Should Young Rodeo Athletes Strength Train During the Season?
Should Young Rodeo Athletes Strength Train During the Season?
Read this as a starting point for planning, not as a reason to add more work without looking at the athlete’s full week.
PROBLEM
One of the questions we get from parents is whether their young athlete should still be strength training once rodeo season starts.
> They've got school.
> Practice.
> Rodeos.
> Maybe another sport.
> Travel.
> Homework.
Now we're supposed to put workouts on top of that too?
Yes.
But the important word here is appropriately.
Training during the season shouldn't look exactly like training during a period with no competition. And a 13-year-old who's just learning how to train shouldn't be treated like a 22-year-old professional athlete.
> The goal isn't to see how much work we can pile onto a kid.
> The goal is development.
DIAGNOSIS
Strength Training Doesn't Mean Maxing Out
I think we need to clear this up first.
When parents hear "strength training," sometimes they picture a kid with a barbell on their back trying to squat as much weight as possible.
That's not what I'm talking about.
Especially with young athletes.
Good strength training starts with learning how to move.
Squat.
Hinge.
Push.
Pull.
Brace.
Carry.
Rotate and resist rotation.
Control your body on one leg.
Jump and land.
Sprint.
Then, as the athlete demonstrates good technique and becomes physically ready, we progressively add resistance and complexity.
The weight room should be a place where young athletes learn how to use their bodies.
> KEY STANDARD: Young athletes are not smaller professionals. They need age-appropriate training, appropriate supervision, and a progression based on their development and training history.
Why Strength Train If They're Already Riding?
Because riding and strength training have different jobs.
If your kid wants to become a better bull rider, they need to ride bulls.
If they want to become a better barrel racer, they need to ride.
If they want to become a better roper, they need to rope.
Sport practice develops sport skill.
Strength and conditioning develops physical qualities that support the athlete performing those skills.
Strength.
Power.
Coordination.
Body control.
Movement competency.
Work capacity.
The ability to produce and absorb force.
We aren't trying to replace arena time.
We're trying to build the athlete who goes into the arena.
The Season Changes the Dose
This is where good programming matters.
If an athlete has a huge rodeo weekend coming up, I'm probably not going to bury their legs with a massive workout on Thursday.
That's common sense.
But the opposite approach doesn't make much sense either:
> "Rodeo started, so we'll stop strength training for the next six months."
Physical qualities need continued exposure if we want to develop and maintain them.
Instead, we adjust the dose.
A busy competition week might mean less volume.
A lighter competition period might give us an opportunity to push training a little more.
If the athlete is dealing with a lot of school stress, poor sleep, another sport and rodeo at the same time, we may need to adjust again.
Training exists inside the athlete's life.
The program has to account for that.
More Isn't Better
This is especially important for parents.
Your kid does not get bonus points for being exhausted all the time.
We need to stop treating fatigue as proof that a training program is working.
A young athlete might have rodeo practice, basketball practice, two strength sessions, PE class, school, homework and a competition all within the same week.
That's a lot of stress.
The question isn't:
> "How much can we make them do?"
It's:
> "What amount of training helps this athlete develop while still allowing them to recover?"
Sometimes the best coaching decision is pushing.
Sometimes it's pulling back.
Both are coaching.
> RECOVERY STANDARD: You cannot consistently out-train poor recovery.
SOLUTION
What Should In-Season Training Look Like?
There's no single answer because age, training history, sport schedule, rodeo event and the individual athlete all matter.
But generally, I still want young rodeo athletes developing basic athletic qualities.
We're maintaining and building strength.
We're keeping some speed and power in the program.
We're addressing mobility where it's actually needed.
We're developing trunk control.
We're using single-leg work.
We're continuing to practice good movement.
And we're managing total training volume around competition.
The goal isn't to leave the gym destroyed.
> The goal is to leave better prepared.
Mobility work belongs before training, before competition, after travel, and on recovery days. The goal is not to chase the biggest possible range of motion. The goal is to help the athlete own the positions they need for their sport.
When competition is coming up, the athlete should also remember:
> Do not rise to the occasion. Fall back on your preparation.
And during heavy competition, the goal is to remain capable of performing, not to prove how fit the athlete is.
METHOD
Think Longer Than This Weekend
This is where I think parents can make a huge difference.
Junior high and high school rodeo matter.
I understand that.
Kids have goals. They want to qualify. They want to win. They want scholarships. They want to compete at the next level.
But we're also developing an athlete who could potentially compete for another 10, 15 or 20 years.
What we're teaching them now matters.
If they learn how to train correctly at 14, imagine what that foundation can look like at 18.
Then 22.
What In-Season Training Actually Looks Like: The Session and the Dial
Part One: Before You Plan the Week, Look at the Week
Before adding a strength session, write down everything already on the calendar.
Include:
School.
Rodeo practice.
Other sports.
Travel.
Homework.
Competition dates.
Any major family or work commitments.
Then place the two strength sessions into the week.
The hardest session should fall at least 48 hours before competition and never the day before.
Training is only useful if the athlete gets a chance to recover from it before they compete. A Thursday leg session before a Saturday rodeo is not development. It is damage with good intentions.
Start by looking at the week you actually have, not the week you wish you had.
Part Two: The In-Season Session
The general starting point is two sessions per week, roughly 30 minutes each, on top of riding and the rest of the athlete's life.
The sessions should be age-appropriate and supervised. Use light to moderate loads, prioritize technique, and keep the athlete well away from failure.
Begin with a short dynamic warm-up using the RAMP system:
Raise the body temperature.
Activate the muscles and positions needed for the session.
Mobilise through the ranges the athlete needs to own.
Potentiate with a few faster, more explosive movements before training.
The first explosive effort should never happen when the gate opens. The athlete should have already prepared the positions, patterns and intent they need before competition begins.
1. Goblet Squat or Trap Bar Deadlift
3 sets of 5
This keeps strength and the squat and hinge positions during the season at low enough volume that it does not leave the athlete sore going into a weekend.
This is maintenance and development, not a test.
2. Split Squat or Reverse Lunge
2 sets of 6 per side
This builds single-leg strength and gives you an honest left-versus-right check.
The side that is behind is the side that shows up as a knee or hip complaint in August.
3. Push-Up or Press
3 sets of 6 to 8
This develops pressing strength with a braced trunk, and it is one of the easiest qualities to hold on to with very little volume.
4. Row or Pull-Up
3 sets of 8
This develops upper-back strength and posture.
That is what keeps a young athlete organised under fatigue late in a long weekend, and it offsets truck and phone time.
5. Pallof Press or Dead Bug
2 to 3 sets
This develops trunk control.
This is the quality that keeps the ribs and hips together when the animal or the ground moves first.
6. Calf Raise or Ankle Work
2 sets of 10
Ankles and feet set the position for everything above them and take repeated stress in the arena.
This work is simple, but simple does not mean unimportant.
7. Short Power Work
3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 jumps or light medicine ball throws
This keeps speed and power in the program.
Explosive work is low volume and recovers much faster than grinding strength volume, which is exactly why it belongs in-season and heavy volume does not.
Keep the movements crisp. Stop when the quality drops.
8. Short Conditioning
4 to 6 efforts of 10 to 15 seconds with full recovery
This matches the actual demand of rodeo, which is repeated short high-intensity output with rest between efforts, not long steady work.
The goal is quality output, not turning the session into punishment.
Progression During the Season
In-season, hold the load and keep technique clean.
> Add reps before load.
Do not increase weight simply because the athlete feels good one day. Let the athlete demonstrate consistent movement quality first.
The priority is to maintain and develop the physical qualities that support competition without creating unnecessary soreness or fatigue.
Supervision and Age Matter
Young athletes are not smaller professionals.
Training should be:
Age-appropriate.
Supervised.
Adjusted for the athlete's development and training history.
Focused on technique and quality before intensity.
Modified around rodeo, school, travel and other sport demands.
Anything painful gets assessed rather than trained through.
Persistent, worsening or injury-associated pain is not something to diagnose through a workout plan. It should be evaluated by an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Part Three: The Dial
This is the practical answer to the whole article.
You do not need the same training week every week. Turn the volume up or down depending on what the athlete is already carrying.
Big Competition Weekend
Use two short sessions.
Place one early in the week. Keep the other to trunk and mobility work only.
Cut the conditioning.
The goal is to arrive at the competition prepared, not carrying extra fatigue from the gym.
Lighter Competition Period
Keep both sessions.
If the athlete is recovering well and the schedule allows it, add one or two sets to the main lifts.
This is where you may have a little more room to build strength without burying the athlete before competition.
Heavy School Week, Bad Sleep, or a Second Sport in Season
Drop to one full session plus mobility.
One session done is better than two planned and skipped.
The plan has to work inside the athlete's life. If the athlete is sleeping poorly, carrying a heavy school load or competing in another sport, the dose needs to reflect that.
The Athlete Is Sore, Flat, or Not Enjoying It
Pull back before you push.
Check sleep and food first.
An athlete who is constantly sore, unusually flat, or losing interest may be carrying more total stress than the program accounts for. That is a signal to look at the whole week, not simply demand more effort.
> KEY STANDARD: The goal is not to leave the gym destroyed. The goal is to leave better prepared.
Strength training shouldn't compete with rodeo.
Done correctly, it should support it.
The season doesn't mean we stop developing the athlete.
It means we get smarter about how we do it.
COACHING INTRODUCTION
If you want your athlete's in-season training planned properly instead of guessed at, get started with Champion Living Fitness.
Additional Resources
Educational Disclaimer
This material is an educational resource and is not a substitute for professional medical, physiotherapy, nutrition, or mental-health advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition.
Young athletes should train under appropriate supervision with programming adjusted for their age, development, training history, and total sport demands. Persistent, worsening, or injury-associated pain should be evaluated by an appropriately qualified healthcare professional before the athlete continues training.
Australian Athlete Notice
Athletes competing in Australia are responsible for understanding and following applicable anti-doping rules. Check all medications and supplements through Sport Integrity Australia, and use independently tested products whenever possible.
