MCKINNEY, Texas ― It took less than an 8-second bull ride for Lance Walker to see the athleticism of a professional bull rider.
Walker, who is a business associate of four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson, is the performance director of Michael Johnson Performance.
Walker was eager to schedule a meeting with PBR executives five seconds into watching clips on YouTube, but, truth be told, before he and Johnson even met with PBR Chairman and CEO Jim Haworth and COO Sean Gleason he was already anxious to begin developing a training program for bull riders using his facility’s sports science resources.
The initial meeting, which took place the day before Thanksgiving, only solidified that working with PBR athletes fits right in line with his mantra of lining up and being the best in the world.
Michael Johnson Performance, which has a facility in McKinney, Texas, is home to one of only two Nike Sports Science Labs in the entire world.
Jory Markiss and Matt Triplett underwent an intense pre-evaluation earlier this week, where Walker “took a look under the hood” to see just how they’re physically made up. The two young riders – both of whom qualified for their first trip to Las Vegas to compete in the World Finals this past October – spent three hours with Walker and several members of his staff taking an in-depth series of measurements along with testing their flexibility and strength among other things.
Walker explained that Michael Johnson Performance is not simply about fitness, it’s about sports science.
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When asked what benefit the performance facility expects to have by reaching out to the PBR and undertaking a new project, the veteran fitness expert, who works with over 50 athletes from the NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA and other sports, listed three important factors.
To start with, he explained that a major partner of Michael Johnson Performance is Nike and that the brand has been extreme innovators. Walker said he and Johnson admire their ability to continually challenge themselves and that bull riding is “an innovative frontier for me.”
He also explained that he’s learned “unbelievable things” from working with bobsledders the past three years and that his work with ballet dancers has helped with some off-season training for soccer players. He expects the same to be true for bull riders.
“It’s completely selfish,” Walker said. “I’m going to learn from this experiment things that are going to help my other athletes improve. I have no doubt. It happens every time.”
He also hopes the partnership helps provide an opportunity to tell the Michael Johnson Performance story on a national and international level.
In the past, Walker said they got too focused on working with traditional athletes and that working with the PBR will help to showcase their range.
Jory Markiss puts up 92.25 points on I’m A Gangster Too at the 15/15 Bucking Battle in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Walker said that showcasing their ability to work with a wide range of athletes will only serve to help them better tell their story to the mass public.
He likened the project to working with BMX racers and other extreme sport athletes. Though he’s never worked with bull riders, after one afternoon examining them, Walker said he saw elements of baseball players, collegiate athletes and, of course, NFL players dealing with collisions and golfers, who need to replicate one action at an elite level with one side of their body.
In the coming weeks Walker said they’ll begin measuring visual senses and consulting a psychological expert to enhance their mental approach to the sport.
While he readily admits he has a lot to learn, Walker needed only a few YouTube clips to observe, “It seems like there’s an arms race here. The bulls are getting more athletic. Are our guys getting more athletic?”
Like other athletes, Markiss and Triplett will learn to “maximize the moment.”
RELATED: Matt Triplett puts forth impressive performance at World Finals
“The mentality from good to great,” Walker said, “that’s the switch that will be flipped on for these two guys.”
Walker is now putting together a macro cycle set up – a step in the process known as periodization – in which he’s identified the 2014 World Finals as an obvious choice to reach their year-end goals. He’ll then plan their training schedule working backward to today.
He understands that adjustments will have to be made as the season unfolds, especially as the riders contend and deal with injuries and travel schedules along the way.
“A guy like Jory, he’s raw. He’s literally raw. He has a chance to see major gains very, very fast,” said Walker.
He added that within six, eight, 12 weeks Markiss and Triplett have an opportunity to see major improvements.
Will those physical gains make for major improvements on a bull?
“I don’t know,” said Walker, who added the project can only be success if everyone involved relies on brutal honesty with one another.
He then explained that if Michael Johnson Performance is able to make the riders better physically, “It has to at least set you up to be better, right?”
In the coming weeks, PBR.com will not only chronicle Markiss and Triplett’s experience, but will also explore the world of sports science with Walker and his staff through opportunities like blogs, diaries and videos.
Follow Keith Ryan Cartwright on Twitter @PBR_KRC