Cassville High School Stretching and Warm-Up Routine
STRETCHING
1. SHOULDER ROLLS: Roll your shoulders up and around to the back 5 times then change the direction to
the front 5 times.
2. DELTOIDS: Take one arm and reach across your body. Take your other arm and help pull your arm just
below your elbow Hold the stretch for a count of 5. Switch arm.
3. TRICEPS: Take your arm and try to touch the middle of your back. With the other arm gently hold the
elbow and hold your arm in place. Hold each stretch for a count of 5.
4. BICEPS: Put your arm straight in front of you and gently hold down your fingers until you feel the slight
stretch in your bicep.
5. UPPER AND INNER THIGHS: Begin in a tripod position with your hands on your knees. Next, angle your
right shoulder toward your left leg and hold for a count of 5. Switch to the other side. You should feel
the stretch in your inner thighs, shoulders, and upper back.
6. UPPER BACK: Push your arms directly in front of you and arch your back to a “c” shape and hold the
stretch for a count of 5.
7. STANDING STRADDLE – With legs wider than chest width apart, bend at the waist to touch the floor.
Walk your hands over to the right and hold, keeping your leg straight, but avoid locking your knee.
Repeat on the left. Walk hands center again and hold.
8. RUNNERS STRETCH – Start in a standing straddle position, walk hands over to the right. Keeping your
left leg straight, bend your right leg to a 90 angle, keeping your knee over your ankle. Repeat on left
side.
9. STANDING QUADRICEP STRETCH – a good one for balance and stretching! Standing with feet together,
bend right leg back and grasp your right foot with both hands behind your back. Tighten core ab
muscles to remain stable and hold for 15 seconds. Repeat with the left.
10. SITTING STRADDLE – While seated in a straddle position, reach both hands forward down the center.
Concentrate on keeping your back straight, so that your belly button approaches the floor, not your
nose. Walk your hands to the right leg and again, concentrate on taking your chest down over your leg.
Repeat to the left.
11. SPLITS – Be sure to do both your right leg in front and then repeat on the left. Point your front & back
toes, and keep that back leg straight. Keep your weight over the center, not off to one side. You want
to be sure to work flexibility on both legs, not just your strong side!
12.SITTING PIKE – With both legs together and straight out in front of you, reach down over your toes.
Hold the stretch with flexed feet, then hold the stretch with pointed feet.
WARM-UP
1. CHEER JUMP EXPLOSIONS – This drill works on height for your cheerleading jumps. It also trains your
body how to absorb the landing safely. Start with your feet together (this is the usual start position for
any cheer jump). Take a slow dip with your knees, but do not pass the ninety degree angle. Without
using your arms, jump into the air as high as you can. As you land, bend your knees slightly to absorb
the landing and return to the ninety degree angle and explode again. Start by doing 3 sets of 5
controlled jumps, one after the other. Work up to doing 20 jumps in a row.
2. STRADDLE LIFTS – This exercise really works your hip flexors, a muscle that’s rarely used in other
exercises. You’ll definitely feel it the first couple times you try this drill, so take it slowly in the
beginning! Sit on the floor in astraddle position, keeping your back straight. Place your hands on the
floor in front of you. Lift one leg at a time, about 2 inches off the ground for 1,2. Do each leg 5 times,
working up to holding each leg for a count of ten.
3. SITTING CHEER JUMPS – This exercise is a variation of the Straddle Lifts, so it works your hip flexors,
but also engages your abdominal muscles, like a cheer jump in the air. Sitting in a straddle position,
back straight and toes pointed, hit a T motion with your arms. Count 5,6,7,8 and lift both legs up,
tightening your abs and hold that position for 1,2,3,4. Set them down on the next 5,6,7,8, and repeat.
Try 3 sets of 3 eight counts to begin with, building up to 4 sets of 4 eight counts.
4. SITTING TUCK-TOE TOUCHES – Balance, abdominals, explosion power and hip flexors are all key in this
exercise. Sitting in a tuck position with feet off the floor and arms in a dagger position, find your center
balance. Quickly explode your legs into the toe touch position, and bring them right back into the tuck
position without letting your feet hit the ground. This drill will take a couple times to find that center
balance, but it helps your body get the feeling of “sitting back” in your toe touches to rotate your hips
out and achieve that hyper-extended toe touch all cheerleaders dream about. Start with 3 sets of 5 toe
touches, and work up to 3 sets of 20 reps all in a row.
5. ABDOMINAL PARTNER LEG KICKS – Laying on your back place your head between your partner’s legs,
holding onto your partners ankles. Quickly lift both legs trying to hit your partner’s hands. The partner
will then push your legs forcefully toward the floor. Your job is to slow your feet down to a slow
controlled landing. Repeat for 15 lifts.