Creating Champions: A Close Up Look At Championship Living

Earning your buckle ain’t easy! Anyone that has ever been to a rodeo knows how tough it is. It takes a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and training to make it in this sport. Rodeo has come a long way over the years with competitors now viewing themselves as athletes. Training is more than just hopping on practice bulls or tossing the rope around a few times out back before dinner. Practice and conditioning are now both in the gym and in the arena. From strength to agility to injury prevention and flexibility there is so much that goes into a rodeo hopeful into a pro rodeo athlete.

So how exactly does one train to become a champion? To find out, I sat down with Doug and Logan of Championship Living Fitness who specialize in training top rodeo athletes. All the coaches on their staff, including Doug and Logan, have competed in the sport of rodeo and know what it takes to make it to that next level. Several of these current clients are competing in the pro rodeo circuit and if you are a rodeo fan you have probably cheered them on this season either from the stands or watching the Cowboy Channel at home.

Logan and Doug of Championship Fitness with Client Rusty

What Is Championship Living Exactly?

Meg: Tell us a bit more about what you guys do at Champion Living?

Doug: I started Champion Living Fitness based off the experiences I had been through after a career ending injury in the arena. I quickly realized there was a huge gap in care for rodeo athletes when it came to physical fitness, nutrition, and injury prevention.

Meg: How do you think that training, conditioning & nutrition has changed for rodeo athletes over the last 10-20 years?

Logan: Rodeo athletes have never taken treated themselves like professional athletes. “Drinkin’, lovin’, fightin’, cowboys” was the line from 8 seconds that comes to mind. Used to be the guy that won and was the least hungover. Now guys are warming up and working out, prepping meals in their camper or trailer, and getting FULL NIGHTS SLEEP.

Meg: What’s an big issue you see for rodeo athletes when it comes to training & conditioning?

Doug: The bottom line is athletes just didn’t know what to do in order to help themselves. We hope to end the days of crippled cowboys and short career spans and help Rodeo Athletes treat and prepare themselves as professional athletes, which is imperative for the growth of Rodeo and also has never happened until now.

Meg: What’s the best advice you would give to someone that wants to get serious & go pro?

Logan: INVEST IN YOURSELF! $15,000 – $20,000 is how much you’ll spend in entry fees in one year to make the NFR. Is that’s your goal, go to schools, hire a coach, buy good equipment. If you wanna make it to an elite level you have to invest in yourself!