FORT WORTH, Texas ― When Reese Cates and Chase Outlaw walked into a Sacramento, Calif., gym they had no idea what to expect.
Training is nothing new for professional bull riders.
However, in recent years it's gone from an anomaly to something that is far more commonplace, especially among riders who firmly think of themselves as professional athletes.
This particular gym was different though.
"Your body is going to fall apart if you're not training right."
Earlier this year, Cates and Outlaw spent the better part of an entire week training with Team Alpha Male, which is led by mixed martial arts superstars Urijah Faber and Chad Mendes, at the Ultimate Fitness gym to see what, if anything, they could implement into their own training regimens.
"I just want to get in shape," said Cates, who returned for a second week a little more than a month ago even though he didn't expect that fighting was a key component of the training process. Nevertheless, Cates enjoyed it and immediately joined a mixed martial arts gym back in Arkansas.
"It (was) definitely a blessing to get to go do this with these guys and get to go learn, not only learn about their sport, but also be around somebody that has been that successful in something so closely related to bull riding as far as mentally."
Faber was a WEC champion and is currently competing in the UFC. His next fight is in August.
The idea to train with Faber and Mendes came after Cates read Faber's book "The Laws of the Ring" and emailed him asking if he could spend a week at the gym.
"I realized that his mindset and the mindset of a professional bull rider are a lot alike." Cates said. "So that's what I'm most excited about, is getting to be around people who have the same mindset and the same goals and aspirations."
Reese Cates rides Tryantula for 84.25 during the first round
of the 2013 Fresno Built Ford Tough series PBR. Photo by Andy
Watson / BullStockMedia.com.
Faber contacted Brendon Clark, who he's known for several years, and invited both Arkansas natives to spend as much time as they liked training with his team. Mendes came to the Built Ford Tough Series event, in nearby Fresno, Calif., in March where Clark introduced him to the two riders.
Outlaw said he was less interested in actually fighting and more interested in training and working out.
"I didn't expect to get hit in the face," he joked.
The 21-year-old, who celebrates a birthday next week on June 26, was surprised to learn that part of their training regimen was, in fact, pairing up with another fighter. However, punches and kicks were supposed to be at 50 percent.
"Not too many people can say they stepped in the ring and sparred and trained with those guys," Outlaw said.
Training among bull riders is nothing new.
Going back to the late 60s and early 70s, Bobby Steiner was known for relentlessly training. The 1973 World Champion, who was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2005, turned pro at 16 and retired when he was only 22 years old. Six years later he came out of retirement for one event and was said to have looked every bit as good as he did when he was competing.
In the 80s and 90s, Jim Sharp and Ty Murray regularly trained.
Ty Murray discusses five things to look for in bull
riding.
However, among the current top riders, 2004 World Champion Mike Lee has been training throughout his career, while others like Kody Lostroh and Luke Snyder have transitioned to the gym in recent years.
Lostroh began regularly training after dealing with ongoing issues related to elbow injuries and Snyder resurrected his promising career in 2010 when he began not only training, but also participating in yoga and Pilates.
After seven years of finishing no better than 23rd in the world standings, Snyder has finished in 12th and 11th the past two years. He is currently ranked No. 16 again this year despite being 30 years old.
Nathan Schaper, who is one of the tallest riders in the PBR, grew up on a ranch in North Dakota and said he'd like to do more yoga and Pilates, but his options are limited in a small community like Grassy Butte. Instead the 22-year-old opted for a more conventional approach to staying in shape that also includes stretching.
"I train hard," said the 6-foot rider. "Your body is going to fall apart if you're not training right. I do strength training and cardio. I started working on a lot of flexibility."
Austin Meier and Ryan Dirteater began intense workouts back in 2009.
Meier went from finishing 42nd and 28th in 2007 and 2008 respectively, to four straight Top 10 finishes. Pistol Robinson, Jarod Craig and Markus Mariluch all rehabbed together in Burleson, Texas, and used CrossFit training to prepare for their return to competition.
Robinson's best friend, Harve Stewart, was recently cleared to begin training after injuring his kidney.
Several of the Brazilian riders living in the Decatur, Texas, area train three times a week with Wendell Berry, who also happens to be a committee member for the annual J.W. Hart PBR Bull Riding Challenge, when they're not competing in South America.
Robson Palermo attempts to ride Captain during the first round
of the Kansas City Built Ford Tough series PBR. Photo by Andy
Watson / BullStockMedia.com.
Speaking of Brazilians, Robson Palermo is expected to travel to Riverside, Calif., in early August, where he'll spend two months training with acclaimed mixed martial arts trainer Jesse Marquez.
Marquez, who is also a Southern California police officer, is credited with having gotten Ty Murray in shape after the nine-time world champion injured both of his knees and shoulders.
Murray chronicled his experience with Marquez in his 2007 autobiography "King of the Cowboys," which he co-wrote with author Steve Eubanks.
Palermo joked that Marquez recently told him to prepare for hell.
Although Clark has never trained with Marquez, like Cates, he has trained at Ultimate Fitness with Faber and Mendes.
The veteran rider, who announced he would retire at the conclusion of this year's World Finals, said training is as mental as it is physical. He said the motivation has as much to do with building confidence as it does strength and flexibility.
It's about more than simply training.
It's about preparing to win.
"(Mendes) trains with guys that are equally as good as him in their weight divisions," Clark said. "They push each other, they train each other and they help each other to get better every single day."
"The only difference between their mindset going into and ours is that they have a team and coaches and a support system," Cates said. "But it's the same; whenever they step in the ring they're on their own just like when we step in the arena we're on our own."
Follow Keith Ryan Cartwright on Twitter @PBR_KRC.