Posted by: The Hitting Guru () on Fri Jan 26 22:02:23 2007

> > > It goes without saying that any top quality athlete should be in shape. And that
> combines cardio as well as weights. Over time so many players realize too late that they
> should have taken better care of themselves.
> >
> > Its true that a certain amount of cardiovascular endurance would benefit an athelete in
> that 1) it would help them stay fresh in the late innings 2) it would help them stay fresh
> late in the season and 3) it might help them avoid injuries. But as for strength/power,
> running for endurance does nothing for you. Strength comes from the intensity of a
> workout, not the volume. Baseball is an anaerobic game that requires mostly short bursts
> of all-out activity, not sustained submaximal effort (most runs in game situations are less
> than 5 seconds in duration). As a rule, if you can run a mile in 7 minutes your aerobic
> fitness should be sufficient for baseball. The player would benefit more from a
> weightlifting routine that focuses on strength and power instead of a program that
> emphasizes endurance.
>
> Tarheel,
>
> You couldn't be more wrong. The ability to be consistent is the most wanted characteristic
> that managers and coaches look for and want in a hitter. If a hitter hits 10 home runs the
> first half of the season but hits none the second half because he had no endurance
> training in his lift routine, he has not reached his power potential for those equally
> important games later in the season. The last game is just as important if not more
> important than the first game of a season, so training for just one short burst is not the
> way to go. The season is not a sprint, nor is it a marathon, but it is a marathon of sprints.
> Training like a power lifter will shorten the life of that power in a long baseball season.
>
> Jimmy

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I would also add, that if a player is not in decent shape he can't play the field. People tend to forget that you have to be able to play a position to stay in the major leagues for the most part. And everyone can't play first base and third base.