Workouts: mechanical bull riding

No— this is not a joke. If you've ever tried riding a mechanical bull, you can sympathize with me on this.  Over spring break, my parents took me to the Travaasa Spa in Austin for my birthday. The grounds were incredibly calming, rustic, and peaceful with various visitors like myself sporting yoga pants and tennis shoes. Along with the amazing environment, they served the most spectacular food. I could dedicate this entire post to the amazing meals I ate while I was there, but instead, I'd like to share my experience with one of the more unique fitness classes they offered.

(Before the moon-bounce barrier was
completely blown up)

Growing up in Texas, I've seen plenty of people give their best shot at riding the mechanical bull, but I never realized how much of a workout it could be! It's no wonder the spa has a mechanical bull riding fitness class.

Before hopping onto the bull, instructor Ivonete Carothers prepped the class on breathing techniques and movements to use when on the bull. While sitting on a stability ball, we were instructed to keep our spines elongated with a natural arch in our backs, being careful not to flatten or round them. When breathing in, we were to emphasize elevating the chest as well as the curve in our lower back and when breathing out to lessen the curve by engaging the pelvic muscles and abs. (To create a clearer picture, imagine driving your tail bone through your spine and going all the way up to your head, as if being pulled on by a string.) We were also advised to move our hip to the right side when the bull swung left and to the left side when being swung right.

To stabilize ourselves, we were told to squeeze either side of the bull with our inner thighs while using one hand to hold onto the rope provided at its neck. Our free hand was to be held up in the air to aid in further stabilization (I'd always wondered why cowboys did that). After learning the techniques, I felt more than ready to put them to work on my new mechanical workout partner.

As it turned out, my partner and I didn't get along so well. I know this because he was quick to throw me off. Perhaps I needed a bit more preparation; focusing on my breathing and back's arch became a bit of a challenge when I also had to worry about not getting catapulted off the bull. Needless to say, I now have an inordinate amount of respect for anyone who can stay on the crazy machine for even a few minutes. After being bucked off exactly three times onto the moon-bounce barrier that surrounded the bull from all sides, I could very well feel the soreness in my thighs... and my abs got a pretty good workout, too.

Ivonete demonstrating the stability ball exercise

Unfortunately, mechanical bulls happen to be a rather pricey form of exercise equipment, but luckily you can get a similar workout from a stability ball!

Laying down with your back, head, and shoulders against the floor and keeping a natural curve to your lower back, create a 90 degree angle with your legs (like a tabletop) and place the stability ball between them. With your core activated, keep your spine flat on the floor and move the ball to the left, then come up and return to center while lowering your back into place again. Repeat this move going to the right and you've got one rep down. Be sure to only move the ball down as far as you can go without losing stability in your spine.

Ivonete recommends 2-3 sets of 10 reps, but you can increase or decrease the reps according to your ability to maintain your spine's stability. "Do as many as you can with the proper form; quality of movement is more important than quantity", says Ivontete. She also stresses the importance of keeping the spine's natural curve.

Even though this routine won't provide the same experience as riding a mechanical bull, you can still work the same muscles! If you plan on riding a mechanical bull anytime soon, or perhaps in the distant future, I recommend getting started on this exercise now.