My latest article on Stack.com is one I wish I could go back in time and read to my former self. The summer after my senior year of high school, I heeded the advice of many coaches and college players who said that to get ready for college ball, I needed to hit the ground running.
So out I went, hitting the pavement and suffering through a few miles a day. Amidst all the huffing, puffing and brutally sore calves, I knew there had to be a better way. It wasn’t until winter break during my freshman year of college that I fell in love with lifting and started to reap the athletic benefits of getting bigger and stronger.
Once I ditched the jogging and opted for lots of sprints, jumps, squats and deadlifts, I noticed my bat speed, arm strength and power all improving. If it wasn’t for my conditioning, I never would have made it as a college baseball player. To be brutally honest, I had below average skills. My teammates will tell you that I was a strikeout hitter who occasionally hit for power. Learning to exercise the right way gave me a fighting chance to play the game I loved for an extra four years.
Unfortunately, old-school traditional baseball conditioning calls for players to jog for miles and run wind sprints until they keel over. Neither makes them better.
Baseball players require specific conditioning. To understand how players should condition, you have to understand the science behind how the body produces energy.
Check out the article and learn how to improve your power, conditioning and endurance on the baseball diamond.