3 STUNT Techniques to Master
For all-girl bases, poor technique is most often the root of many problems. More importantly, while poor technique can affect the quality of your stunts, it can also cause physical injury. So, if you want to improve your technique, and build your physical strength, just work on these three areas to enhance your physical strength, improve your technique, and help you become a better, stronger girl base.
Back-Up Your Back
While your back can often do much of the work on every stunt, most all-girl bases fail to use their legs enough. In fact, the legs are the strongest part of the human anatomy and, when used in concert with your torso muscles, are important during stunts.
To put your legs to work while taking the load off your back, remember to lock your legs and arms simultaneously when performing a stunt. Locking your legs before you lock your arms will likely shift the weight to your back. When performing a cradle, let your legs absorb the momentum of the top person and focus on keeping your back straight.
To further strengthen your legs, try exercises such as simple lunges or squats (with or without weights). Do crunches to build up your abs while also strengthening your torso. To strengthen your lower back muscles, lay flat on your stomach, place your arms around your head, and slowly raise up while simultaneously squeezing your lower back. Remember to perform three or four sets of each set of exercises, with each set consisting of 15 to 20 reps.
It’s All In The Wrist
If you frequently see your wrists and grips give out during stunts, it’s often because of poor positioning. Having your wrists and grips in an incorrect position can quickly lead to overexertion and fatigue.
To remedy wrist and grip weakness, start by making sure you’re in the right position for the stunt and work on strengthening them as well. Simply squeezing a tennis ball is an easy way to build wrist and grip strength. You can also use squeezing grips and free weights to exercise and strengthen your wrists and forearms. Do 15 to 20 reps with each set and do each set three to four times.
Hold Up Your End
If you’re unable to hold a stunt once it’s up, it could be you as a base aren’t locking your arms or shrugging through your shoulders. By not locking your arms, you put more pressure on the rest of your body, which in turn saps your strength when you need it the most.
Instead, focus on locking out your arms and shrugging up through the shoulders to better distribute the pressure of the stunt on your body so that you can hold it longer.
To enhance your arm strength, do push-ups, handstand push-ups, and dips to strengthen your triceps. To build up your shoulder strength, use a weight bar for military presses and upright rows. Push through 15 to 20 reps on each set and perform three to four sets of each exercise.
If you’re having trouble mastering a stunt, using your back, or aren’t able to hold up a stunt, look at your technique. Use your legs, correct your wrist and grip position, and make sure to lock your arms and shrug through your shoulder during each stunt. And as you work to improve, remember that better technique will lead to stronger stunting.
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