening your spine. When it comes to working this muscle group, we focus on moves like "Supermans" and "good mornings." To do a "Superman," lie face down on the floor with your legs extended back and your arms extended forward at a 45-degree angle to the long axis of your body. Raise your right arm and left leg slightly off the ground and hold for 20 seconds. Return to the starting position and repeat using the opposite arm and leg. Do these for 5 sets and 10 reps. The "Good Morning" is done like this: stand with your feet shoulder width apart, knees bent, abs tight, and shoulders over your hips. Place your hands on your hips, and slowly bend over forward at the waist keeping your spine straight. Keeping your head in line with your spine, lower your torso until it is parallel to the floor. Slowly return to the starting position, making sure that your abs are tight and your lower back is flat throughout the movement. Repeat, once again. We do these in sets of 5 for 10 reps. When done correctly, these are exercises that will hit our target areas without much risk of injury

The benefits to ability and self-image from core training are greater than you can imagine. There is no greater feeling than stepping onto the field or mat, preparing to do your thing in front of thousands of people, knowing you are ready to give the performance of your life. Those are the days we all live for. Some days will be tougher than others. And know this, when you get through with your training session, training is what separates contenders from pretenders