7 things that gymnasts and cheerleaders do totally differently by Sara Fanous

7 things that gymnasts and cheerleaders do totally differently

1. Arm positions.

-Gymnasts land skills with their arms up.

-Cheerleaders land skills with their arms down.

2. Posture.

-Gymnasts throw their chin, shoulders, and chest up at the end of skills.

-Cheerleaders land with their chins down and arms by their side.

3. The name and form of this position.

-Gymnasts call these jumps "Straddle Jumps" and throw their arms up.

-Cheerleaders call these jumps "Toe-Touches" and punch down.

4. Hand positions.

-Gymnasts' hands are inspired by ballet.

-Cheerleaders' hands are balled in fists.

5. Choreography.

-Gymnasts dance in a variety of styles. Nastia Liukin, for example, was famous for her sharp but graceful movements.

-Cheerleaders dance in staccato, high-energy choreography.

6. The order of skills.

-Gymnasts typically flip, then jump.

-Cheerleaders typically jump, then flip.

7. Their fulls (back layout with a full twist) look totally different.

-Gymnasts usually do fulls at the end of tumbling passes - almost never from standing.

-Cheerleaders sometimes do fulls from standing - wich is hard (no momentum to build off of) - so their knees sometimes turn inwards as they jump or come apart in the air.