Many people do not consider cheer leading a sport. Make no mistake, it is! ESPN hosts a national cheering competition each year, showcasing the best of the best in cheer leading. In order to have a shot at this amazing experience, your entire squad will need to focus on sports performance for cheerleading.

The best way to start improving sports performance for cheerleading is to work out together as a group. Hit the gym or your school's weight room as a team. Keep each other motivated, spot each other on the weights, and improve your overall strength together. You will need to focus on full body conditioning in order to be successful in cheer leading. Upper body strength is required for stunts and pyramids, while leg strength is also important to prevent injury. Work out all your muscles for several repetitions every other day.

You should intersperse this strength training with aerobic exercise. You should be performing at least three hundred minutes of aerobic exercise each week. This is about one hour a day every other day. Again, plan the exercise as part of your regular cheer leading practice so that the entire group participates. An aerobics instructor may be helpful for your team. You can usually hire an aerobics instructor to come in three times a week. Alternatively, as a team you can take an aerobics class.

Diet and nutrition are also important to success in sports performance for cheerleading. Your entire team should be on a high protein, low fat, low carb diet. Support each other in this endeavor and hold each other accountable. This does not mean you can't have any pizza or chocolate, it just means that you have to take these foods in small quantities. You might also consider nutritional supplements that help burn fat and promote building muscle.

One option to assist in improving sports performance for cheerleading is to hire a personal trainer for your team. The personal trainer can help you get into shape and maintain lean muscle mass. He or she will keep you and your team motivated so that you can be successful in competitions. This is not as expensive as you might think. If the entire team chips in, you can easily pay for a personal trainer. Alternatively, you could hold a car wash or similar fundraiser to raise the money for the trainer during the cheering season.

Another option is to attend cheer camp. Cheer camps are designed to help you train your team further for competition. They are usually held over the summer months, and last six to eight weeks. These camps will better prepare you for competing in regional or national cheer competitions. They will give you the chance to see what other squads are doing, and improve sports performance for cheerleading.