The Effects of a 16-Week Periodized Resistance Training Program on the Strength, Power, and Body Composition of Elite Collegiate Cheerleaders

This study examined the effects of a 16-week periodized resistance training program on the strength, power, and body composition of elite collegiate cheerleaders. Thirteen female athletes from a nationally top-ranked university team completed a structured program comprising hypertrophy and strength/power phases. Performance testing at pre-, mid-, and post-intervention included one-repetition maximum (1RM) assessments for the front squat, power clean, and shoulder press, as well as measurements of body mass, lean body mass, and body fat percentage. All strength measures improved significantly across the intervention (front squat: +14.0%, power clean: +17.7%, and shoulder press: +18.3%). Body fat percentage decreased by 6.7%, and lean body mass increased by 2.6%, while total body mass remained statistically unchanged. These results demonstrate that periodized resistance training can elicit meaningful improvements in performance and body composition without increases in body mass. Moreover, the final post-intervention 1RM values—1.43× body mass for the front squat, 1.11× for the power clean, and 0.73× for the shoulder press—offer preliminary benchmarks for the strength performance of high-level collegiate cheerleaders.