By January 20, 2017 May 23rd, 2017 Blog

How you train will directly impact how you perform on the field.

If you want to be explosive, you must train explosively and if you want to be fast you must train fast.

The same also applies if you train slow….you will become slower.

Sport specific training is a buzz word in the strength and conditioning world but what does it mean?

In baseball the longest play will last will likely last 15 seconds, so we must train with that in mind.

Our goal is to train and recruit our fast twitch muscle fibers. Performing short, explosive exercises will train your body to recruit the fast twitch muscle fibers. This will make you more explosive.


You need to have proper rest between training intervals.

A 9 inning MLB game on average lasts 3 hours. However, during the 3 hours of play,  there is only 15-20 minutes of action. When we train exclusively to develop explosiveness and to become faster, we must have proper rest so we can recruit the fast twitch fibers.

Your rest period will allow you to perform the explosive movement with 100% of your energy instead of trying to perform the movements slowly while you are tired.

Avoid long slow activities.

You are not a cross country runner so you must not train like cross country runners. That’s not how baseball is played.

Distance athletes need to be able to work for a long period of time, whereas baseball players have 3-4 second short bursts followed by a 20 second rest period.

What to focus on

As an athlete, make sure all of your movements are focused with these short bursts in mind. Lift heavy weight for low reps. Perform short sprints with enough rest to recover, and work on changing direction, plyometrics and agility drills to get your first step as quick as possible.

If you train like this, you WILL become faster.

Remember, your body will work however you train it too!