text: To have a good chance of making your cheerleading squad (at any level), your first order of business must be to get in good shape. While it may not be obvious that cheerleading involves an awful lot of work, over the course of a game or a competitive routine, cheerleaders require enormous cardiovascular stamina and a good deal of strength. Before you try out, follow our pointers to develop the most important physical aspects of the activity. \nStamina\nStrength\nFlexibility\n\nStamina\n\nPerhaps the key physical requirement for cheerleading is stamina. When performing a competitive routine, you will expend an enormous amount of energy; but well before any competition, cheerleaders will practice their routines countless times, over and over. To practice at this kind of level - which is crucial to developing the necessary precision -- you will have to be in great aerobic shape.\n\nThere are a number of things you can do to improve your endurance, but perhaps the best is to participate in a sport. Training for training's sake is very difficult to do, but taking part in a fun game is much easier. So while you can take up jogging or suffering through the Stairmaster, organized athletics are a great option too. Soccer and basketball are excellent team sports that will get you in great shape pretty quickly. Sports like racquetball, tennis, and squash can also be quite demanding, if you play against strong competition. If you take the easy way out, you're only hurting your own chances, so be sure to push yourself a little no matter what activity you choose.\n\nWhen you have chosen an aerobic activity, begin by training for around 30 minutes a day, three days a week. You won't get in great shape in a few days, but killing yourself at the start won't help either. Choose a manageable regimen like we have below, focusing on increasing the amount of time you train each week. To start, try a program such as this:\n\nTime Activity Frequency \n30 minutes Light jogging or energetic walking. Twice during the week & once on the weekend. \n\nWork toward but don't go beyond:\n\nTime Activity Frequency \nOne hour Stairmaster, treadmill, or organized sports. Three times during the week & twice on the weekend. \n\nUltimately, your stamina will allow you to coast through the rigors of tumbling runs, elaborate lifts, and frenetic dance routines.\n\nStrength\n\nAn often overlooked asset to any cheerleader is strength. Whether you are a base, whose job is to lift other cheerleaders and to support pyramids, or a flyer, who climbs atop these constructions, you'll need to be able to lift yourself and others into the air. Top-flight cheerleaders are built much like Olympic gymnasts, with powerful lower bodies for tumbling and jumping.\n\nThe best way to add strength training to your workout regimen is by incorporating modest weights. So, for instance, if you spend time on the Stairmaster or jogging, consider holding light free weights in your hands. Even small amounts of weight will add muscle to your arms when you add this resistance over a high number of repetitions. Do not, however, add weights to your feet, ankles, or legs during aerobic exercise, as these can place injurious strain on your important supporting joints. The best way to add strength to your lower body is to perform targeted and individual repetitions on weight machines. \n\nThese days, every decent gym has several machines designed solely to strengthen the lower body. Work this equipment into your routine, but concentrate on controlled movements during your workout. Adding a ton of weight, but then swinging it around with momentum is not going to help. Choose a lighter weight that you can slowly and carefully raise and lower; this will provide the resistance training most beneficial for cheerleading.\n\nStrength training is particularly important for male cheerleaders, as they are usually the ones lifting people onto their shoulders or tossing people into the air. B