Why Basing Skills Are the Foundation of Stunting

Basing is one of the most physically demanding positions in cheerleading. As a base, you are responsible for lifting, holding, and safely catching a flyer — often above your head. Strong basing skills require a combination of leg strength, arm and shoulder endurance, core stability, timing, and communication. While some basing skills can only be practiced with a full stunt group, there are many techniques and conditioning exercises you can work on at home to become a stronger, more reliable base.

Essential Base Strength

Bases need strength in specific areas to perform their role safely and effectively:

• Leg strength: Squats, lunges, and wall sits build the leg power needed to load and press flyers overhead. Strong legs are the foundation of every stunt.
• Shoulder and arm strength: Overhead presses, push-ups, and dips build the pushing strength needed to extend stunts and hold them steady overhead.
• Core stability: Planks, hollow body holds, and anti-rotation exercises create the stable platform that keeps stunts from wobbling.
• Grip strength: Farmer carries, dead hangs, and wrist curls build the grip endurance needed to hold a flyer ankles securely throughout a routine.

Home Exercises for Bases

Perform these exercises 3-4 times per week:

• Overhead press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps with dumbbells or a backpack. This directly simulates pressing a flyer from prep to extension.
• Squat to overhead press: 3 sets of 10. Combines the dip-and-drive of a stunt load with the press overhead.
• Wall sit with arms overhead: 3 sets of 30 seconds. Simulates holding an extended stunt — legs burning, arms locked.
• Push-up to plank reach: 3 sets of 10. Push up, then reach one arm forward. This builds the shoulder stability needed for one-arm stunting situations.
• Wrist curls and reverse wrist curls: 3 sets of 15 each. Strong wrists prevent the wrist injuries common in basing.

Loaded Movement Training

Loaded movements mimic the dynamic nature of stunting:

• Goblet squats: Hold a weight at chest level and squat. This trains the exact position bases use during the load phase of a stunt.
• Step-ups with weight: Step up onto a platform while holding a weight overhead. This builds unilateral leg strength and balance while the arms are extended — exactly what bases need.
• Lunge with overhead hold: Hold a weight overhead while doing walking lunges. This trains the full-body coordination of stunting.
• Bear crawls: Move on hands and feet with hips high. This builds shoulder stability, core strength, and coordination simultaneously.

Technique Tips for Bases

Strength alone does not make a great base. Technique matters just as much:

• Eyes on the flyer: Always keep your eyes focused on the flyer, never look down or away. Your visual connection helps you react to balance changes instantly.
• Legs before arms: The power for every stunt comes from your legs, not your arms. Dip with your legs and drive upward — your arms guide and lock, they do not push.
• Stay underneath: Keep your body positioned directly under the flyer. Stepping out from underneath makes the stunt harder to control.
• Locked arms: Once the stunt is at extension, your arms should be fully locked. Bent arms fatigue quickly and make the stunt unstable.

Communication and Timing

Great bases communicate clearly:

• Call counts out loud — consistent counts mean consistent timing
• Tell your flyer when you are ready before loading
• Communicate if you feel the stunt drifting
• Provide feedback after each stunt — what felt right, what needs adjustment

Conclusion

Strong basing skills are built through targeted strength training, proper technique, and consistent practice. Work on these home exercises and technique tips regularly, and you will become the rock-solid base every stunt group needs. For more training advice, check out our guides on strength training, hitting stunts consistently, and home conditioning workouts.