Workout Like a Redskins Cheerleader

Workout Like a Redskins Cheerleader

What’s the number one piece of workout equipment? If you ask Chase McKesey, head strength coach for the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders and founder of Trophy-Body Personal Training, the answer is resistance bands. “The possibilities with resistance bands are endless for anyone from novice to pro athlete; youth to senior citizens. Tack on the fact that they fit in your pocket and cost less than a Starbucks drink; you can see why they’re the one piece of equipment that everyone should own,” says McKesey. Affordability and convenience make resistance bands appealing but McKesey attributes their crown as king of exercise equipment to a trio of their capabilities: preventing injury, defying gravity and inspiring children’s books.  The MightyMeals team caught up with McKesey at a recent Redskins Cheerleading workout to see his philosophy in action and, of course, provide some delicious food. The workout started with what Mckesey called “PRE-Hab”; exercises used to prevent injury and prepare the body for optimal performance. The focus was predominantly on targeting smaller synergist muscles that stabilize the hip joint; muscles otherwise hard to isolate without the help of a mini-band. “Bands are one of the best tools we have to help set ourselves up for a safe and effective workout or performance.” 

Resistance Band Moves for a Trophy Body

Try out the resistance band warm-up the Redskins Cheerleaders completed: 3 Rounds:

1. Marching Planks x 10
2. Monster Walks to Jump Squats x 8
3. Lateral Walks x 10 ea. direction
4. Banded Bridges x 10

Bands don’t stop at the warm-up, they provide a unique resistance for the workout itself. “With a dumbbell, a bar, or body weight, the resistance provided relies heavily on working against gravity. Bands provide their own resistance and can keep tension on the desired muscle during the exercise’s entire range of motion,” said McKesey.  Try out the strength-focused resistance band workouts the Redskins Cheerleaders completed: 3 Rounds:

1. Banded Chest Press x 10
2. Banded Hold to Row x 10 sec + 10 reps
3. Anti-Rotation Press x 10 ea. Side
4. Banded Hip Extension x 10

Even more so than the above reasons, the versatility and convenience of the resistance bands are what really stood out as McKesey and his partners, William Cole of Gym Jonez Global and Brandon Allen of FITDC, rounded out their hour-long session with a cool down. McKesey said he often jokes with his clients about writing a book titled “Green Eggs and Bands” as bands make a quality workout possible anytime, anywhere, with anything.  To make a long story short, bands are where quality meets convenience; something MightyMeals has hung its apron on since the beginning. Nothing completes a great workout like a healthy, fulfilling post-workout meal! MightyMeals provided healthy, post-workout meals to the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders at their official workout at FedEx Field. The Washington Redskins Cheerleaders enjoyed MightyMeals’ Peruvian Rubbed Chicken, a mixed green salad and sofritos. 

Chase’s Favorite MightyMeal: Shredded Buffalo Chicken  About Trophy-Body: Trophy-Body Personal Training is focused on empowering individuals to better their relationship with their health. Through discipline and fortitude, all obstacles can be overcome to become a stronger, better, more confident version of yourself. Like a trophy, these things are earned; not given. Connect with Chase on Instagram to learn more!