12/22/2025
In my experience, a lot of NFL cheerleaders shy away from strength training because they’re afraid of “getting bulky” and/or losing flexibility. After almost 4 years of training together, and now being one of my strongest clients, pretty clearly proves that fear is unwarranted.
While we didn’t track body fat percentage or measurements, the changes are easy to see.
What I love about this is that she got a lot stronger without gaining size. What’s different now is muscle quality.
-significantly more definition and shape through her glutes and legs
-Stronger hamstrings and adductors, giving her better control, cleaner lines, and more stability in single-leg positions
-More upper-body and shoulder strength that improves posture, arm placement, and overall presence
-A crazy strong core which shows up in better balance, sharper transitions, and more control through jumps and landings
And absolutely none of this came from chasing any type of look.
It came from focusing on getting stronger over time. Doing the same moves over and over every week till she was sick of them. Training through full ranges of motion. Progressively loading. Using unilateral work. Pairing strength training with mobility instead of avoiding it.
She didn’t get bulky. She didn’t lose flexibility. She just became a lot stronger, more athletic, and more confident in how her body moves.
This is what strength training can look like for dancers when it’s done right.