If you take care of your body, you’ll be able to take on more reps and produce more on the field.
I know you are feeling the impact of several months of baseball. With the fall season finally coming to an end, it’s time to grab some rest this winter – kind of.
During my playing days, I admittedly didn’t do a good job of taking care of my body with regards to my diet and rest. Truthfully, these are two of things that separate the “prospects” from the “pretenders.”
To perform at peak levels, you must consume enough protein and carbs throughout the course of the day. Believe it or not, when you lift weights, you’re breaking down your muscles, not building them. Baseball is a cardiovascular sport, so if you don’t have a lot of fat, you’re burning muscles during every game you play.
Fall is typically the season most players get muscle strains. That’s why you have to stock up on protein, which is the major source of building muscle. Remember: The more you exercise, the greater your protein needs will be.
When I played as a professional, I consumed 40 grams of protein every three hours. My supplemental source of protein in between meals was Muscle Milk (made by CytoSport). My recommendation is to spend some time learning about the importance of protein intake.
Think about how productive you’ll be if you had more energy. But when you lose it, how do you get it back? The best way is your carbohydrate intake. My favorite sources of carbs are oatmeal for breakfast, and brown rice for lunch and dinner. As a professional player, I took in about 40 grams of carbs every six hours.
Baseball players spend hours developing their swings, but not enough time taking care of their body. That takes hard work each and every day.
And remember, there are no magic foods or supplements that can replace the right training and the right diet. The foundation of any nutrition and fitness program, whether your goal is to lose weight or gain muscle, is a combination of strength training and a healthy diet (think carbs, and a balance of protein and fat.)
If you take care of your body, you’ll be able to take on more reps and produce more on the field.
For more information, visit www.diamonddirectors.com today.
BIO:
C.J. Stewart has built a reputation as one of the leading professional hitting instructors in the country. He is a former professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization and has also served as an area scout for the Cincinnati Reds. As founder and CEO of Diamond Directors Player Development, CJ has more than 12 years of player development experience and has built an impressive list of clients including some of the top young prospects in baseball today. If your desire is to take your game to the next level, C.J Stewart has a proven track record of helping players reach their goals.
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