Exercise #1: Levers
Goal: Help the athlete with leg pain during tumbling.
Objective: Increase the overall strength of the athlete’s legs.
Description: Use leg lifts to help strengthen the athlete’s legs.
Equipment: None or small weights
Reps: 3 x 10 (each leg) Time: 10 – 15 minutes
Step 1: Have the athlete stand on one leg with their other leg in the air behind them and their hands in front of them hanging down holding a lightweight or nothing with hands together.
Step 2: While maintaining a straight leg, the athlete will lean over to touch the ground with their hands (or as close as they can get), then stand back up and repeat. This exercise needs to be done on both legs until the athlete does the desired number of reps and sets.
Things to Watch for: Have the athlete try to keep the leg they are balancing on as straight as possible. Also, make sure the athlete tries to only use the one leg when bending over and standing up so they engage the correct leg muscles.
Skills This Helps: All tumbling
Challenge Yourself: Increase the number of reps and sets.
Video of Exercise: https://youtu.be/b3Otph1O9ao
Exercise #2: Frog Jumps
Goal: Help the athlete increase the functionality of their leg muscles.
Objective: Increase the overall strength of the leg muscles.
Description: The athlete will use specialized jumps to increase the overall strength of their legs.
Equipment: None
Reps: 3 x 10 Time: 10 – 15 minutes
Step 1: Athletes will place feet shoulder width apart and lower themselves down into a deep squat where their hands can touch the ground.
Step 2: From there the athlete will jump as high as they can in the air while reaching for the ceiling.
Step 3: Repeat the process until the athlete reaches the desired number of reps.
Things to Watch for: Make sure when the athlete squats down that they lower their bottom as low to the ground as it will go. Whenever the athlete goes to jump in the air they need to jump until their legs straighten.
Skills This Helps: All power tumbling
Challenge Yourself: Increase the number of reps and sets.
Video of Exercise: https://youtu.be/W1wq3DNWi-0
