Baseball players do not need endless amounts of long-distance running!
Stop with the poles.
Stop punishing them with miles of running.
Stop making them run gassers and sprints without recovering.
Stop jogging just to jog!
This type of conditioning is not doing any good.
The long runs do not flush the lactic acid out of the body.
They actually create it and make athletes sorer.
Distance running just beats down the body and fatigues the athlete. Fatigue is the enemy of athletes.
Plus, when in a baseball game will you run a long-distance?
The longest you will be running is for an in-the-park homer but that is not very often.
You might be saying what about the aerobic system? Shouldn’t that be trained?
Yes, it should. Even though baseball is an alactic sport (short burst of all-out effort with extended rest)
The aerobic system is that longer duration, and lower intensity. In baseball, you need this to help recover between pitches, swings, and sprints. And it builds a better cardiovascular system.
But…
Long-distance running is not the way to do it.
So what is a better way to condition for baseball?
- Play baseball – the best way to condition the body for baseball is to play baseball: games, practice, or sandlot games with the buddies.
- Sprints – max effort sprints with full recovery. Work on acceleration, max velocity, deceleration, agility, and change of direction. For every ten yards rest 60 seconds.
- Tempo runs – this is a great way to build your aerobic system. Think runs at 60-75% of max speed. Run at a distance of 50-100 yards each rep with a good amount of rest.
- Movement circuits – Another great way to build aerobic capacity. Pick some different movements and perform them in a circuit. Keeping the heart rate between 120-150 bpm
- Hill Sprints – You can use these for speed or more conditioning by adjusting the rest time.
- Sled work & Carries – Another low-impact way to build aerobic capacity. Walk forward, backward, side-to-side, or even do upper body work like presses and pulls. Keep the heart rate between 120-150 bpm. Do it for a certain distance or time.
These are all better options for getting baseball players conditioned better. Conditioning needs to mimic the sports work to rest ratio. And baseball has max effort movements for a short time, followed by a lot of rest.
Let’s do better for our athletes.
Let’s help improve them rather than beating them down and punishing them with extra conditioning.
They need rest too!