Daily Grind

Daily Grind: Tumbling Through a Day in the Life of a DI Male Cheerleader

By Nicholus Landreth|Updated on June 27, 2023 (originally published on December 22, 2021)

Daily Grind columns are are posted every Wednesday to provide an introduction into a day in the life of a college athlete and an example of time management skills.

I'm sure you could guess that there is nothing more prestigious or rewarding than being a male cheerleader. Right? Well, maybe not. The girls are the center of attention. Everything we do is for them to look good and be successful. With that being said, it takes a lot of effort and time to be physically able to manipulate your body positioning as well as someone else's while stunting or tumbling. My name is Nich Landreth, and I'll be taking you through a typical day of mine at the University of Cincinnati and show you what it takes to do what I do.

5:30-6:45 am
My day starts with a blaring alarm at 5:30 to get to lifting by 6. Our lifts only last for about 45 minutes, but are very fast paced to ensure we are in peak condition. We focus mostly on strengthening our hips and shoulders because it is critical for us to be sturdy bases.

6:45-8 am
After lifting, I go home to shower and get some breakfast. My breakfast is usually eggs and/or a protein bar/shake. It's generally pretty light because I don't have a lot of time between lifting and class, so I keep it quick and simple while still keeping it high in protein to help my muscles recover after a lift.

Related: Dorm-Friendly Protein Oatmeal

8-10:00am
My First two classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are back to back. Being a marketing major, most of my classes involve business or an aspect within the business, such as management or consumer behavior. This means that I'm usually in the Lindner College of Business for the better part of my day.

10am-2:20pm
After my first two classes, I have a break. This break isn't very long, so I usually stay on campus and nap in the locker room. I always keep a protein bar on me, so I'll find time to munch on that either walking to class or in class (when I feel like a crackling wrapper won't be too distracting).

2:20-6pm
After my classes are over for the day, I head home to fix some lunch. This meal always varies for me and honestly consists of whatever I'm craving that day. An example would be about 6oz of chicken, rice, an apple, and a salad. After my meal, my roommates and I usually watch ESPN and do homework in the living room.

6-9pm
The team will meet in either the armory fieldhouse or Nippert Stadium to practice. Practice consists of the two squads splitting up (red squad and black squad) and working on their specific skills. These skills consist of stunting, pyramids, tumbling, and game day cheers. It's always important to practice these skills even once you've become comfortable doing them because there is always room for improvement, and we switch partners almost weekly and every person stunts drastically different.

9-12pm
After practice, I head home and fix dinner. I'm always beat after practice, so I load up on my carbs for the day directly after. I may make spaghetti or throw together some leftover food that needs to be eaten. This is always my favorite meal of the day because I don't have to worry about being bloated before practice, so I'm free to eat whatever I want. After eating, I'll sit around with my roommates to do homework or watch tv again while doing homework until I decide it's time for bed so I can do it all again!