Off-Season Reset: How Rodeo Athletes Can Rebuild Strength After a Long Season
Off-Season Reset: How Rodeo Athletes
Can Rebuild Strength After a Long Season
When the last ride of the season is done, most athletes hit one of two walls — total burnout or total shutdown.
You’ve been running hard all year, driving endless miles, living on adrenaline and convenience- store meals. Now your body’s beat up, your motivation’s low, and your training routine feels like a distant memory. But here’s the truth: what you do right now determines how you perform next season. This isn’t the time to check out — it’s the time to rebuild.
Phase 1: Recovery Before Rebuilding
You can’t rebuild a broken system. The first step for every rodeo athlete coming out of a long season isn’t to hit the weights — it’s to restore the body. That means:
● Prioritizing sleep (8+ hours minimum)
● Dialing in nutrition with real food and consistent hydration
● Getting daily movement — mobility, walking, light band work — instead of total rest
Think of it like changing the oil before a long haul. You can’t expect your engine to perform if you never clean out the junk. This phase usually lasts 2–3 weeks. During this time, the goal is simple:
✅ Move better
✅ Feel better
✅ Reduce inflammation and soreness
Phase 2: Mobility & Stability — The Foundation
Once the body starts feeling normal again, we go to work on the base — mobility and stability. The goal here is to restore full range of motion and rebuild control through every joint. Most rodeo athletes are tight in the same areas:
● Hips (from bracing and impact)
● Shoulders (from gripping, pulling, and twisting)
● Thoracic spine (from long drives and poor posture)
Slow, controlled mobility work is what sets the tone for quality movement in the next phase. You’re not just stretching — you’re retraining your body to move the way it was built to.
Phase 3: Strength Reload
After we’ve recovered and reestablished solid movement, now it’s time to lift. But not like mid-season conditioning — this is where we reload. We focus on:
● Tempo strength training (building control and tension)
● Unilateral movements (correcting left/right imbalances)
● Posterior chain work (glutes, hamstrings, low back — your power source)
The key is not maxing out. It’s rebuilding strength and stability through full ranges of motion, so when you hit the road again, your foundation is bulletproof. You should be moving heavier weights better, not just heavier.
Phase 4: Reignite the Engine
As you near the end of your off-season block, start layering back in:
● Power movements (explosive lifts, jumps, dynamic work)
● Conditioning circuits that mimic the intensity of competition
● Sport-specific drills (ride drills, grip endurance, balance work)
By the time spring rolls around, your body isn’t just recovered — it’s ready to perform.
Why Most Athletes Miss This Window
Most athletes either:
1. Do nothing — lose strength, mobility, and rhythm.
2. Do too much too soon — end up hurt or overtrained before winter’s over.
The best rodeo athletes treat the off-season like the NFL treats their preseason: it’s structured, intentional, and built around long-term performance. You don’t guess your way to a gold buckle — you plan your way there.
Ready to Rebuild & Reload?
That’s exactly why I built the Champion Living Fitness App. It’s designed specifically for rodeo athletes, whether you're coming off a long season or in the middle of the season we have options for you!
Here’s what you can expect on each program:
✅ 3–4 sessions per week
✅ Minimal equipment
✅ Tempo-based strength + mobility flows
✅ Perfect for home, gym, or on the road
If you’re ready to get your body back to 100% and start next season stronger than ever, I recommend starting with out mobility anywhere program and then progressing on to your event specific program! All event specific plans come with access to the mobility anywhere program!
Download the Champion Living Fitness App in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Its free to download and plans starting at 12.99/month!
